Joseph A. Burke
Joseph A. Burke | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Buffalo titular bishop of Vita | |
| Diocese | Buffalo |
| In office | 1952–1962 |
| Predecessor | John F. O'Hara |
| Successor | James A. McNulty |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | August 3, 1912 by Charles H. Colton |
| Consecration | June 29, 1944 by Amleto Giovanni Cicognani |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 27, 1886 |
| Died | October 17, 1962 (aged 76) Rome, Italy |
| Buried | At the chapel at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Education | Canisius College University of Innsbruck |
| Motto | Let your will be done |
Joseph Aloysius Burke (August 27, 1886 – October 16, 1962) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo, New York from 1952 until his death in 1962.
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
Joseph Burke was born in Buffalo, New York, to Joseph S. and Amelia (née Howard) Burke.[1] The son of a boilermaker, he wanted to enter the priesthood since the age of six.[2] He attended Canisius High School and Canisius College, both in his native city.[3] He made his theological studies at the University of Innsbruck in Austria.[3]
Priesthood[edit]
Returning to Buffalo, Burke was ordained a priest by Bishop Charles H. Colton on August 3, 1912.[4] During World War I, Burke was attached as an Army chaplain to the 91st Division of the US Army on the Belgian front.[1] After the war, he served as a curate and pastor in the Diocese of Buffalo, and as a teacher at Mount Carmel Guild and at D'Youville College in Buffalo.[3]
Auxiliary Bishop and Bishop of Buffalo[edit]
On April 20, 1943, Burke was appointed titular bishop of Vita and the first auxiliary bishop of Buffalo by Pope Pius XII.[4] He received his episcopal consecration on June 29, 1943, from Archbishop Amleto Cicognani, with Archbishop Thomas Walsh and Bishop Edmund Gibbons serving as co-consecrators.[4] He selected as his episcopal motto, "Let Your Will Be Done".[5] Following the death of Bishop John A. Duffy in September 1944, Burke served as apostolic administrator of the diocese until the appointment of Bishop John O'Hara in March 1945.[1]
When O'Hara was later promoted to Archbishop of Philadelphia, Burke was named to succeed him as the ninth bishop of Buffalo on February 9, 1952.[4] He was the first native son of the diocese to become its bishop.[5] His installation took place on April 30, 1952.[2] During his 10-year-long administration, Burke gave his support to various groups, including the Holy Name Society, missions, the Pre-Cana program, Puerto Rican migrants, and displaced persons.[5] He also continued the expansion and construction of educational institutions, including St. John Vianney Seminary in East Aurora, New York.[5] He was made an assistant at the pontifical throne in 1956, and a commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1960.[1]
Death and legacy[edit]
At age 76, Joseph Burke died in Rome on October 16, 1962, during the first week of the Second Vatican Council.[5] His death was the first among the bishops attending the council.[1] He was buried in the chapel of Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora.[5] His body was moved to St. Joseph Cathedral after the seminary was closed in 2020.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e "BISHOP J.A. BURKE OF BUFFALO DEAD; Head of Diocese Since 1952 Is Strick in Rome". The New York Times. 1962-10-17.
- ^ a b "BURKE BISHOP OF BUFFALO; Ninth to Head Roman Catholic Diocese Is Enthroned". The New York Times. 1952-05-01.
- ^ a b c Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
- ^ a b c d "Bishop Joseph Aloysius Burke". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
- ^ a b c d e f "Most Rev. Joseph A. Burke". Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. Archived from the original on 2010-06-13.
