His Eminence, The Most Reverend

Merlin Guilfoyle
Bishop of Stockton
Titular Bishop of Bulla
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
SeeDiocese of Stockton
In officeNovember 12, 1969 to
September 4, 1979
PredecessorHugh Aloysius Donohoe
SuccessorRoger Mahony
Other post(s)Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco 1950 to 1969
Titular Bishop of Bulla
Orders
OrdinationJune 10, 1933
ConsecrationSeptember 21, 1950
by John Joseph Mitty
Personal details
Born(1908-07-15)July 15, 1908
San Francisco, US
DiedNovember 20, 1981(1981-11-20) (aged 73)
Stockton, California, US
EducationSt. Patrick's Seminary
Catholic University of America
Styles of
Merlin Guilfoyle
Reference styleThe Most Reverend
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleMonsignor

Merlin Joseph Guilfoyle (July 15, 1908 – November 20, 1981) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Stockton from 1969 to 1979. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco from 1950 to 1969.

Biography

Early life

Merlin Guilfoyle was born on July 15, 1908, in San Francisco, California, to John Joseph and Teresa (née Bassity) Guilfoyle.[1] His parents' home was destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Prior to Guilfoyle's birth, they returned to San Francisco from two years living in Oakland, California.

Guilfoyle attended St. James Boys' School in San Francisco from 1914 to 1922, and St. Joseph's College in Mountain View from 1922 to 1927. He then studied (1927-1933) at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park.

Priesthood

Guilfoyle was ordained to the priesthood on June 10, 1933.[2] In 1937, he earned a Doctor of Canon Law degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.[1] He became a domestic prelate in 1949, and was co-founder and chaplain of the St. Thomas More Society.

Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco

On August 24, 1950, Guilfoyle was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and titular bishop of Bulla by Pope Pius XII.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on September 21, 1950, from Archbishop John Mitty, with Bishops James Sweeney and Hugh Donohoe serving as co-consecrators.[2]

In addition to his duties as bishop, Guilfoyle served as rector of Mission San Francisco de Asís (1950-1969) and military vicar of armed forces for the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Dioceses of Monterey-Fresno, Sacramento, Reno, and Salt Lake City.[1] On October 3, 1955, Guilfoyle dedicated a statue of Francis of Assisi by artist Beniamino Bufano at St. Francis of Assisi Church in San Francisco.[3]

Bishop of Stockton

Guilfoyle was named the second bishop of the Diocese of Stockton by Pope Paul VI on November 12, 1969.[2] He was installed on January 13, 1970.

Retirement and legacy

On September 4, 1979. Pope Paul II accepted Guilfoyle's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Stockton. Merlin Guilfoyle died in Stockton, California, on November 20, 1981, at age 73.[2]

On July 17, 1998, a jury awarded two brothers $40 million in a sexual abuse lawsuit against the Diocese of Stockton. Joh and James Howard said they were molested as altar boys by Reverend Oliver Francis O’Grady, a priest at St. Ann's Parish in Lodi, California, starting in the 1970's. O'Grady had received 14 years in prison for molesting the boys. In 1976, O'Grady had admitted to Guilfoyle directly that he had inappropriately touched Nancy Sloan-Ferguson, then an 11 year old girl. In response, Guilfoyle transferred him to another parish and sent him to counseling - he did not suspend his privileges or notify police. The lawsuit accused the diocese of negligence.[4][5][6]

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 3 4 5 "Bishop Merlin Joseph Guilfoyle". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  3. ↑ Times, Special to The New York (1955-10-04). "STATUE TO BE DEDICATED; Bufano's St. Francis Will Be Blessed on Coast Tonight". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  4. ↑ "Jury Awards $30 Million to Brothers Molested by Priest". Los Angeles Times. 17 July 1998. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  5. ↑ warned, Elizabeth Bell,Witness says she. "Woman testifies that Catholic priest molested her". The Stockton Record. Retrieved 2022-09-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ Writer, Kim CurtisAssociated Press. "Court papers shed light on nightmarish life of former Lodi priest". Lodinews.com. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
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