John Joseph Sullivan (bishop)

John Joseph Sullivan (July 5, 1920 – February 11, 2001) was an American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Grand Island (1972-1977) and Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph (1977-1993).

John Joseph Sullivan
Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph
In office	1977-1993
Orders
Ordination	September 23, 1944 by Bishop Albert Lewis Fletcher
Consecration	September 19, 1972 by Archbishop John R. Quinn
Personal details
Born	(1920-07-05)July 5, 1920 Horton, Kansas, U.S.
Died	February 11, 2001(2001-02-11) (aged 80) Jeanne Jugan Center, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Nationality	American
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Parents	Walter and Mary (née Berney) Sullivan
Education	St. Benedict's College
Alma mater	Kenrick Seminary

Biography

John Sullivan was born in Horton, Kansas, to Walter and Mary (née Berney) Sullivan.[1] His father worked for the Electro-Motive Company.[1] At age 10, he moved with his family to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.[2] He received his early education at the parochial schools of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, where he also served as an altar boy to Bishop Francis Kelley.[1] He attended St. Benedict's College in Atchison, Kansas, for two years before entering Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1939.[1] He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Albert Lewis Fletcher on September 23, 1944, for the Diocese of Oklahoma City-Tulsa.[3]

Following his ordination, Sullivan became a curate at Holy Family Cathedral in Tulsa.[1] He also served as director of Catholic Activities and as chaplain at the University of Tulsa.[1] Bishop Eugene J. McGuinness originally intended for him to study canon law at the Catholic University of America, but instead assigned him as pastor of St. Mary's Church in Guthrie in 1947.[1] While in Guthrie, he recruited college students to work as volunteers among the poor.[2] Sullivan became pastor of St. James Church in Oklahoma City in 1959.[1] From 1961 to 1968, he was national director of lay volunteers for the Catholic Church Extension Society.[2] Returning to Tulsa, he was made pastor of the Church of the Madalene and episcopal vicar for Eastern Oklahoma.[2]

On July 25, 1972, Sullivan was appointed the fifth Bishop of Grand Island, Nebraska, by Pope Paul VI.[3] He received his episcopal consecration on September 19 from Archbishop John R. Quinn, with Bishops John L. May and Charles Albert Buswell serving as co-consecrators.[3] He was installed at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 21, 1972.[2] After five years in Grand Island, Sullivan was named the sixth Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph on June 27, 1977.[3] He was installed on the following August 17.[3] After being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease,[2] he retired on June 22, 1993.[3]

Sullivan later died at the Jeanne Jugan Center in Kansas City, aged 80.[2]

References

1. Sly, Julie (1994). The Call to Ministry: The Vision of Bishop John J. Sullivan. Kansas City: Sheed & Ward.
2. "Most Reverend John J. Sullivan". Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island. Archived from the original on 2009-02-14.
3. "Bishop John Joseph Sullivan". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by John Linus Paschang	Bishop of Grand Island 1972—1977	Succeeded by Lawrence James McNamara
Preceded by Charles Herman Helmsing	Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph 1977—1993	Succeeded by Raymond James Boland