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John Gregory Murray (February 26, 1877 – October 11, 1956) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Saint Paul from 1931 until his death in 1956. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Hartford from 1920 to 1925 and as Bishop of Portland in Maine from 1925 to 1932.

Biography

Early life

John G. Murray was born on February 26, 1877, in Waterbury, Connecticut, to William and Mary Ellen (née Connor) Murray. His parents were both Irish immigrants; his William was from Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, and Mary Ellen was from Maryborough, County Leix (present-day Portlaoise, County Laois). One of his brothers, James, was a prominent lawyer in New York City. John Murray worked as a paperboy in his youth. He received his early education at Waterbury Public Schools and graduated from high school in 1895.

Murray attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, graduating in 1897 with the highest honors ever bestowed upon a student until that time. He continued his studies at the University of Louvain in Leuven, Belgium.

Priesthood

While in Leuven, Murray was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Josephus van der Stappen for the Diocese of Hartford on April 14, 1900. His first assignments, following his return to Connecticut, were as chaplain at the Hartford County Jail and as professor of Greek and Latin at St. Thomas Preparatory Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut. He became chancellor of the diocese in 1903.

Diocese of Hartford

On November 15, 1919, Murray was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Hartford and titular bishop of Flavias by Pope Benedict XV. He received his episcopal consecration on April 28, 1920, from Archbishop Giovanni Bonzano, with Bishops John Joseph Nilan and Thomas Joseph Shahan serving as co-consecrators. Murray selected as his episcopal motto: Mea Omnia Tua (Latin: "My Everything is Yours").

Murray was the first native of Connecticut to become a Catholic bishop, and the first auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Hartford. In addition to his episcopal duties, he was named pastor of St. Patrick's Parish in Hartford in 1922.

Diocese of Portland

Following the death of Bishop Louis Walsh, Murray was appointed the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Portland in Maine by Pope Pius XI on May 29, 1925. His installation took place at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland on October 12, 1925. During his five-year tenure in Portland, Murray established thirty new parishes and dedicated himself to Catholic education. He also founded a diocesan weekly newspaper, Church World, in 1930.

During the Great Depression, Murray organized relief committees to raise money for the homeless and unemployed families. He was required to obtain loans and to mortgage church property to continue funding hospitals, orphanages, and other institutions. Consequently, the diocese accumulated millions of dollars in debt.

Archdiocese of Saint Paul

Murray was appointed by Pius XI as the third archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul on October 29, 1931. He was installed at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in St. Paul on January 27, 1932. To address the continuing effects of the Great Depression, Murray began a crusade of charity to support the poor and unemployed, and made himself available to the public by taking public transit and walking in the downtown areas.

During his 24-year tenure, Murray established over 50 new parishes, eliminated debt at the College of St. Thomas, and constructed a science hall, gymnasium, and a new seminary library. He also began a radio show on WCCO called Church of the Air, established the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, the Family Guild, and mandated liturgical reform in the archdiocese. In 1941, the national Eucharistic Congress was held at Saint Paul, an event which many considered a testament to Murray's influence. In 1949, he ordered Catholic parents to not allow their children to receive sex education in public or private schools. He also served as a member of the administrative board of the National Catholic Welfare Council.

John Murray died of cancer in St. Paul on October 11, 1956, at age 79. He is interred at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.

References

1. ^ Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
2. ^ Athans, Mary Christine (2002). "To Work for the Whole People": John Ireland's Seminary in St. Paul. Mahwah: Paulist Press.
3. "Another Life". TIME Magazine. 1954-09-06. Archived from the original on November 16, 2010.
4. ^ "Pigeons at St. Paul". TIME Magazine. 1932-02-08. Archived from the original on October 27, 2010.
5. ^ "Most Rev. John G. Murray, D.D." Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.
6. ^ "JOHN MURRAY, 79, ARCHBISHOP, DEAD". The New York Times. 1956-10-12. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
7. ^ "Archbishop John Gregory Murray". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
8. "Former Auxiliary Bishops". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford. Archived from the original on 2011-09-27.
9. ^ "Most Reverend John G. Murray". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Archived from the original on 2010-03-18.

