John Michael Fearns
Encyclopedia
John Michael Fearns was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as an auxiliary bishop
of the Archdiocese of New York
from 1957 to 1972.
, and received his early education at Cathedral College
in his native city. He attended St. Joseph's Seminary
in Yonkers
, and continued his studies in Rome
at the Pontifical North American College
. He earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology
degree after completing his studies at the University of the Propaganda
and the Pontifical Gregorian University
. He was ordained
to the priesthood
in Rome on February 19, 1922.
After his ordination, Fearns returned to the United States and did worked as a curate
in New Rochelle
, Rye
, and St. Clare's School in Mount Hope
. He served as a professor
of moral theology
and canon law
at St. Joseph's Seminary from 1930 to 1940. In 1940, he was named to succeed Msgr. Arthur J. Scanlan as rector of St. Joseph's Seminary. He continued to serve as rector until 1956, when he became pastor
of St. Francis de Sales Church.
On November 4, 1957, Fearns was appointed auxiliary bishop
of the Archdiocese of New York
and titular bishop
of Geras by Pope Pius XII
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following December 10 from Cardinal Francis Spellman, with Archbishop Patrick O'Boyle and Bishop Edward Joseph Maginn serving as co-consecrators
, at St. Patrick's Cathedral
. At his consecration, he wore the same vestment
s worn by Cardinal Spellman and Pope Pius XII at their own consecrations. In addition to his role at St. Francis, his duties included administrative affairs, presiding at confirmation and ordination ceremonies, and visitation.
Between 1962 and 1965, Fearns attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council
. He once declared it would be immoral for any country, including the United States, to conduct nuclear tests in the atmosphere merely as a show of force, saying, "The justification of a given test depends on the importance of the new knowledge or practice that the test is expected to supply, balanced against the damage that the test will probably cause." In 1966, he was named to the newly created office of Episcopal Vicar
for Orange
and Rockland Counties
. In an administrative innovation that resulted from the Second Vatican Council, he was one of six bishops appointed to devote more attention to the needs of local churches throughout the Archdiocese. In a move towards decentralization, the bishops were given authority to rule on issues such as the undertaking of interfaith
activities with non-Catholic churches that had before been the prerogative of the Archbishop's office. He later served as pastor of St. Patrick's Church in Newburgh
until his retirement on August 12, 1972.
Fearns died at St. Vincent's Hospital after a long illness, at age 80.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
clergyman 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 an auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary 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 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 1957 to 1972.
Biography
John Fearns 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...
, and received his early education at Cathedral College
Cathedral Preparatory Seminary (Queens)
Cathedral Preparatory Seminary is a private, Roman Catholic high school and seminary in Elmhurst, Queens, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn...
in his native city. He attended 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...
, and continued his studies 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...
at the Pontifical North American College
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
. He earned 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....
degree after completing his studies at the University of the Propaganda
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:...
and the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
. 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....
in Rome on February 19, 1922.
After his ordination, Fearns returned to the United States and did worked 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...
in New Rochelle
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
, Rye
Rye (city), New York
Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
, and St. Clare's School in Mount Hope
Mount Hope, New York
Mount Hope is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 6,639 at the 2000 census.The Town of Mount Hope is in the northwestern part of the county, west of Middletown...
. He served as a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of moral theology
Ethics in religion
Most religions have an ethical component, often derived from purported supernatural revelation or guidance. "For many people, ethics is not only tied up with religion, but is completely settled by it...
and canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
at St. Joseph's Seminary from 1930 to 1940. In 1940, he was named to succeed Msgr. Arthur J. Scanlan as rector of St. Joseph's Seminary. He continued to serve as rector until 1956, when he became 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. Francis de Sales Church.
On November 4, 1957, Fearns was appointed auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary 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 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...
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 Geras 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
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 the following December 10 from Cardinal Francis Spellman, with Archbishop Patrick O'Boyle and Bishop Edward Joseph Maginn 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
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...
. At his consecration, he wore the same vestment
Vestment
Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially among Latin Rite and other Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, and Lutherans...
s worn by Cardinal Spellman and Pope Pius XII at their own consecrations. In addition to his role at St. Francis, his duties included administrative affairs, presiding at confirmation and ordination ceremonies, and visitation.
Between 1962 and 1965, Fearns attended all four sessions of 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...
. He once declared it would be immoral for any country, including the United States, to conduct nuclear tests in the atmosphere merely as a show of force, saying, "The justification of a given test depends on the importance of the new knowledge or practice that the test is expected to supply, balanced against the damage that the test will probably cause." In 1966, he was named to the newly created office of 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...
for Orange
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
and Rockland Counties
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...
. In an administrative innovation that resulted from the Second Vatican Council, he was one of six bishops appointed to devote more attention to the needs of local churches throughout the Archdiocese. In a move towards decentralization, the bishops were given authority to rule on issues such as the undertaking of interfaith
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
activities with non-Catholic churches that had before been the prerogative of the Archbishop's office. He later served as pastor of St. Patrick's Church in Newburgh
Newburgh (city), New York
Newburgh is a city located in Orange County, New York, United States, north of New York City, and south of Albany, on the Hudson River. Newburgh is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown metropolitan area, which includes all of Dutchess and Orange counties. The Newburgh area was...
until his retirement on August 12, 1972.
Fearns died at St. Vincent's Hospital after a long illness, at age 80.