John Joseph Butler (February 22, 1883 – December 18, 1966) was a

Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' refe ...

and founder of

Catholic Charities The Catholic Church operates numerous charitable organizations. Catholic spiritual teaching includes spreading the Gospel, while Catholic social teaching emphasises support for the sick, the poor and the afflicted through the corporal and spir ...

of the Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis.

Early life

His parents, Patrick and Mary Ann (O'Leary) Butler, were both born in

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Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. After immigrating to America, they met and married in Saint Louis,

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

. Butler was one of nine children born to his parents in Saint Louis.Start, Clarissa.”The Happy Warrior of Catholic Charities.” St. Louis Post Dispatch, 30 Mar. 1959, p. 39. He attended Saint Theresa's parish school for his elementary education. Butler ended his schooling after the eighth grade, taking a job at a printing shop. He resumed his education at age eighteen when he enrolled at Kenrick Preparatory Seminary; a Catholic seminary in Saint Louis. This seminary would become Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, which later relocated to Saint Louis County.

Career

After being ordained a Catholic priest in 1911, Butler was appointed assistant pastor at Saint Lawrence O'Toole church in Saint Louis. Here he began his long career of public service. Butler served as Executive Secretary of the Saint Louis Metropolitan Council of the

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP or SVdP or SSVP) is an international voluntary organization in the Catholic Church, founded in 1833 for the service of the poor. Started by Frédéric Ozanam and Emmanuel-Joseph Bailly de Surcy and named ...

from 1920 to 1963."Msgr. Butler Dies; Pioneer in Welfare." St. Louis Post Dispatch, 19 Dec. 1966, p. 42. He founded the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis in 1924 and served as president of this organization from 1924 to 1959. In creating Catholic Charities, Butler brought together the church services of homeless shelters, orphanages, employment agencies, and residence homes for the needy under one organization in order to improve the efficiency of these charities. Butler was appointed pastor of Saint Leo's Catholic Church in Saint Louis in 1931. One of the larger Catholic churches in the city, Butler served there until he retired in 1961. Butler founded the Frederic Ozanam Home, which served as a shelter for poor men, in 1932. He served as executive director of the home from its founding until 1962. He started the Child Center of Our Lady of Grace in 1947. Located in Normandy, Missouri, the center was founded as a treatment and diagnostic facility for troubled youth.

Awards and honors

*Appointed to the rank of

Monsignor Monsignor (; ) is a form of address or title for certain members of the clergy in the Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" can be abbreviated as Mons.... or Msgr. In some ...

in 1926. *Designated a

Domestic Prelate Domestic may refer to: In the home * Anything relating to the human home or family ** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication ** A domestic appliance, or home appliance ** A domestic partnership ** Domestic science, sometimes cal ...

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...

in 1943. *Given the

Honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

LL.D. A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Missi ...

in 1958. *Appointed Protonotary apostolic by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul 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 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

in 1964.“Msgr. Butler Gets Papal Appointment.” St. Louis Post Dispatch, 1 Oct. 1964, p. 43.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, John Joseph 1883 births 1966 deaths Clergy from St. Louis 20th-century American Roman Catholic priests Burials at Calvary Cemetery (St. Louis) American people of Irish descent American Roman Catholic clergy of Irish descent