James Anthony Griffin
Titular Bishop of Hólar (1979–1983) | |
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Education | St. Charles College Borromeo College St. Mary Seminary Pontifical Lateran University Cleveland State University |
Motto | Radicati in ipso (Rooted in Him) |
Signature | ![]() |
Styles of James Anthony Griffin | ||
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Reference style | ||
Spoken style | Your Excellency | |
Religious style | Bishop |
James Anthony Griffin (born June 13, 1934) is an American
Biography
The fifth of seven children, Griffin was born in Fairview Park, Ohio, on June 13, 1934, to Thomas Griffin and Margaret Hanousek. He attended St. Angela Merici School in Fairview Park, Ohio, and Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland.[1]
After high school, Griffin went to
Ministry
On May 28, 1960, Bishop John Krol ordained Griffin to the priesthood for the Diocese of Cleveland in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Cleveland. After his ordination, Griffin was assigned as associate pastor at St. Jerome Parish in Cleveland. In 1961, Griffin was posted to Rome to study at the Pontifical Lateran University. In 1963, he received his Licentiate of Canon Law magna cum laude from Lateran University.[1]
After returning to Cleveland in 1963, Griffin served as secretary-notary of the Marriage Court of the diocese. In 1965, he was appointed associate chancellor and vice chancellor. During that time, he attended night classes at Cleveland State University, receiving his Doctorate in Civil Law summa cum laude in 1972. Griffin then passed the Ohio Bar Exam. In 1973, Griffin was appointed chancellor of the diocese.[1]
In January 1978, Bishop
Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland
On June 30, 1979,
Bishop of Columbus
On February 7, 1983, John Paul II appointed Griffin as the tenth
In 1985, Griffin established the Foundation of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus and initiated the Legacy of Catholic Learning campaign in 1989 and Challenge In Changing Times campaign. He also established "Breaking The Silence" task force to reduce family violence. Griffin also served on a number of committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and was president of Catholic Relief Services (1991–1995).[1]
In 1993, Griffin removed Reverend Phillip Jacobs from his parish due to allegations that he had sexually abused a teenage boy. The boy's family requested that the police not be notified, but years later Griffin made the notification. When the Diocese of Victoria in British Columbia was considering hiring Jacobs, Griffin informed them about the allegations against him. The Diocese of Victoria hired Jacobs anyway. In 2019, Jacobs was arrested in Victoria, British Columbia for sexual abuse of minors.[2]
Retirement
On October 14, 2004, Griffin sent his letter of resignation as Bishop of Columbus to Pope John Paul, citing his arthritis. He was succeeded by Bishop Frederick F. Campbell.[1] In retirement, Griffin served as a professor of theology at Ohio Dominican University[3] and weekend associate at St. Joan of Arc parish in Powell, Ohio, where he rents a condo. He continues to occasionally aid parishes in need of a priest in the Diocese and attends diocesan clergy gatherings. [4]
See also
- Catholic Church hierarchy
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of Catholic bishops of the United States
- Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Most Reverend James Anthony Griffin, J.D., J.C.L." Diocese of Columbus. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
- ^ Staff Writer. "Ousted Columbus priest arrested". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
- ^ "FORMER BISHOP TO TEACH AT OHIO DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY". The Columbus Dispatch. 25 May 2005. pp. 10C.
- ^ "'Thank God for our senior priests!'". The Catholic Times. Retrieved 2022-08-17.