Province Detroit Ordination June 7, 1958 Nationality American | Term ended April 6, 2009 Installed January 27, 1998 Name James Murray Consecration January 27, 1998 | |
Denomination Roman Catholic Church | ||
James Albert Murray (born July 5, 1932) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Kalamazoo from 1998 to 2009.
Biography
James Murray was born in Jackson, Michigan to James Albert and Marcella Clare (née Harris) Murray; he has two older brothers, Joseph and William. After attending St. Mary Elementary and High Schools in Jackson, he studied at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, from where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree), and St. John Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, earning his Bachelor's in Sacred Theology. Murray was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Joseph Albers on June 7, 1958, and then served as parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish in St. Joseph until 1961.
He then worked as an assistant pastor at St. Mary Cathedral, and did pastoral work at St. Therese Parish. He received a licentiate in canon law from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in 1964. Murray served as pastor of St. Gerard Parish in Lansing from 1962 to 1973, whence he became rector of St. Mary Cathedral. In addition to his duties as rector, he served as chancellor, curial moderator, and tribunal judge for the Diocese of Lansing as well. Murray was also a diocesan ecumenical officer, chaplain of the Lansing police, and sat on several committees of the Michigan Catholic Conference. He was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness in 1993.
On November 18, 1997, Murray was appointed the third Bishop of Kalamazoo by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on January 27, 1998 from Adam Cardinal Maida, with Bishops Paul Donovan and Carl Mengeling serving as co-consecrators, in St. Augustine Cathedral. He selected as his episcopal motto: "Rejoice in the Lord always" (Phil 4:4).
Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Murray submitted his letter of resignation to Pope Benedict XVI in 2007. His resignation was accepted on April 6, 2009, ending an eleven-year period as Bishop. He served as Apostolic Administrator of Kalamazoo until the installation of his successor, Paul J. Bradley, on June 6, 2009.
Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he formerly sat on the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse. The Bishop is a member of the Committee for the American College of Louvain as well.