His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Bernard Joseph Flanagan
Bishop of Worcester
ChurchRoman Catholic
SeeDiocese of Worcester
AppointedAugust 8, 1959
InstalledSeptember 24, 1959
Term endedMarch 31, 1983
PredecessorJohn Joseph Wright
SuccessorTimothy Joseph Harrington
Orders
OrdinationDecember 8, 1931
by Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani
ConsecrationNovember 30, 1953
by Edward Francis Ryan, Vincent Stanislaus Waters, and John Patrick Cody
Personal details
Born(1908-03-31)March 31, 1908
Proctor, Vermont, US
DiedJanuary 28, 1998(1998-01-28) (aged 89)
Worcester, Massachusetts, US
BuriedSt. John Cemetery
Previous post(s)Bishop of Norwich
EducationCollege of the Holy Cross
Pontifical North American College
Catholic University of America
MottoRespice ad Mariam
(Look to Mary)
Styles of
Vincent Joseph Hines
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop

Bernard Joseph Flanagan (March 31, 1908 – January 28, 1998) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Norwich in Connecticut (1953–1959) and as bishop of the Diocese of Worcester in Massachusetts (1959–1983).

Biography

Early life

Bernard Flanagan was born on March 31, 1908, in Proctor, Vermont, to John B. and Alice (née McGarry) Flanagan.[1] He studied at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.[1]

Flanagan was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Burlington by Cardinal Francesco Selvaggiani on December 8, 1931.[2] He earned a doctorate in canon law from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1943.[3] Flanagan then served as secretary to Bishop Edward Ryan and as chancellor of the diocese.[1]

Bishop of Norwich

On September 1, 1953, Flanagan was appointed the first bishop of the Diocese of Norwich by Pope Pius XII. Flanagan received his episcopal consecration on December 3, 1953, in Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Burlington, Vermont, from Bishop Edward Ryan, with Bishops Vincent Waters and John Cody serving as co-consecrators.[3] He was formally installed five days later, on December 8, in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Norwich. During his tenure, Flanagan oversaw the establishment of several secondary schools and parishes within his diocese.[4]

Bishop of Worcester

Flanagan was named the second bishop of the Diocese of Worcester on August 8, 1959, by Pope John XXIII. Flanagan was installed by Cardinal Richard Cushing on September 24, 1959. Flanagan attended the Second Vatican Council in Rome from 1962 to 1965, and was an ardent supporter of ecumenism. He once declared,

"There are many paths that we can and must travel, as we work and pray for the fulfillment of Christ's prayer that 'all be one'. One of these paths is the association of yet separated Christian churches in local and regional councils."

In 1973, the diocese joined the Worcester County Ecumenical Council, a predominantly Protestant organization.[5] Flanagan also engaged in active dialogue with Archbishop Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Church in America.[6]

Retirement

Pope John Paul II accepted Flanagan's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Worcester on March 31, 1983. Bernard Flanagan died on January 28, 1998, in Worcester at age 89.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
  2. 1 2 "Bishop Bernard Joseph Flanagan". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  3. 1 2 "Bishop Flanagan Installed in New Norwick Diocese", The Catholic Standard and Times, Vol. 59, Number 11, 11 December 1953
  4. ↑ Diocese of Norwich. A Brief History of the Diocese of Norwich Archived May 1, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Telegram & Gazette. May 22, 2007
  6. ↑ St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Catholics attend Orthodox service Archived February 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine January 23, 2006
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