External links

• Catholic-Hierarchy
• Diocese of Portland

v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Ordinaries	Bishops Joseph Crétin Thomas Grace Archbishops John Ireland Austin Dowling John Gregory Murray William O. Brady Leo Binz John Roach Harry Joseph Flynn John Clayton Nienstedt Bernard Hebda Coadjutor archbishop Leo Christopher Byrne
Auxiliary bishops	John Jeremiah Lawler James J. Byrne Leonard Philip Cowley Gerald Francis O'Keefe James P. Shannon John Roach Raymond Alphonse Lucker Paul Vincent Dudley John Francis Kinney William Henry Bullock James Richard Ham Robert James Carlson Joseph Charron Lawrence Welsh Frederick F. Campbell Richard Pates Lee A. Piché Andrew H. Cozzens Joseph Andrew Williams Michael Izen Kevin Kenney
Churches	Cathedrals Cathedral of Saint Paul Basilica of Saint Mary Former cathedrals First Second Third Parishes Guardian Angels Church, Chaska St. Peter's Church, Mendota Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Minneapolis Church of St. Stephen, Minneapolis Church of St. Wenceslaus, New Prague Church of St. Mark, Saint Paul Church of St. Mary, New Trier Church of St. Michael, St. Michael Church of the Assumption, St. Paul Church of St. Agnes, St. Paul Church of St. Bernard, St. Paul Church of St. Casimir, St. Paul St. Mary's Church of the Purification, Marystown Church of the Annunciation, Webster Township Church of the Most Holy Trinity, Wheatland Township Historic Church of St. Hubertus, Chanhassen Chapel Our Lady of Victory Chapel
Education	Higher education St. Catherine University University of St. Thomas Seminaries Saint John Vianney College Seminary Saint Paul Seminary Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary (defunct) High schools Academy of Holy Angels, Richfield Benilde-St. Margaret's, St. Louis Park Bethlehem Academy, Faribault Chesterton Academy, Edina Convent of the Visitation, Mendota Heights Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Paul Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Minneapolis DeLaSalle High School, Minneapolis Hill-Murray School, Maplewood Holy Family Catholic High School, Victoria Providence Academy, Plymouth Saint Agnes School, St. Paul Saint Thomas Academy, Mendota Heights Totino-Grace High School, Fridley
Priests	Joseph Francis Busch Peter F. Christensen Alexander Christie Jozef Cieminski James Louis Connolly Timothy J. Corbett Donald DeGrood James Albert Duffy Hilary Baumann Hacker Patrick Richard Heffron Patrick J. Hessian Michael Joncas James Keane Kevin Kenney John M. LeVoir James McGolrick Francis Missia Thomas O'Gorman Augustin Ravoux James Michael Reardon James O'Reilly Jakub W.J. Pacholski John A. Ryan Patrick J. Ryan Francis Joseph Schenk Alphonse James Schladweiler John Shanley Paul Sirba John Stariha Tim Vakoc Thomas Anthony Welch
Cemeteries	Calvary Cemetery Resurrection Cemetery
Other	The Catholic Spirit Ninth National Eucharistic Congress
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
Bishops	Ordinaries David William Bacon James Augustine Healy William Henry O'Connell Louis Sebastian Walsh John Gregory Murray Joseph Edward McCarthy Daniel Joseph Feeney Peter Leo Gerety Edward Cornelius O'Leary Joseph John Gerry Richard Joseph Malone Robert Deeley James T. Ruggieri Auxiliary Amédée Wilfrid Proulx
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Basilica Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Lewiston Parish churches (list) Holy Cross Church, Lewiston Sacred Heart Church, Portland St. David Church, Madawaska St. Denis Church, North Whitefield St. Joseph's Church, Biddeford St. Mary's Church, Augusta St. Patrick's Church, Newcastle St. John's Church, Bangor Former churches St. Andre's, Biddeford St. Mary's Church, Biddeford St. Cyril and St. Methodius Church, Lisbon Falls St. Dominic's, Portland St. Joseph's Church, Lewiston St. Patrick's Church, Lewiston
Education	Higher education St. Joseph's College High schools Cheverus High School, Portland Saint Dominic Academy, Auburn Former schools St. Joseph's School, Biddeford Catherine McAuley High School, Portland
Priests	Denis Mary Bradley Charles M. Murphy
Miscellany	Mercy Hospital, Portland
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford
Ordinaries	Bishops William Tyler Bernard O'Reilly Francis Patrick McFarland Thomas Galberry, O.S.A. Lawrence S. McMahon Michael Tierney John J. Nilan Maurice F. McAuliffe Archbishops Henry J. O'Brien John Francis Whealon Daniel Anthony Cronin Henry J. Mansell Leonard P. Blair Coadjutor archbishops Christopher J. Coyne
Auxiliary bishops	Joseph Francis Donnelly John Francis Hackett Paul Loverde Christie Macaluso John Gregory Murray Henry Joseph O'Brien Peter A. Rosazza Juan Miguel Betancourt
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of St. Joseph, Hartford Basilica Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Waterbury Parishes St. Joseph Church, Ansonia St. Stanislaus Church, Bristol St. Michael the Archangel Church, Derby St. Adalbert Church, Enfield St. Augustine Church, Hartford Holy Trinity Church, Hartford SS. Cyril and Methodius Church, Hartford St. Stanislaus Church, Meriden Holy Cross Church, New Britain Sacred Heart Church, New Britain St. Mary's Church, New Haven St. Joseph's Church, New Haven St. Stanislaus Church, New Haven St. Mary Church, Newington Church of the Immaculate Conception, Norfolk Immaculate Conception Church, Southington St. Joseph Church, Suffield St. Casimir Church, Terryville St. Mary Church, Torrington St. Hedwig Church, Union City St. Patrick - St. Anthony Church, Hartford SS. Peter and Paul Church, Wallingford St. Anne Church, Waterbury Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Waterbury Former parishes St. Anne/Immaculate Conception Parish, Hartford St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Waterbury
Education	Seminaries St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield High schools Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall, Milford Canterbury School, New Milford East Catholic High School, Manchester Holy Cross High School, Waterbury Northwest Catholic High School, West Hartford Notre Dame High School, West Haven Sacred Heart Academy, Hamden Sacred Heart High School, Waterbury St. Paul Catholic High School, Bristol
Priests	Peter Leo Gerety Francis Patrick Keough
Catholicism portal

• Biography
• Catholicism
• United States

• 1877 births
• 1956 deaths
• Roman Catholic bishops of Portland
• Roman Catholic archbishops of Saint Paul
• American Roman Catholic clergy of Irish descent
• 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the United States
• College of the Holy Cross alumni
• People from Waterbury, Connecticut
• Roman Catholic auxiliary bishops of Hartford
• Catholics from Connecticut
• Burials at Resurrection Cemetery