Anthony John King Mussio (June 13, 1902 – April 15, 1978) was an American

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. He served as the first bishop of the

Diocese of Steubenville The Diocese of Steubenville ( la, Dioecesis Steubenvicensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church covering thirteen counties in southeastern Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the Un ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

from 1945 to 1977.

Biography

Early life

John Mussio was born on June 13, 1902, in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, to John Edward and Blanche (née King) Mussio. He attended Assumption Elementary School and St. Xavier High School, both in Cincinnati. He entered

Xavier University Xavier University ( ) is a private Jesuit university in Cincinnati and Evanston (Cincinnati), Ohio. It is the sixth-oldest Catholic and fourth-oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Xavier has an undergraduate enrollment of 4,860 stud ...

in 1920, obtaining a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

degree in 1924. Mussio earned a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

degree from the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...

, then returned to Cincinnati to study at the

University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

. Mussio taught English at Xavier University from 1925 to 1930 while also studying

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

at the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,0 ...

. After deciding to become a priest, Mussio entered St. Gregory Preparatory Seminary in 1930. He then attended Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Cincinnati, starting in 1932.

Priesthood

Mussio was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

to the priesthood for the

Archdiocese of Cincinnati The Archdiocese of Cincinnati ( la, Archidiœcesis Cincinnatensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese that covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan ...

by Archbishop John T. McNicholas on August 15, 1935. Mussio then traveled to Rome to study at the

Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas A pontifical ( la, pontificale) is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy ...

. He earned a doctorate in canon law in 1939 with a dissertation entitled "The Education of Offspring : a Primary End of Matrimony" Following his return to Cincinnati in 1939, Mussio was appointed as assistant chancellor of the archdiocese. He was named chancellor and a

papal chamberlain A Papal Gentleman, also called a Gentleman of His Holiness, is a lay attendant of the pope and his papal household in Vatican City. Papal gentlemen serve in the Apostolic Palace near St. Peter's Basilica in ceremonial positions, such as escorting d ...

in 1942. In addition to his other duties, Mussio taught

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

at Mount St. Mary's Seminary.

Bishop of Steubenville

On March 10, 1945, Mussio was appointed the first

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

of the newly erected Diocese of Steubenville by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on May 1, 1945, from Archbishop McNicholas, with Bishops Michael Ready and George Rehring serving as co-consecrators, at St. Monica's Pro-Cathedral. He was installed at Holy Name Cathedral in Steubenville on May 23, 1945. In 1958, Mussio joined with the other Catholic bishops of Ohio in opposing a so-called

right to work The right to work is the concept that people have a human right to work, or engage in productive employment, and should not be prevented from doing so. The right to work is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognized ...

amendment to the

Ohio Constitution The Constitution of the State of Ohio is the basic governing document of the State of Ohio, which in 1803 became the 17th state to join the United States of America. Ohio has had three constitutions since U.S. state, statehood was granted. Ohio ...

that would have outlawed mandatory union membership in

unionized A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

workplaces. As bishop, Mussio established 73 parishes and 20 missions, the College of Steubenville in Steubenville, St. John Vianney Seminary, a Camaldolese hermitage, Samaritan House, Catholic Social Services, and St. John's Villa. He also founded the diocesan

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...

, ''The Steubenville Register''. Mussio was appointed an

assistant at the pontifical throne The Bishops-Assistant at the Pontifical Throne were ecclesiastical titles in the Roman Catholic Church. It designated prelates belonging to the Papal Chapel, who stood near the throne of the Pope at solemn functions. They ranked immediately belo ...

on June 8, 1960. In a 1960 article in the publication ''Ave Maria'' from the University of Notre Dame, Mussio said that existing parish structures were outdated and cumbersome. He believed that lay people needed to relieve priests of administrative roles in their parishes so that the priests could spend more time

evangelizing In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are in ...

and ministering to parishioners. Between 1962 and 1965, Mussio attended all four sessions of the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

in Rome. In accord with the Council's reforms, he established the Steubenville Ecumenical Institute to foster better relationships among Christians and Jews. He also served as a member of the Episcopal Commission of the

National Legion of Decency The National Legion of Decency, also known as the Catholic Legion of Decency, was a Catholic group founded in 1934 by Archbishop of Cincinnati, John T. McNicholas, as an organization dedicated to identifying objectionable content in motion pictur ...

and as episcopal moderator of the Catholic Broadcasters Association.

Retirement and legacy

After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Mussio submitted his resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Steubenville to the pope. It was accepted by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...

on September 27, 1977. John Mussio died on April 15, 1978. Bishop John King Mussio Central Elementary School and Bishop John King Mussio Junior High School, both in Steubenville, are named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mussio, Anthony John King 1902 births 1978 deaths Xavier University alumni Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas alumni Franciscan University of Steubenville University of Cincinnati alumni University of Notre Dame alumni Religious leaders from Cincinnati Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Participants in the Second Vatican Council St. Xavier High School (Ohio) alumni Roman Catholic bishops of Steubenville