John Dearden

John Francis Cardinal Dearden (October 15, 1907—August 1, 1988) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Detroit from 1958 to 1980, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1969.

Biography

John Francis Dearden was born in Valley Falls, Rhode Island to John Sidney Dearden and his wife Agnes Gregory. He attended elementary school at Holy Trinity School and later at Cleveland, Ohio's St. Philomena School, where his family moved in 1918. Dearden graduated from Cathedral Latin School and St. Mary's, the Cleveland archdiocesan seminary. He did graduate work at the North American College in Rome as well as the Pontifical Gregorian University. On December 8, 1932, he was ordained to the priesthood by Francesco Cardinal Marchetti-Selvaggiani.

Dearden served in parish assignments in Ohio before being named a professor of philosophy at St. Mary Seminary, where he was rector for several years. In 1950 he succeeded the late Hugh C. Boyle as Bishop of Pittsburgh, where he served for eight years. In 1958 Edward Cardinal Mooney died, and Dearden succeeded him as Archbishop of Detroit. He was installed January 29, 1959.

He played an important role in the Second Vatican Council and served as the first president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops from 1966 to 1971. He was elevated to Cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1969. Within the Church he had a liberal reputation.

He died in 1988 in Detroit.

References

• Glenn, Francis A. (1993). Shepherds of the Faith 1843-1993: A Brief History of the Bishops of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh: Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. ISBN none.
• "John Francis Cardinal Dearden". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2006-10-06.