George Henry Guilfoyle
Encyclopedia
George Henry Guilfoyle was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Camden
from 1968 to 1989.
to James J. and Johanna (née McGrath) Guilfoyle. After graduating from Regis High School
in 1931, he studied at Georgetown University
, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1935. In 1939 he earned a Bachelor of Laws
degree from Fordham University
and was admitted
to the New York Bar
. He soon abandoned his legal career and entered St. Joseph's Seminary
in Yonkers
.
to the priesthood
by Cardinal Francis Spellman on March 25, 1944. He earned a Master of Laws
from Columbia University
that same year.
Guilfoyle then served as a curate
at St. Patrick's Cathedral
until 1945, when he was transferred to St. Andrew's Church. He served as assistant chancellor
of the Archdiocese of New York
from 1946 to 1947, and was named director of social research (1947), assistant executive director
(1954), and executive director (1956) of Catholic Charities
. During his leadership at Catholic Charities, he directed the operation of 199 separate institutions and agencies. He was raised to the rank of a Papal Chamberlain
in 1955 and later a Domestic Prelate
in 1957.
of New York and Titular Bishop
of Marazanae by Pope Paul VI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on November 30 from Cardinal Spellman, with Bishops Christopher Joseph Weldon
and John Joseph Maguire
serving as co-consecrators
, at St. Patrick's Cathedral. He remained executive director of Catholic Charities until 1966, when he became episcopal vicar
of Staten Island
and pastor
of St. Peter's Church.
, Guilfoyle was named the fourth Bishop of Camden
, New Jersey
, on January 2, 1968. He was installed
at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
on March 4, 1968.
Following the assassination
of Martin Luther King, Jr.
in April 1968, Guilfoyle described racism
as "not a mere myth but an ugly reality" and urged Catholics to "purge every fragment of racism among us." He established a Diocesan Pastoral Council and directed every parish
to establish a parish council
in 1968. He also established the Office of Pastoral Planning, Office of Evangelization, and Secretariat for Education. He advocated "the right to life
from conception to old age," and established the Pro-Life
Office in 1973. During his tenure, he erected eight parishes, eleven convent
s, twenty-three churches, thirty-seven rectories
, and six schools
. A retreat house was acquired by the diocese, special education facilities were expanded and a Newman Centre
erected at Glassboro State College
. Nursing home
s were constructed and acquired, as well as the establishment of two complexes for the elderly, Victorian Towers and St. Mary's Village. Evangelization in the Hispanic
community, through religious service and social ministry, was accomplished through a newly-established Hispanic Apostolate; Spanish
-language Masses
in many South Jersey
parishes were instituted, while the diocese worked to obtain Spanish-speaking priests and religious for pastoral work among Hispanics.
He served for many years on the Administrative Board of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops
, holding membership on a number of its committees, including those on priestly life and ministry, conciliation and arbitration (on which he also served as chairman
), bishops, diocesan boundaries, budget and finance, Latin America, ecumenical, and motion pictures. Within the Roman Curia
, he was a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
from 1969 to 1975.
ailment in May 1991. He died shortly afterwards at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center
in Camden, aged 77.
Bishop Guilfoyle Regional Catholic School in Carneys Point
is named in his honor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Bishop of Camden
Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden is a particular church or diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, located in New Jersey, United States, and presides over Roman Catholic parishes and schools in the six southern New Jersey counties of Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland,...
from 1968 to 1989.
Early life and education
The second oldest of five children, George Guilfoyle was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to James J. and Johanna (née McGrath) Guilfoyle. After graduating from Regis High School
Regis High School (New York City)
Regis High School is a private Jesuit university-preparatory school for academically gifted Roman Catholic young men located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Annual class enrollment is limited to approximately 135 male students from the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state area...
in 1931, he studied at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1935. In 1939 he earned a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree from Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
and was admitted
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
to the New York Bar
New York State Bar Association
The New York State Bar Association , with 77,000 members, is the largest voluntary bar association in the United States.-History:The State Bar was founded with a constitution that dates to 1877...
. He soon abandoned his legal career and entered St. Joseph's Seminary
St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie
St. Joseph's Seminary and College, sometimes referred to as Dunwoodie, after the Yonkers, New York neighborhood it is located in, is the major seminary of the Archdiocese of New York. Its primary mission is to form men for the priesthood in the Catholic Church...
in Yonkers
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
.
Priesthood
Guilfoyle was ordainedHoly Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Cardinal Francis Spellman on March 25, 1944. He earned a Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
that same year.
Guilfoyle then served as a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
The Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
until 1945, when he was transferred to St. Andrew's Church. He served as assistant chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
of the Archdiocese of New York
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
from 1946 to 1947, and was named director of social research (1947), assistant executive director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
(1954), and executive director (1956) of Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities is a network of charities whose aim is "to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same." It is one of the largest charities in the United States...
. During his leadership at Catholic Charities, he directed the operation of 199 separate institutions and agencies. He was raised to the rank of a Papal Chamberlain
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 1955 and later a Domestic Prelate
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 1957.
