John Joyce Russell
Encyclopedia
John Joyce Russell was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
, serving as Bishop of Richmond
from 1958 to 1973.
John Russell was born in Baltimore, Maryland
, to John and Mary (née Joyce) Russell. He received his early education at Calvert Hall
and Loyola High School
. From 1912 to 1917, he studied at St. Charles College
in Ellicott City
. He earned his Master of Arts
degree from St. Mary's Seminary
in Baltimore in 1919, and a Doctor of Sacred Theology
from the Pontifical Urbaniana University
in Rome
in 1923. He was ordained
to the priesthood
on July 8, 1923.
Following his return to Baltimore, Russell served as a curate
at St. Martin Church from 1923 to 1937. He also served as diocesan director of Catholic Big Brothers and of the Holy Name Societes (1927-46). From 1929 to 1946, he was diocesan director of the Catholic Evidence Guild
. He was pastor
of St. Ursula Parish in Baltimore from 1937 to 1946, and was named a domestic prelate
in 1945. He then served as pastor of St. Patrick's Parish in Washington, D.C.
(1946-1948) and diocesan director of Catholic Charities
(1946-50). From 1948 to 1950, he was pastor of the Church of the Nativity.
On January 28, 1950, Russell was appointed Bishop of Charleston
by Pope Pius XII
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following March 14 from Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, with Archbishop Patrick O'Boyle and Bishop John Michael McNamara
serving as co-consecrators
. His relative William Thomas Russell
had previously served as the Bishop of Charleston.
Russell was later named the tenth Bishop of Richmond
on July 3, 1958, being installed as such on September 30 of that same year. From 1962 to 1965 he attended the Second Vatican Council
. In implementing the Council's reforms
, Bishop Russell established a Diocesan
Commission on Ecumenical Affairs
in 1963, and a Diocesan Pastoral Council
and a Council of Priests in 1966. A champion of civil rights
, he had the parents of prospective students for Richmond
's Catholic school
s be interviewed for signs of racism
.
After fourteen years of service, he resigned as Bishop of Richmond on April 28, 1973. Russell later died at St. Joseph's Home in Richmond, run by the Little Sisters of the Poor
, at the age of 95.
Russell was a schoolmate of Francis J. Parater
, now a Servant of God
. John Russell was the identity of the fictional character of Bishop Leo James Russeton in Malachi Martin
's last novel, Windswept House (deceased 1993).
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...
, serving as Bishop of Richmond
Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond is an ecclesiastical and episcopal see or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Its current territory was created by Pope Paul VI and encompasses all of central and southern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and the eastern shore...
from 1958 to 1973.
John Russell was born in Baltimore, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, to John and Mary (née Joyce) Russell. He received his early education at Calvert Hall
Calvert Hall College High School
Calvert Hall College High School is a Catholic college preparatory high school for boys located in Towson, Maryland, United States...
and Loyola High School
Loyola Blakefield
Loyola Blakefield is a Catholic, college preparatory school established by the Society of Jesus, to educate men for others. The ideal Loyola graduate is a man of integrity who, because he strives "to find God in all things," is open to growth, dedicated to academic excellence, religious, committed...
. From 1912 to 1917, he studied at St. Charles College
St. Charles College, Maryland
St. Charles College was a seminary college in Catonsville, Maryland, originally from Ellicott City, Maryland.- 1776:Charles Carroll of Carrollton signs the Declaration of Independence for Maryland. One of the wealthiest men in the Americas, Carroll staked his fortune on the American Revolution...
in Ellicott City
Ellicott City, Maryland
Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The population was 65,834 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Howard County...
. He earned his Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree from St. Mary's Seminary
St. Mary's Seminary and University
St. Mary's Seminary and University is a Roman Catholic seminary in Baltimore, Maryland; it was the first seminary founded in the United States of America.-History:...
in Baltimore in 1919, and a Doctor of Sacred Theology
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
from the Pontifical Urbaniana University
Pontifical Urbaniana University
The Pontifical Urbaniana University or Pontifical Urban University is a pontifical university under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.-History:...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1923. He was ordained
Holy 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....
on July 8, 1923.
