Edmond John Fitzmaurice

Edmond John Fitzmaurice (June 24, 1881 – July 26, 1962) was an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wilmington, Delaware from 1925 to 1960.

Biography

Early life and education

Edmond Fitzmaurice was born in Tarbert, County Kerry, to William and Joan (née Costello) Fitzmaurice.^[1] He studied at St. Brendan's College in Killarney and at the College of Sint-Truiden in Belgium.^[1] He continued his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree.^[1]

Ordination and ministry

Fitzmaurice was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Pietro Respighi on May 28, 1904.^[2]

He came to the United States in 1904, and became a curate at Annunciation Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[1] He served as professor of theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (1906–14) and chancellor of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (1914–20).^[1] From 1920 to 1925, he served as rector of St. Charles Seminary.^[1] His uncle, John Edmund Fitzmaurice, had also served as rector of St. Charles (1886–97) as well as Bishop of Erie (1899–1920).^[3]

Bishop of Wilmington

On July 24, 1925, Fitzmaurice was appointed the fourth Bishop of Wilmington, Delaware, by Pope Pius XI.^[2] He received his episcopal consecration on the following November 30 from Cardinal Dennis Dougherty, with Bishops John Swint and Andrew Brennan serving as co-consecrators.^[2] During his 35-year tenure, he oversaw an increase in the Catholic population from 34,000 to 85,000.^[4] To accommodate these numbers, he founded 17 new parishes, 8 missions, and 19 elementary and 9 secondary schools.^[4] He donated his personal residence in 1959 to provide a location for the founding of St. Edmond's Academy (which was named in his honor).

Fitzmaurice encouraged participation in Catholic Charities, and founded the Catholic Welfare Guild, Catholic Youth Organization, Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and Knights of Columbus, as well as the Catholic Interracial Council, Catholic Forum of the Air, Catholic Television Guild, Diocesan Book Forum, Catholic Education Guild, and Young Christian Workers.^[4] In 1945, he ordered the Catholic parents of public school students to prohibit their children from attending sex education courses, which he described as "offensive to the Catholic conscience."^[5]

Later years and death

In his late years as Bishop of Wilmington, Fitzmaurice was given a coadjutor bishop with right of succession: in 1956, Hubert James Cartwright was consecrated as such, and after Cartwright died in 1958, Michael William Hyle was consecrated as such. Fitzmaurice retired as Bishop of Wilmington on March 2, 1960^[2] (succeeded immediately by his coadjutor), and was appointed Titular Archbishop of Constantia in Scythia on the same date. He was the first priest of the Diocese of Wilmington to reach the level of Archbishop.^[2] He died at St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington in 1962, at age 81.^[6]

