John Edmund Fitzmaurice

His Excellency, The Most Reverend John Edmund Fitzmaurice
Bishop of Erie Titular Bishop of Amisus
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Diocese of Erie
In office	September 15,1899 – June 18, 1920
Predecessor	Tobias Mullen
Successor	John Mark Gannon
Previous post(s)	Coadjutor Bishop of Erie (1898–1899)
Orders
Ordination	December 21, 1862 by James Frederick Wood
Consecration	February 24, 1898 by Patrick John Ryan
Personal details
Born	(1839-01-08)January 8, 1839 Newtown-Sandes, County Kerry, Ireland
Died	June 18, 1920(1920-06-18) (aged 81) Erie, Pennsylvania, US
Education	St. Charles Borromeo Seminary

John Edmund Fitzmaurice (January 8, 1839 – June 18, 1920) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Erie in Pennsylvania (1899–1920).

Biography

Early life

John Fitzmaurice was born on January 8, 1839, in Newtown-Sandes, County Kerry in Ireland. He began studying law at age fifteen. In 1858, he immigrated to the United States, where he began his studies for the priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1]

Fitzmaurice was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop James Wood on December 21, 1862,[2] and then served as a curate at St. John's and St. Paul's Parishes in Philadelphia.[1] After serving as pastor of St. Agatha's Parish in Philadelphia, he became rector of St. Charles Seminary in 1886.[1] His nephew, Edmond John Fitzmaurice, was also rector of St. Charles (1920–1925) as well as Bishop of Wilmington (1925–1960).

Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Erie

On December 14, 1897, Fitzmaurice was appointed coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Erie and titular bishop of Amisus by Pope Leo XIII.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on February 24, 1898, from Archbishop Patrick Ryan, with Bishops Ignatius Horstmann and Edmond Prendergast serving as co-consecrators.[2] He succeeded Tobias Mullen as Bishop on September 15, 1899.[2]

During his 21-year-long tenure as bishop, Fitzmaurice established several parishes and dedicated St. Peter's Cathedral in Erie (1911).[3] The Sisters of St. Joseph added an annex to St. Vincent's Hospital in Erie and in 1901 a nursing school.

Toward the end of his life, Fitzmaurice went blind; John Fitzmaurice died June 18, 1920, at age 81 in Erie, Pennsylvania.[4]

References

1.  Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Diocese of Erie". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
2. "Bishop John Edmund Fitzmaurice". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney.
3. "About the Diocese: Continued Expansion (1900-1920)". Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28.
4. "Bishops of the Diocese of Erie", Saint Peter Cathedral

Catholic Church titles
New title	— TITULAR — Bishop of Amisus 1897–1899	Vacant Title next held by Aquilino Ferreyra y Alvarez
Preceded by Tobias Mullen	Bishop of Erie 1899–1920	Succeeded by John Mark Gannon