Following his return to Baltimore, Russell 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. Martin Church from 1923 to 1937. He also served as diocesan director of Catholic Big Brothers and of the Holy Name Societes (1927-46). From 1929 to 1946, he was diocesan director of the Catholic Evidence Guild
Catholic Evidence Guild
The Catholic Evidence Guild is a loose international association of Roman Catholic lay volunteers which seeks to research and present clear and compelling explanations of the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. The organisation was founded in the Diocese of Westminster, England towards the end...
. He was 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. Ursula Parish in Baltimore from 1937 to 1946, and was named 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 1945. He then served as pastor of St. Patrick's Parish in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(1946-1948) and diocesan director 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...
(1946-50). From 1948 to 1950, he was pastor of the Church of the Nativity.
On January 28, 1950, Russell was appointed Bishop of Charleston
Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States and comprises the entire state of South Carolina, with Charleston as its see city. Currently, the diocese consists of 92 parishes and 24 missions...
by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
. He received his episcopal consecration
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....
on the following March 14 from Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, with Archbishop Patrick O'Boyle and Bishop John Michael McNamara
John Michael McNamara
John Michael McNamara was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and of the Archdiocese of Washington .-Biography:...
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...
. His relative William Thomas Russell
William Thomas Russell
William Thomas Russell was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Charleston from 1917 until his death in 1927.-Early life and education:...
had previously served as the Bishop of Charleston.
Russell was later named the tenth Bishop of Richmond
Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond is an ecclesiastical and episcopal see or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Its current territory was created by Pope Paul VI and encompasses all of central and southern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and the eastern shore...
on July 3, 1958, being installed as such on September 30 of that same year. From 1962 to 1965 he attended the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
. In implementing the Council's reforms
Aggiornamento
-Code of Canon law:Originally, the word referred merely to an adjournment of the Code of Canon law, as John XXIII said himself in his 1959 speech. However, the Code of canon law was only completed in 1983, after a long delay of 18 years after the end of the Council...
, Bishop Russell established a Diocesan
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
Commission on Ecumenical Affairs
Catholic Church and ecumenism
The Catholic Church has been heavily involved in the ecumenical movement since the Second Vatican Council .- Before the Second Vatican Council :...
in 1963, and a Diocesan Pastoral Council
Pastoral Council
Not to be confused with Parish councilIn Catholic dioceses and parishes, Pastoral Councils may be established by the diocesan Bishop or pastor. They are consultative bodies which serve to advise them regarding pastoral issues....
and a Council of Priests in 1966. A champion of civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
, he had the parents of prospective students for Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
's Catholic school
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...
s be interviewed for signs of racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
.
After fourteen years of service, he resigned as Bishop of Richmond on April 28, 1973. Russell later died at St. Joseph's Home in Richmond, run by the Little Sisters of the Poor
Little Sisters of the Poor
The Little Sisters of the Poor is a Roman Catholic religious order for women. It was founded in the 19th century by Saint Jeanne Jugan near Rennes, France. Jugan felt the need to care for the many impoverished elderly who lined the streets of French towns and cities.This led her to welcome an...
, at the age of 95.
Russell was a schoolmate of Francis J. Parater
Francis J. Parater
Francis J. Parater was an Eagle Scout, and a Catholic seminarian from Virginia who died of rheumatic fever at the age of 23 and was nominated for canonization in 2001....
, now a Servant of God
Servant of God
Servant of God is a title given to individuals by various religions, but in general the phrase is used to describe a person believed to be pious in his or her faith tradition. In the Catholic Church, it designates someone who is being investigated by the Church for possibly being recognized as a...
. John Russell was the identity of the fictional character of Bishop Leo James Russeton in Malachi Martin
Malachi Martin
Malachi Brendan Martin Ph.D. was a Catholic priest, theologian, writer on the Catholic Church, and professor at the Vatican's Pontifical Biblical Institute. He held three doctorates and was the sole author of sixteen books covering religious and geopolitical topics, which were published in eight...
's last novel, Windswept House (deceased 1993).