References

Diocese of Wilmington
Bishops	Thomas Albert Andrew Becker Alfred Allen Paul Curtis John James Joseph Monaghan Edmond John Fitzmaurice Michael William Hyle Thomas Mardaga Robert Edward Mulvee Michael Angelo Saltarelli William Francis Malooly
Coadjutor bishop	Hubert James Cartwright
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of St. Peter Parishes St. Joseph's Church, Greenville, DE St. John the Baptist Church, Newark, DE St. Joseph's Church, Middletown, DE St. Peter's Church, Queenstown, MD St. Francis Xavier Church, Warwick, MD Resurrection Church, Wilmington, DE St. Anthony's Church, Wilmington, DE St. Catherine of Siena Church, Wilmington, DE St. Hedwig's Church, Wilmington, DE St. Joseph's Church, Wilmington, DE St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church, Wilmington, DE St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Wilmington, DE
Education	High Schools Archmere Academy, Claymont, DE Padua Academy, Wilmington, DE Saints Peter and Paul High School, Easton, MD St. Elizabeth High School, Wilmington, DE St. Mark's High School, Wilmington, DE St. Thomas More Preparatory, Magnolia, DE Salesianum School, Wilmington, DE Ursuline Academy, Wilmington, DE Primary Schools Mount Aviat Academy, Childs, MD St. Edmond's Academy, Wilmington, DE Former College St. Mary's College
Priests	John Barres Benjamin Joseph Keiley
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Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Ordinaries	Bishops Michael Francis Egan, OFM Henry Conwell Francis Patrick Kenrick Saint John Nepomucene Neumann, CSsR Archbishops James Frederick Wood Patrick John Ryan Edmond Francis Prendergast Dennis Joseph Cardinal Dougherty John Francis Cardinal O'Hara, CSC John Joseph Cardinal Krol Anthony Joseph Cardinal Bevilacqua Justin Francis Cardinal Rigali Charles Joseph Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. Auxiliary Bishops, current Michael J. Fitzgerald John J. McIntyre Timothy C. Senior Auxiliary Bishops, former Cletus Joseph Benjamin Michael Francis Burbidge Joseph R. Cistone Michael Joseph Crane Edward Peter Cullen Louis A. DeSimone Francis James Furey John Joseph Graham Edward Hughes Hugh L. Lamb Martin Nicholas Lohmuller Robert P. Maginnis Joseph Francis Martino Joseph Carroll McCormick John Joseph McCort Gerald Vincent McDevitt Joseph P. McFadden Joseph Mark McShea Gerald Patrick O'Hara Francis B. Schulte Daniel Edward Thomas Thomas Jerome Welsh
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul Parish churches Immaculate Conception Old St. Joseph Old St. Mary St. Adalbert St. Agatha and St. James St. Anne St. Augustine St. Basil the Great St. Cyprian St. Donato St. Francis de Sales St. Joachim St. Nicholas of Tolentine St. William Chapels and shrines National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa National Shrine of St. John Neumann
Education	Seminary St. Charles Borromeo Seminary Higher education Cabrini College Chestnut Hill College Gwynedd Mercy University Holy Family University Immaculata University La Salle University Neumann University Rosemont College Saint Joseph's University Villanova University High schools Academy of Notre Dame de Namur Archbishop John Carroll High School Archbishop Prendergast High School Archbishop Ryan High School Archbishop Wood Catholic High School Bishop McDevitt High School Bishop Shanahan High School Cardinal O'Hara High School Conwell-Egan Catholic High School Country Day School of the Sacred Heart Devon Preparatory School Father Judge High School Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School Holy Ghost Preparatory School John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls High School La Salle College High School Lansdale Catholic High School Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls Malvern Preparatory School Mercy Career & Technical High School Merion Mercy Academy Monsignor Bonner High School Mount Saint Joseph Academy Nazareth Academy High School Pope John Paul II High School Roman Catholic High School for Boys Saint Basil Academy Saint Joseph's Preparatory School Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School, St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls Villa Joseph Marie High School Villa Maria Academy
Priests	Living Edward Joseph Adams Herbert Bevard Michael Joseph Bransfield Francis Xavier DiLorenzo Joseph Anthony Galante James Patrick Green Joseph A. Pepe Nelson J. Perez Deceased Francis Brennan Edwin Byrne George Aloysius Carrell, SJ Hubert James Cartwright Joseph M. Corrigan Joseph Thomas Daley Edmond John Fitzmaurice John Edmund Fitzmaurice John Patrick Foley Francis Xavier Gartland Daniel James Gercke Ignatius Frederick Horstmann John Joseph Hughes Francis Edward Hyland Thomas Francis Kennedy Philip R. McDevitt Thomas Joseph McDonough Thomas McGovern Eugene J. McGuinness William Matthews John Joseph O'Connor William O'Hara Jeremiah F. Shanahan John W. Shanahan David B. Thompson
Miscellany	Archdiocesan Boy Choir St. Francesca Xavier Cabrini, M.S.C. Catholic League The Catholic Standard & Times St. Katharine Drexel, S.B.S. Sexual abuse scandal
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