Michael Francis McAuliffe

Michael Francis McAuliffe (November 22, 1920 - January 6, 2006) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the second bishop of the Diocese of Jefferson City in Missouri.


Michael Francis McAuliffe
Bishop of Jefferson City
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
SeeDiocese of Jefferson City
PredecessorJoseph M. Marling
SuccessorJohn R. Gaydos
Orders
OrdinationMay 31, 1945
by Lorenzo Del Ponte
ConsecrationAugust 18, 1969
by Luigi Raimondi
Personal details
Born(1920-11-22)November 22, 1920
DiedJanuary 6, 2006(2006-01-06) (aged 85)
Kansas City, Missouri, US
MottoIn truth and charity
Styles of
Michael F. McAuliffe
Reference styleThe Most Reverend
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleMonsignor

Biography edit

Early life edit

Michael McAuliffe was born on November 22, 1920, in Kansas City, Kansas, the second of six sons of John Joseph McAuliffe and Bridget Agnes (Broderick) McAuliffe. [1]

McAuliffe attended Our Lady of Good Counsel School and St. John High School Seminary, both in Kansas City. McAuliffe then went to the St. Louis Preparatory Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, and finally the Theological College of Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.[2]

McAuliffe was ordained a priest by Bishop Lorenzo Del Ponte at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, on May 31, 1945.[1]

Bishop of Jefferson City edit

Upon the resignation of Bishop Joseph M. Marling, Pope Paul VI appointed him the second Bishop of Jefferson City on July 2, 1969. McAuliffe was consecrated and installed by Cardinal Luigi Raimondi on August 18, 1969, at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Jefferson City.[1] His motto was "In Truth and Charity."

In January 1980, McAuliffe appeared before the Missouri General Assembly to support the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution.[3]

In June 1982, Holy Family Parish in New Haven, Missouri, won a court battle with McAuliffe about the relocation of an ornate marble altar within the church sanctuary. McAuliffe stated that the guidelines of the Second Vatican Council forced him to relocate the altar. The judge enjoined McAuliffe and Holy Family to negotiate a compromise solution.[4]

Retirement and legacy edit

On June 25, 1997, Pope John Paul II accepted McAuliffe's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Jefferson City.[1] In February 2003, McAuliffe and the diocese were sued by a North Carolina man who claimed to have been sexually molested by two diocesan priests when he was a child.[5]

Michael McAuliffe died in Kansas City, Missouri, on January 6, 2006. He is buried at Resurrection Cemetery in Jefferson City.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "Bishop Michael Francis McAuliffe [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  2. ^ a b "Bishop Michael Francis McAuliffe Obituary (2006) Kansas City Star". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  3. ^ "Testimony of Bishop Michael F. McAuliffe" (PDF). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  4. ^ "Church parishoners [sic] win legal fight". UPI. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
  5. ^ SLOCA, PAUL (2003-02-18). "Ex-Priests Face Abuse Lawsuit by Mo. Man". Midland Daily News. Retrieved 2022-11-06.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Jefferson City
1969 to 1997
Succeeded by