New York
On October 17, 1964, Guilfoyle was appointed Auxiliary BishopAuxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of New York and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Marazanae by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on November 30 from Cardinal Spellman, with Bishops Christopher Joseph Weldon
Christopher Joseph Weldon
Christopher Joseph Weldon was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Springfield in Massachusetts from 1950 to 1977.-Biography:...
and John Joseph Maguire
John Joseph Maguire
John Joseph Maguire was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as auxiliary bishop and coadjutor archbishop in the Archdiocese of New York.-Early life and education:...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, at St. Patrick's Cathedral. He remained executive director of Catholic Charities until 1966, when he became episcopal vicar
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
and pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of St. Peter's Church.
Camden
Following the death of Archbishop Celestine DamianoCelestine Damiano
Celestine Joseph Damiano was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Apostolic Delegate to South Africa and Bishop of Camden .-Biography:...
, Guilfoyle was named the fourth Bishop of Camden
Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden is a particular church or diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, located in New Jersey, United States, and presides over Roman Catholic parishes and schools in the six southern New Jersey counties of Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland,...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, on January 2, 1968. He was installed
Enthronement
An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. This ritual is generally distinguished from a coronation because there is no crown or other regalia that is physically...
at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Camden, New Jersey)
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic Cathedral located in Camden, New Jersey, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Camden, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 as the Church of the Immaculate Conception...
on March 4, 1968.
Following the assassination
Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination
Martin Luther King, Jr., a prominent American leader of the African-American civil rights movement and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at the age of 39...
of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
in April 1968, Guilfoyle described racism
Racism in the United States
Racism in the United States has been a major issue since the colonial era and the slave era. Legally sanctioned racism imposed a heavy burden on Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latin Americans...
as "not a mere myth but an ugly reality" and urged Catholics to "purge every fragment of racism among us." He established a Diocesan Pastoral Council and directed every parish
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
to establish a parish council
Parish council (US Catholic Church)
Not to be confused with Pastoral CouncilIn American Roman Catholic parishes, the parish council arose after Vatican II in the new era of lay participation in parish decision making. It was a response to the Vatican II Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People...
in 1968. He also established the Office of Pastoral Planning, Office of Evangelization, and Secretariat for Education. He advocated "the right to life
Right to life
Right to life is a phrase that describes the belief that a human being has an essential right to live, particularly that a human being has the right not to be killed by another human being...
from conception to old age," and established the Pro-Life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
Office in 1973. During his tenure, he erected eight parishes, eleven convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
s, twenty-three churches, thirty-seven rectories
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
, and six schools
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
. A retreat house was acquired by the diocese, special education facilities were expanded and a Newman Centre
Newman Centre
Named in honour of Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman, the Newman Centers are residence and Catholic ministry centers at non-Catholic universities throughout the world. They were inspired by Newman's writings encouraging societies for Catholic students attending secular universities.In 1888 the...
erected at Glassboro State College
Rowan University
Rowan University is a public university in Glassboro, New Jersey, USA with a satellite campus in Camden, New Jersey. The school was founded in 1923 as Glassboro Normal School on a twenty-five acre tract of land donated by the town...
. Nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
s were constructed and acquired, as well as the establishment of two complexes for the elderly, Victorian Towers and St. Mary's Village. Evangelization in the Hispanic
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
community, through religious service and social ministry, was accomplished through a newly-established Hispanic Apostolate; Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
-language Masses
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
in many South Jersey
South Jersey
South Jersey comprises the southern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation is a colloquial one, reflecting not only geographical but perceived cultural differences from the northern part of the state, with no official...
parishes were instituted, while the diocese worked to obtain Spanish-speaking priests and religious for pastoral work among Hispanics.
He served for many years on the Administrative Board of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
, holding membership on a number of its committees, including those on priestly life and ministry, conciliation and arbitration (on which he also served as chairman
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
), bishops, diocesan boundaries, budget and finance, Latin America, ecumenical, and motion pictures. Within the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
, he was a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
Congregation for the Causes of Saints
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the complex process that leads to the canonization of saints, passing through the steps of a declaration of "heroic virtues" and beatification...
from 1969 to 1975.
Later life and death
After twenty-one years as Bishop of Camden, Guilfoyle retired on May 13, 1989. He was hospitalized for a respiratoryRespiratory system
The respiratory system is the anatomical system of an organism that introduces respiratory gases to the interior and performs gas exchange. In humans and other mammals, the anatomical features of the respiratory system include airways, lungs, and the respiratory muscles...
ailment in May 1991. He died shortly afterwards at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center
Lourdes Health System
The Lourdes Health System consists of two hospitals, Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden, New Jersey and Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County in Willingboro, New Jersey. Administrative offices are located at its Camden facility...
in Camden, aged 77.
Bishop Guilfoyle Regional Catholic School in Carneys Point
Carneys Point Township, New Jersey
Carneys Point Township is a Township in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 8,049....
is named in his honor.