His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Emmet Michael Walsh
Bishop of Youngstown
titular bishop of Rhaedestus
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
SeeYoungstown
In officeNovember 16, 1952—
March 16, 1968
PredecessorJames A. McFadden
SuccessorJames W. Malone
Orders
OrdinationJanuary 15, 1916
by Benjamin Joseph Keiley
ConsecrationSeptember 8, 1927
by Michael Joseph Keyes
Personal details
Born(1892-03-06)March 6, 1892
Beaufort, South Carolina, USA
DiedMarch 16, 1968(1968-03-16) (aged 76)
Youngstown, Ohio, USA
Previous post(s)Bishop of Charleston
(1927-1949)
Coadjutor Bishop of Youngstown (1949-1952)
EducationSt. Bernard's Seminary

Emmet Michael Walsh (March 6, 1892 – March 16, 1968) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Charleston in South Carolina (1927–1949) and as bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown in Ohio (1952–1968).

Biography

Early life

Bishop Walsh with President Truman, 1951 (7th from left)

The eighth of eleven children, Emmet Walsh was born on March 6, 1892, in Beaufort, South Carolina, to Thomas and Wilhelmenia (née Jennemann) Walsh.[1] In 1906, his family moved to Savannah, Georgia.[1]

After graduating from Savannah High School in 1910, he studied for the priesthood at St. Bernard's Seminary in Rochester, New York.[1]


Priesthood

Walsh was ordained a priest in Georgia for the Diocese of Savannah by Bishop Benjamin Keiley on January 15, 1916.[2] After his ordination, Walsh served as a curate at the Immaculate Conception Parish in Atlanta until 1917, when he became pastor of St. Teresa's Parish in Albany, Georgia.[1] He was also charged with the missions in Southwest Georgia, giving him a jurisdiction of 1,000 Catholics over 16,000 square miles.[1] Walsh was named pastor of St. Patrick's Parish in Savannah, Georgia, in 1921, then returned to Immaculate Conception Parish to serve as a pastor in 1923.[1]

Bishop of Charleston

On June 20, 1927, Walsh was appointed the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Charleston by Pope Pius XI.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on September 8, 1927, from Bishop Michael Keyes, with Bishops Patrick Barry and William Hafey serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Savannah.[2] At age 35, Walsh was then the youngest American bishop.[3] During his 22-year tenure in Charleston, he erected 25 new churches, four new hospitals, and two vacation camps for youth.[3] He also served as chair of the National Catholic Welfare Conference's Legal Department and secretary of the Bishops' Meeting at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.[1]

Bishop of Youngstown

Pope Pius XII named Walsh as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown and titular bishop of Rhaedestus on September 8, 1949.[2] In 1951, President Harry S. Truman appointed Walsh to the Internal Security and Individual Rights Commission, which was formed to investigate subversive activities.[4] Walsh automatically succeeded Bishop James A. McFadden on November 16, 1952.[2] During his tenure, the diocese experienced a period of great growth. Walsh became an assistant at the pontifical throne in 1954, and attended the Second Vatican Council in Rome from 1962 to 1965.[1]

Death

Emmet Walsh died on March 16, 1968, in Youngstown, Ohio, at age 76.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Emmet M. Walsh.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Motes, Michael (March 30, 1978). "The Bishops From Georgia". The Georgia Bulletin.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Bishop Emmet Michael Walsh". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  3. ^ a b Mays, Deirdre C. "The bishops of the Diocese of Charleston". The New Catholic Miscellany. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008.
  4. ^ "National Affairs: For a Wise Balance". Time. February 5, 1951. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010.
Catholic Church titles Preceded byWilliam Thomas Russell Bishop of Charleston 1927–1949 Succeeded byJohn Joyce Russell Preceded byJames A. McFadden Bishop of Youngstown 1952–1968 Succeeded byJames W. Malone
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