Joseph Francis Flannelly
Encyclopedia
Joseph Francis Flannelly (October 22, 1894—May 23, 1973) was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as an auxiliary bishop
of the Archdiocese of New York
from 1948 to 1969.
to Michael J. and Mary A. (née Considine) Flannelly. He attended Cathedral College
in his native city, and made his theological studies at St. Joseph's Seminary
in Yonkers
. He was ordained
to the priesthood
on September 1, 1918. His first assignment was as a curate
at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Yonkers. He there supervised the parochial school
, taught singing, and organized and coached the school baseball
and basketball
teams. He also served as chaplain
of the local fire department
.
In 1938, he was transferred to St. Patrick's Cathedral
in New York City, serving as an assistant to Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle. The following year he succeeded Lavelle as administrator of St. Patrick's Cathedral, a post in which he remained until his retirement in 1969. Under Flannelly's guidance, St. Patrick's underwent extensive changes; these changes included the installation of a new altar
and a rose window
in the west wall of the edifice, major improvements of the organ
, and the completion of five sculptured bronze doors facing Fifth Avenue. He became a papal chamberlain
in 1941, and was raised to the rank of domestic prelate
in 1943. In August 1948, he celebrated the Requiem Mass
for the late Babe Ruth
.
On November 9, 1948, Flannelly was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of New York and Titular Bishop
of Metelis by Pope Pius XII
. After receiving news of his appointment, he stated, "I am delighted, of course, that I am going to be a successor of the Apostles
, and I am humbly grateful to God." He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following December 16 from Cardinal Francis Spellman, with Bishops Joseph Patrick Donahue and Stephen Joseph Donahue
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. He was also given the episcopal ring
of Cardinal Patrick Joseph Hayes and the pectoral cross
of Archbishop John Hughes
. He selected as his episcopal motto
: "Pro Hominibus ad Deum," which, freely translated, means, "Ordained for men in the things that appertain to God" .
In 1950, Flannelly issued an admonition to be read at each of the seven Sunday Masses in St. Patrick's Cathedral: "We note with alarm and regret the growing custom of holding parties in business offices on the days immediately preceding Christmas
. We caution the faithful against such parties for the following reasons: 1) these parties ignore the sacred character of Advent
, which is a time of becoming preparation for the coming of our divine Savior
; 2) the days immediately preceding Christmas are invariably days of fast and abstinence
...3) at many of these parties there is excessive use of intoxicating drinks. These sinful excesses cause untold harm in various ways to the participants and their families. They corrupt the morals and lower the morale of the community and the nation." He was an ardent proponent of the restoration of religion
to the public school system, and was once quoted as having said that "in the face of Communist
activities bent on taking God out of government and business, the most important first thing we have to do is put religion back in education."
After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Flannelly resigned as Auxiliary Bishop of New York on November 8, 1969. He later died at St. Clare's Hospital, aged 78.
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 1948 to 1969.
Biography
Joseph Flannelly 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 Michael J. and Mary A. (née Considine) Flannelly. He attended 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, and made his theological studies at 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...
. 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 September 1, 1918. His first assignment was 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 Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Yonkers. He there supervised the parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
, taught singing, and organized and coached the school baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
teams. He also served as chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
of the local fire department
Fire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
.
In 1938, he was transferred to 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...
in New York City, serving as an assistant to Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle. The following year he succeeded Lavelle as administrator of St. Patrick's Cathedral, a post in which he remained until his retirement in 1969. Under Flannelly's guidance, St. Patrick's underwent extensive changes; these changes included the installation of a new altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
and a rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
in the west wall of the edifice, major improvements of the organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, and the completion of five sculptured bronze doors facing Fifth Avenue. He became 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 1941, and was raised to the rank of 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 1943. In August 1948, he celebrated the Requiem Mass
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
for the late Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
.
On November 9, 1948, Flannelly 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 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 Metelis 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....
. After receiving news of his appointment, he stated, "I am delighted, of course, that I am going to be a successor of the Apostles
Apostolic Succession
Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...
, and I am humbly grateful to God." 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 16 from Cardinal Francis Spellman, with Bishops Joseph Patrick Donahue and Stephen Joseph Donahue
Stephen Joseph Donahue
Stephen Joseph Donahue was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York from 1934 to 1972.-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...
, at St. Patrick's Cathedral. 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. He was also given the episcopal ring
Ecclesiastical ring
An ecclesiastical ring is a finger ring worn by a clergyman, such as a Bishop's ring.-Historical antecedents:St. Clement of Alexandria says that a man might lawfully wear a ring on his little finger, and that it should bear some religious emblem—a dove for the Holy Spirit, a fish for Christ or an...
of Cardinal Patrick Joseph Hayes and the pectoral cross
Pectoral cross
A pectoral cross or pectorale is a cross, usually relatively large, suspended from the neck by a cord or chain that reaches well down the chest. It is worn by the clergy as an indication of their position, and is different from the small crosses worn on necklaces by many Christians, which have no...
of Archbishop John Hughes
John Hughes (archbishop)
John Joseph Hughes , was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fourth Bishop and first Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York, serving between 1842 and his death in 1864....
. He selected as his episcopal motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
: "Pro Hominibus ad Deum," which, freely translated, means, "Ordained for men in the things that appertain to God" .
In 1950, Flannelly issued an admonition to be read at each of the seven Sunday Masses in St. Patrick's Cathedral: "We note with alarm and regret the growing custom of holding parties in business offices on the days immediately preceding Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
. We caution the faithful against such parties for the following reasons: 1) these parties ignore the sacred character of Advent
Advent
Advent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. It is the beginning of the Western liturgical year and commences on Advent Sunday, called Levavi...
, which is a time of becoming preparation for the coming of our divine Savior
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
; 2) the days immediately preceding Christmas are invariably days of fast and abstinence
Fasting and Abstinence in the Roman Catholic Church
For Roman Catholics, fasting is the reduction of one's intake of food to one full meal a day. This may or may not be accompanied by abstinence from meat when eating....
...3) at many of these parties there is excessive use of intoxicating drinks. These sinful excesses cause untold harm in various ways to the participants and their families. They corrupt the morals and lower the morale of the community and the nation." He was an ardent proponent of the restoration of religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
to the public school system, and was once quoted as having said that "in the face of Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
activities bent on taking God out of government and business, the most important first thing we have to do is put religion back in education."
After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Flannelly resigned as Auxiliary Bishop of New York on November 8, 1969. He later died at St. Clare's Hospital, aged 78.