James Vincent Casey
Roman Catholic Church | |
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Education | Loras College Pontifical Gregorian University |
James Vincent Casey (September 22, 1914 – March 14, 1986) was an American
Biography
Early life and education
The youngest of two children, James Casey was born in Osage, Iowa, to James Gordon Casey and Nina (née Nims) Casey.[1] His father was a Democratic member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 1933 to 1935.[2]
James Casey the younger attended Osage High School, where he was class president and captain of the football team.[3] He attended Loras College in Dubuque, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1936.[1] He then studied at the Pontifical North American College and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
Priesthood
Casey was
During
Casey was raised to the rank of
Auxiliary Bishop and Bishop of Lincoln
On April 5, 1957, Casey was appointed as an
Following the death of Bishop
Archbishop of Denver
On February 18, 1967, Casey was appointed the second archbishop of the Archdiocese of Denver by Pope Paul VI.[4] Soon after arriving in Denver, he earmarked $1 million in archdiocesan funds on efforts to help the poor.[6] Among these efforts was the Samaritan House Homeless Shelter. He created the archdiocesan Office of Hispanic Concerns in 1968, later raising it to the vicariate level in 1981.[3]
An opponent of American participation in the Vietnam War, Casey encouraged President Richard Nixon to "set a definite date for the withdrawal of our American military personnel from Vietnam at the earliest possible moment."[3] In 1972, he moved out of the episcopal mansion in Cheesman Park and into a penthouse at the Park Lane Apartments in Washington Park.[3] He gave greater power to laity and nuns, and was forced to close or consolidate several Catholic schools. He joined the Colorado Council of Churches, and allowed Catholics to participate in the crusades of the evangelist Billy Graham.[3] During his 19-year-long tenure, Casey dedicated a total of twenty-four parishes.[3] He also increased the number of priests from 327 to 356, and the number of Catholics from 261,844 to 330,270.[3]
Death and legacy
While playing
Following his death, Colorado Governor Richard Lamm declared, "[Casey] didn't just talk about the relevance of religious belief, he lived it."[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
- ^ "Representative James Casey". Iowa General Assembly. Archived from the original on August 12, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Casey: the Gentle Shepherd (1967–1986)". Colorado Catholicism. Archived from the original on July 18, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e "Archbishop James Vincent Casey". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.[self-published source]
- ^ "The History of Cathedral". Cathedral of the Risen Christ. Archived from the original on June 8, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f "JAMES CASEY, 71, DENVER ARCHBISHOP". Chicago Tribune. March 16, 1986.