Christopher Joseph Weldon (September 6, 1905 – March 19, 1982) 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 'pref ...

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 bishop Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts from 1950 to 1977. In 2020, an investigation by the Diocese of Springfield determined that an accusation of sexual abuse of a minor against Weldon was highly credible.

Biography

Early years

Christopher Weldon was born in the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

section of New York City to Patrick and Mary (née Dwyer) Weldon. After graduating from Public School 9 in Manhattan in 1918, he entered the Grand Seminary of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec. In 1924, Weldon returned to New York to study at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers.

Priesthood

Weldon 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 var ...

to the priesthood on September 21, 1929, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. Weldon then completed his

graduate studies Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and struc ...

at the

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U. ...

in Washington, D.C. His first pastoral assignment was as assistant pastor at St. John the Evangelist Parish in

White Plains, New York (Always Faithful) , image_seal = WhitePlainsSeal.png , seal_link = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = , subdivisi ...

, followed by a term at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in

Mount Kisco, New York Mount Kisco is a village and town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The town of Mount Kisco is coterminous with the village. The population was 10,959 at the 2020 United States census over 10,877 at the 2010 census. It serves as a ...

. From 1931 to 1935, Weldon served as

spiritual director Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters of the di ...

at the Newman School in Lakewood,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

. He left New Jersey in 1935 to become pastor at St. John Chrysostom Church in

Bronx, New York The Bronx () is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state, state of New York (state), New York. It is south of Westchester County, New York, Westchester County; north and east of the ...

. After one year, he was moved to Blessed Sacrament Church in Manhattan. In 1942, after the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Weldon left New York to serve in the

United States Navy Chaplain Corps The United States Navy Chaplain Corps is the body of military chaplains of the United States Navy who are commissioned naval officers. Their principal purpose is "to promote the spiritual, religious, moral, and personal well-being of the mem ...

. Discharged from the Navy in 1946, he returned to New York, where he became master of ceremonies to Cardinal

Francis Spellman Francis Joseph Spellman (May 4, 1889 – December 2, 1967) was an American bishop and cardinal of the Catholic Church. From 1939 until his death in 1967, he served as the sixth Archbishop of New York; he had previously served as an auxiliar ...

. Serving as executive director of

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from 1947 to 1950, he was raised to the rank of 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 ...

in 1947 and a

domestic prelate Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" c ...

in 1948.

Bishop of Springfield

On January 28, 1950, Weldon was appointed the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Springfield by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on March 24, 1950, from Cardinal Spellman, with Archbishop

Richard Cushing Richard James Cushing (August 24, 1895 – November 2, 1970) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Boston from 1944 to 1970 and was made a cardinal in 1958. Cushing's main role was as fundraiser and builde ...

and Bishop Stephen Joseph Donahue serving as

co-consecrators A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches ...

. During his tenure, Weldon oversaw the construction of Cathedral High School and Our Lady of Lourdes School in Springfield, added a wing to Farren Memorial Hospital in

Montague, Massachusetts Montague is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,580 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan statistical area. The villages of Montague Center, Montague City, Lake ...

, and built Mont Marie, the motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield. He erected 10 new

parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

, and constructed 11 new churches and several parish centers. Weldon established a center for the

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apostolate in Springfield, and a diocesan

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in 1954. He attended the

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

from 1962 to 1965, and served as

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...

of Elms College from 1958 to 1977.

Retirement and legacy

After 27 years as bishop, Weldon resigned on October 15, 1977. He died on March 19, 1982, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield at age 76. In September 2018, a Diocesan Review Board notified Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski that it had found an allegation of sexual abuse by Weldon credible. The board cited a Chicopee resident who said that Weldon had abused him a child. The board later split on the case, with several members saying that the victim did not name Weldon directly, while three others present maintained they had witnessed otherwise. In June 2019, Rozanski met with the victim, saying he found the allegations "deeply troubling". In June 2020, an investigation by retired Superior Court Judge

Peter A. Velis Peter A. Velis (born October 8, 1942) is a former American judge who served on the Massachusetts Superior Court from 1999 to 2012. From 1973 to 1979 he was a Republican state legislator who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives ...

found the victim's claim "to be unequivocally credible." After Velis' findings were released, Rozanski asked Trinity Health of New England to remove Weldon's name from its rehabilitation center, the former Farren Memorial Hospital. Weldon's remains were disinterred and moved to more secluded spot in the cemetery. He ordered the removal of all photographs, memorials and other mentions of Weldon from all diocesan facilities, schools and churches.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weldon, Christopher Joseph 1905 births 1982 deaths People from the Bronx Catholic University of America alumni Participants in the Second Vatican Council United States Navy chaplains World War II chaplains 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic bishops of Springfield in Massachusetts Elms College faculty Catholics from New York (state) Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals in the United States Military personnel from Massachusetts