James Aloysius McNulty (January 16, 1900 – September 4, 1972) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

clergyman of the

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. He served as bishop of the

Diocese of Paterson The Diocese of Paterson is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States that encompasses Passaic, Morris, and Sussex counties in northern New Jersey. Most of this territory lies to the west of t ...

in New Jersey (1953–1963) and bishop of the

Diocese of Buffalo The Diocese of Buffalo is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church headquartered in Buffalo, New York, United States. It is a suffragan diocese within the metropolitan province of the Archdiocese of New York. The Diocese of Buffalo includ ...

in New York (1963–1972). He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the

Archdiocese of Newark The Archdiocese of Newark is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and Catholic school, schools ...

in New Jersey (1947-1953).

Biography

Early life and education

James McNulty was born on January 16, 1900, in

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. He was educated at

Seton Hall College Seton Hall University (SHU) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the ...

and Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, New Jersey, where he 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. Tho ...

degree in 1923. He made his theological studies at the

Catholic University of Leuven University of Leuven or University of Louvain (french: Université de Louvain, link=no; nl, Universiteit Leuven, link=no) may refer to: * Old University of Leuven (1425–1797) * State University of Leuven (1817–1835) * Catholic University of ...

in Leuven, Belgium.

Ordination and ministry

McNulty 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 va ...

to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Newark on July 12, 1925. His younger brother, John L. McNulty, was ordained at the same liturgy (and later served as President of Seton Hall University from 1949 to 1959). James McNulty did pastoral work in

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, both in New Jersey, and served as diocesan director of the

Confraternity of Christian Doctrine Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) is a catechesis program of the Catholic Church, normally for children. It is also the name of an association that traditionally organises Catholic catechesis, which was established in Rome in 1562. Rel ...

, moderator of the Mount Carmel Guild, and director of

Catholic Youth Organization Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) is an international Catholic youth movement founded by Bishop Bernard Sheil in Chicago in 1930. It would become a major factor in the development of race relations in the US Catholic Church following World War ...

. He served on the faculty of the Teachers' Institute for Religious for five years.

Auxiliary Bishop of Newark

On August 2, 1947, McNulty was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark and

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of ''Methone'' by

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...

. He received his

episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

consecration Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

on October 7, 1947, from Archbishop Thomas Walsh, with Bishops William A. Griffin and

Henry Joseph O'Brien Henry Joseph O'Brien (July 21, 1896 – July 23, 1976) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first Archbishop of Hartford from 1945 to 1968. Biography Henry O'Brien was born in New Haven, Connecticut, to Mic ...

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, ...

Bishop of Paterson

McNulty was named the third bishop of the Diocese of Paterson by Pius XII on April 9, 1953. His tenure there was marked by an increase in new parishes and schools. He also served as chairman of the U.S. Bishops' Committee for Motion Pictures, Radio and Television; in this capacity he condemned "'fast buck' horror, pseudoscience and crime films aimed especially at youngsters," saying such films imperil the moral health and intellectual development of children.

Bishop of Buffalo

On February 12, 1963,

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...

appointed McNulty as the tenth bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo. He reduced the diocesan debt which stood at $30 million through a three-year Diocesan Development Fund."James A. McNulty", Diocese of Buffalo
/ref> McNulty oversaw the implementation of the Decrees of Vatican II including the establishment of the Priests' Senate. A good number of new parishes were established and former Missionary Apostolate parishes became independent. Many parishes built new church buildings. McNulty promoted religious vocations, expanded inner city ministry, established the Liturgical Commission, the Pastoral Council, a Lay Steering Committee to oversee finances, and the Communications Office. McNulty began the television program ''The Bishop Visits Your Home''. James McNulty died in

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair () is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. As ...

, on September 4, 1972, at age 72. His body is buried next to his parents in East Hanover, New Jersey.

References

Episcopal succession

{{DEFAULTSORT:McNulty, James A. 1972 deaths Participants in the Second Vatican Council Seton Hall University alumni 1900 births American Roman Catholics 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic bishops of Paterson Roman Catholic bishops of Buffalo