See Oklahoma City Predecessor Francis Kelley Successor Victor Joseph Reed | Died December 27, 1957 Name Eugene McGuinness Ordination May 22, 1915 | |
In office February 1, 1948—December 27, 1957 Born September 6, 1889
Hellertown, Pennsylvania ( 1889-09-06 ) Education St. Charles Borromeo Seminary Previous post Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh | ||
Eugene Joseph McGuinness (September 6, 1889 – December 27, 1957) was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Raleigh (1937–44) and Bishop of Oklahoma City-Tulsa (1948–57).
Contents
- Early life and education
- Ordination and ministry
- Bishop of Raleigh
- Coadjutor Bishop of Oklahoma City
- References
Early life and education
Eugene McGuinness was born in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, to Daniel and Mary (née Flood) McGuinness. He received his early education at the parochial school of Holy Infancy Church in Bethlehem. He attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, and earned a Doctor of both laws and Doctor of Sacred Theology degrees from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Edmond Francis Prendergast on May 22, 1915.
Ordination and ministry
He served as a curate at St. Paul's Church, St. Agatha's Church, St. John's Church, and the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, all in Philadelphia. He was assistant director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith (1917–19), and field secretary (1919–20) and vice-president (1920–24) of the Catholic Church Extension Society. He was executive secretary of the American Board of Catholic Missions (1923–37), and named a Domestic Prelate in 1929.
Bishop of Raleigh
On October 13, 1937, McGuinness was appointed Bishop of Raleigh, North Carolina, by Pope Pius XI. He received his episcopal consecration on the following December 21 from Cardinal Dennis Joseph Dougherty, with Bishops William David O'Brien and Hugh L. Lamb serving as co-consecrators.
Coadjutor Bishop of Oklahoma City
Bishop McGuinness was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Oklahoma City-Tulsa and Titular Bishop of Ilium on November 11, 1944.
Upon the death of Bishop Francis Kelley on February 1, 1948, McGuinness succeeded him as the third Bishop of Oklahoma City-Tulsa. During his 9-year-long administration, he saw the Catholic population in the state grow by almost 40 percent, and received 1,242 adult converts in 1957 alone. Priestly and religious vocations flourished, and he made trips to Ireland and Poland to recruit clergy.
McGuinness died at age 68.