John Joseph Sullivan (bishop)

John Joseph Sullivan
Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph
In office 1977-1993
Orders
Ordination September 23, 1944
by Bishop Albert Lewis Fletcher
Consecration September 19, 1972
by Archbishop John R. Quinn
Personal details
Born (1920-07-05)July 5, 1920
Horton, Kansas
Died February 11, 2001(2001-02-11) (aged 80)
Jeanne Jugan Center
Nationality American
Denomination Roman Catholic
Parents Walter and Mary (née Berney) Sullivan
Education St. Benedict's College
Alma mater Kenrick Seminary

John Joseph Sullivan (July 5, 1920 – February 11, 2001) was an American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Grand Island (1972-1977) and Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph (1977-1993).

Biography

John Sullivan was born in Horton, Kansas, to Walter and Mary (née Berney) Sullivan.[1] His father worked for the Electro-Motive Company.[1] At age 10, he moved with his family to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.[2] He received his early education at the parochial schools of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, where he also served as an altar boy to Bishop Francis Kelley.[1] He attended St. Benedict's College in Atchison, Kansas, for two years before entering Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1939.[1] He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Albert Lewis Fletcher on September 23, 1944, for the Diocese of Oklahoma City-Tulsa.[3]

Following his ordination, Sullivan became a curate at Holy Family Cathedral in Tulsa.[1] He also served as director of Catholic Activities and as chaplain at the University of Tulsa.[1] Bishop Eugene J. McGuinness originally intended for him to study canon law at the Catholic University of America, but instead assigned him as pastor of St. Mary's Church in Guthrie in 1947.[1] While in Guthrie, he recruited college students to work as volunteers among the poor.[2] Sullivan became pastor of St. James Church in Oklahoma City in 1959.[1] From 1961 to 1968, he was national director of lay volunteers for the Catholic Church Extension Society.[2] Returning to Tulsa, he was made pastor of the Church of the Madalene and episcopal vicar for Eastern Oklahoma.[2]

On July 25, 1972, Sullivan was appointed the fifth Bishop of Grand Island, Nebraska, by Pope Paul VI.[3] He received his episcopal consecration on September 19 from Archbishop John R. Quinn, with Bishops John L. May and Charles Albert Buswell serving as co-consecrators.[3] He was installed at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 21, 1972.[2] After five years in Grand Island, Sullivan was named the sixth Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph on June 27, 1977.[3] He was installed on the following August 17.[3] After being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease,[2] he retired on June 22, 1993.[3]

Sullivan later died at the Jeanne Jugan Center in Kansas City, aged 80.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sly, Julie (1994). The Call to Ministry: The Vision of Bishop John J. Sullivan. Kansas City: Sheed & Ward.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Most Reverend John J. Sullivan". Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Bishop John Joseph Sullivan". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
John Linus Paschang		 Bishop of Grand Island
1972—1977 		Succeeded by
Lawrence James McNamara
Preceded by
Charles Herman Helmsing		 Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph
1977—1993 		Succeeded by
Raymond James Boland
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