Joseph Edward McCarthy
Encyclopedia
Joseph Edward McCarthy was the sixth Roman Catholic
Bishop of Portland
(1932-1955).
McCarthy was born in Waterbury
, Connecticut
, and was a childhood friend of Bishop John Murray
. After attending Holy Cross College
in Worcester
, Massachusetts
, he was ordained
to the priesthood
on July 4, 1903. He then taught Greek
and French
at St. Thomas Seminary
in Bloomfield
.
On May 13, 1932, McCarthy was appointed Bishop of Portland
, Maine
, by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following August 24 from Bishop Maurice F. McAuliffe
, with Bishops John Joseph Nilan
and John Bertram Peterson
serving as co-consecrators
. His consecration was the first to be broadcast by radio
in the United States.
During the Great Depression
, McCarthy used his power as a corporation sole
to remove the burden of debt
by offering the property holdings as security
for a successful bond
issue. By 1936 he had stabilized the financial situation of the diocese. In 1938 he purchased the former home of Morris McDonald
as his official residence. He opened numerous elementary school
s, high school
s, and college
s during his tenure. He received Daniel Joseph Feeney
as an auxiliary bishop
in 1946, delegating much of the administration of the diocese to Feeny due to his own declining health.
McCarthy later died at age 78. He is buried in his native Waterbury.
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...
Bishop of Portland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States comprising the entire state of Maine...
(1932-1955).
McCarthy was born in Waterbury
Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and was a childhood friend of Bishop John Murray
John Murray (archbishop)
John Gregory Murray was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Saint Paul from 1931 until his death in 1956, having previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford and Bishop of Portland .-Early life and education:John Murray was born in Waterbury,...
. After attending Holy Cross College
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
in Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, 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 4, 1903. He then taught Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
at St. Thomas Seminary
St. Thomas Seminary
St. Thomas Seminary, located in Bloomfield, Connecticut, was a minor seminary for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford. The current rector is the Rev. Msgr. Gerard G. Schmitz.-History:...
in Bloomfield
Bloomfield, Connecticut
Bloomfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,626 at the 2009 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and 0.2 square miles is water.Bloomfield is bordered by Windsor to the...
.
On May 13, 1932, McCarthy was appointed Bishop of Portland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States comprising the entire state of Maine...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. 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 August 24 from Bishop Maurice F. McAuliffe
Maurice F. McAuliffe
Maurice Francis McAuliffe was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hartford from 1934 until his death in 1944.-Biography:...
, with Bishops John Joseph Nilan
John Joseph Nilan
John Joseph Nilan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hartford from 1910 until his death in 1934.-Biography:...
and John Bertram Peterson
John Bertram Peterson
John Bertram Peterson was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Manchester from 1932 until his death in 1944.-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 consecration was the first to be broadcast by radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
in the United States.
During the Great Depression
Great Depression in the United States
The Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. The market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement...
, McCarthy used his power as a corporation sole
Corporation sole
A corporation sole is a legal entity consisting of a single incorporated office, occupied by a single man or woman. This allows a corporation to pass vertically in time from one office holder to the next successor-in-office, giving the position legal continuity with each subsequent office...
to remove the burden of debt
Debt
A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a...
by offering the property holdings as security
Security (finance)
A security is generally a fungible, negotiable financial instrument representing financial value. Securities are broadly categorized into:* debt securities ,* equity securities, e.g., common stocks; and,...
for a successful bond
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
issue. By 1936 he had stabilized the financial situation of the diocese. In 1938 he purchased the former home of Morris McDonald
Morris McDonald
Morris McDonald , was president of the Boston & Maine Railroad from 1913 to 1914. He died on May 20, 1938 in Portland, Maine.-References:...
as his official residence. He opened numerous elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s, high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s, and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s during his tenure. He received Daniel Joseph Feeney
Daniel Joseph Feeney
Daniel Joseph Feeney was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Portland from 1955 until his death.-Biography:...
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...
in 1946, delegating much of the administration of the diocese to Feeny due to his own declining health.
McCarthy later died at age 78. He is buried in his native Waterbury.