The Most Reverend

James Patterson Lyke

OFM
Archbishop of Atlanta
SeeAtlanta
InstalledJune 24, 1991
Term endedDecember 27, 1992
PredecessorEugene Antonio Marino
SuccessorJohn Francis Donoghue
Other post(s)Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland (1979–1990)
Apostolic Administrator of Atlanta (1990–1991)
Orders
OrdinationJune 24, 1966
ConsecrationAugust 1, 1979
Personal details
Born(1939-02-18)February 18, 1939
Chicago, Illinois
DiedDecember 27, 1992(1992-12-27) (aged 53)
Atlanta, Georgia
BuriedArlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs, Georgia
DenominationCatholic Church
Coat of armsJames Patterson Lyke's coat of arms

James Patterson Lyke, O.F.M. (February 18, 1939 – December 27, 1992) was an African-American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Atlanta from 1991 to 1992. He was the second-ever Black archbishop in America.

Biography

Early life

James Lyke was born on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, the youngest of seven children of Amos and Ora (née Sneed) Lyke.[1] His father abandoned the family, and his mother was left to raise the children in impoverished surroundings, relying on welfare checks.[2] The family lived in a flat, where there were no beds and the only source of heat was a coal stove, before moving to Wentworth Gardens, a Chicago housing project.[2]

Conversion

His mother, a Baptist, sent James to a Catholic school in the fourth grade in order to keep him out of trouble, and did the church's laundry to help pay the tuition. Shortly afterwards, she and six of her children, including James, converted to Catholicism.[2]

Religious life

He joined the Franciscan order in 1959, studying at St. Francis Novitiate in Teutopolis, Illinois, later obtaining his B.A. degree in philosophy at Our Lady of Angels House of Philosophy through Quincy College in Illinois. He received a master's of divinity from St. Joseph Theological Seminary in Teutopolis.

Episcopacy

Pope John Paul II named him Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland and titular bishop of Furnos Major on June 30, 1979.[3] He obtained a Ph.D. in theology in 1981 from the Union Graduate School in Cincinnati, Ohio.

While serving as Auxiliary Bishop in the Diocese of Cleveland, Lyke coordinated the group that produced Lead Me, Guide Me: The African American Catholic Hymnal in 1987.[4]

After the resignation of Archbishop Eugene Marino due to scandal, Lyke was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Atlanta on July 10, 1990. He was appointed archbishop there on April 30, 1991,[5][6] and was installed there on June 24, 1991.

Death

Lyke died of cancer on December 27, 1992. At the time of his death, he was the highest-ranking Black Catholic clergyman in the nation.[7]

Legacy

A number of institutions in the United States have been named in Lyke's memory, including:

  • Lyke House - the Catholic Newman Center at the Atlanta University Center.
  • Archbishop Lyke Catholic Elementary School in Cleveland - In 1994, Saints Catherine and Henry in Cleveland and Saint Timothy in Garfield Heights, which are predominantly African-American Catholic parishes, merged their grade schools into Archbishop Lyke Elementary. They have a two-campus system in which St. Henry has grades K-4 and St. Timothy grades 5-8.
  • Archbishop Lyke Conference - A Black Catholic liturgical conference held each year in a different major city, including pre-conferences on preaching, music ministry, dance, and young adults.

References

  1. ↑ Keiser, Gretchen (January 7, 1993). "Archbishop James Lyke, OFM -- 1939-1992". The Georgia Bulletin. Archived from the original on June 21, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 Keiser, Gretchen (July 2, 1991). "From Chicago Projects To Priesthood: A Faith Journey". The Georgia Bulletin. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
  3. ↑ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXXI. 1979. p. 900. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Lead Me, Guide Me". GIA Publications. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  5. ↑ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXXXIII. 1991. p. 527. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Interim Archbishop of Atlanta Named to Post Permanently". New York Times. May 1, 1991. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  7. ↑ "James Lyke Dies at 53, Archbishop of Atlanta". New York Times. December 28, 1992. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
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