Lawrence James McNamara

Bishop
Bishop
Posthumous style	none

Lawrence James McNamara (August 5, 1928 – December 17, 2004) was an

bishop of the Diocese of Grand Island

in Nebraska from 1978 to 2004.

Biography

Early life

McNamara was born on August 5, 1928, in

Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he earned a degree in theology

.

Doctor of Laws from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.^[1]McNamara held numerous diocesan and civic posts in the Kansas City area. He was a parish priest and high school teacher, diocesan refugee resettlement director, chair of the United Campaign Agency Executives Association, chaplain of Jackson County Jail, and president of the Kansas City Citizens' Alliance for the War on Poverty.^[1] He was also a board member of the Human Resources Commission of Kansas City, the State Committee on Aging, and the Jackson County Civil Rights Commission and was moderator of the diocesan Family Life Bureau.^[1]

McNamara was known for his work in reorganizing and enlarging the scope of the

teenage gangs, and a program for the training of unemployed adults.^[1]

McNamara served as chairman of the National Conference of Catholic Charities Commission on Housing from 1969 to 1972.[1] He was the diocesan director for Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the overseas aid agency of American Catholics. In the latter capacity, he was sent in 1970 on a visitation of CRS programs in West Africa. He was appointed executive director of the Campaign for Human Development, United States Catholic Conference, in 1973 and served in that capacity for some five years.^[1]

Bishop of Grand Island

On January 10, 1978, McNamara was appointed the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Grand Island by

John Sullivan serving as co-consecrators.^[2]

Subsequent to his ordination as bishop, he served as president of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference (1980-1983), president of the

African American staff members became outraged by his use of a racial slur.^[3]

After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, McNamara resigned as Bishop of Grand Island on October 14, 2004.[2] He died two months later, aged 76.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Bishops of the Diocese". Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Bishop Lawrence James McNamara". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.^{[self-published source]}
^ "White bishop steps down from charity amid controversy over racial slur". Jet. 1997-04-21. Archived from the original on 2012-10-25.

External links

Diocese of Grand Island

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by John Joseph Sullivan	Bishop of Grand Island 1978–2004	Succeeded by William Joseph Dendinger

[diocese-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Bishops of the Diocese". Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island.

[hierarchy-2] "Bishop Lawrence James McNamara". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.^{[self-published source]}

[slur-3] "White bishop steps down from charity amid controversy over racial slur". Jet. 1997-04-21. Archived from the original on 2012-10-25.

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island
Bishops	James Albert Duffy Stanislaus Vincent Bona Edward Joseph Hunkeler John Linus Paschang John Joseph Sullivan Lawrence James McNamara William Joseph Dendinger Joseph G. Hanefeldt
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parishes St. Anselm's Church, Anselmo Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, O'Connor St. Michael's Church, Spalding
Education	High schools Central Catholic High School, Grand Island Kearney Catholic High School, Kearney St. Patrick High School, North Platte Spalding Academy, Spalding
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v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph
Ordinaries	Bishops of Kansas City John Joseph Hogan Thomas Francis Lillis Edwin Vincent O'Hara Bishops of St. Joseph John Joseph Hogan Maurice Francis Burke Francis Gilfillan Charles Hubert Le Blond Bishops of Kansas City–St. Joseph John Cody Charles Herman Helmsing John Joseph Sullivan Raymond James Boland Robert William Finn James Vann Johnston, Jr.
Auxiliary bishops	John J. Glennon Joseph M. Marling Joseph Vincent Sullivan
Churches	Cathedrals Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of St. Joseph Parishes Sacred Heart Church, Kansas City St. Ludger Church, Germantown Abbey Conception Abbey Former parishes Holy Name Church, Kansas City
Education	Higher education Avila University Rockhurst University High schools Bishop LeBlond High School, St. Joseph Cristo Rey Kansas City High School, Kansas City Notre Dame de Sion, Kansas City Rockhurst High School, Kansas City St. Michael the Archangel Catholic High School, Lee's Summit Saint Pius X Catholic High School, Kansas City St. Teresa's Academy , Kansas City Former high school Archbishop O'Hara High School, Kansas City St. Mary's High School, Independence
Clergy	William Wakefield Baum Francis Johannes George Kinzie Fitzsimons Joseph Hubert Hart Michael Francis McAuliffe Lawrence James McNamara
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