James Patrick Keleher
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Spoken style | Your Excellency | |
Religious style | Archbishop |
James Patrick Keleher (born July 31, 1931) is an
Biography
Early life and education
James Keleher was born on July 31, 1931, on the
The younger James Keleher belonged to St. Felicitas Parish in Chicago. As a child, he considered careers either as a firefighter or a priest.[1] After attending Mount Carmel High School in Chicago for one year, he entered Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, graduating in 1951. He then studied philosophy and theology at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois.[1]
Priesthood
Keleher was
In 1962, Keleher was named an associate pastor at St. Henry's Parish in the Rogers Park section of Chicago. In 1966, he also became academic dean and teacher of religion and social studies at the north campus of Archbishop Quigley.[1]
In 1969, Keleher was appointed dean of formation at
Bishop of Belleville
On October 23, 1984, Pope John Paul II appointed Keleher as the sixth bishop of Belleville. He was consecrated on December 11, 1984, by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, with Bishops William Cosgrove and Thomas Murphy serving as co-consecrators.[3] It was revealed in 2023 that Keleher was responsible for reassigning a priest who had raped and abused at least 9 children, including one he impregnated and forced an abortion. In his response to the curia he cited protecting fellow priests and the church, not children. [5]
Archbishop of Kansas City
Following the retirement of Archbishop Ignatius Strecker, Keleher was named the third archbishop of Kansas City on June 28, 1993 by John Paul II. He was installed at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Kansas City, Kansas, on September 8, 1993.[3]
In 1996, Keleher started an education program to fight
On January 7, 2004, John Paul II appointed Bishop
Retirement and legacy
On January 15, 2005, Keleher submitted his letter of resignation to Pope Benedict XVI, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 for bishops.[3] Later that year, Keleher started teaching part time at St. Mary of the Lakes Seminary.[10] Keleher also visited state prisons in Kansas on a regular basis, including the celebration of a Chrism Mass in April 2011 at the Topeka Correctional Facility in Topeka, Kansas.[11]
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 Bollig, Joe (2008-05-09). "'The Priesthood Is Different': Archbishop Keleher celebrates his 50th anniversary as a priest" (PDF). The Leaven. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-17.
- The Chicago Tribune. 2001-10-14.
- ^ a b c d "Archbishop James Patrick Keleher". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
- ^ a b "Archbishop James P. Keleher". University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
- ^ "Report on Catholic Clergy Child Sex Abuse in Illinois". clergyreport.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ^ "Bishop Accountability". www.bishop-accountability.org. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
- ^ "Priest in Kansas Sentenced to 32 Months in Sex Abuse Case, by Diane Carroll, Kansas City Star, October 19, 2002". www.bishop-accountability.org. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ^ "Archbishop Joseph Fred Naumann [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
- ^ "Pro-choice speakers targeted by archbishop". Deseret News. 2004-02-21. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
- ^ Duriga, Joyce (November 10, 2013). "Still sharing his wisdom at 82". Chicago Catholic. Retrieved 2021-12-18.
- ^ Langdon, Jessica (2012-01-20). "Ministry behind bars". The Leaven Catholic Newspaper. Retrieved 2021-12-18.