Norbert Felix Gaughan (May 30, 1921 – October 1, 1999) was an American prelate 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 an auxiliary bishop of

Diocese of Greensburg The Diocese of Greensburg is a Catholic diocese centered in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, with 78 parishes in Armstrong, Fayette, Indiana, and Westmoreland counties in Western Pennsylvania in the United States. The diocese was founded on March 10, ...

in Pennsylvania from 1975 to 1984 and as bishop of the Diocese of Gary in Indiana from 1984 to 1996.

Biography

Norbert Gaughan was born on May 30, 1921, in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, Pennsylvania. He was ordained a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

on November 4, 1945 for the Diocese of Greensburg.

Auxiliary Bishop of Greensburg

On April 2, 1975, Gaughan was named

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 a ...

of ''Taraqua'' and auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg 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 ...

. He was consecrated by Bishop

William G. Connare William Graham Connare (December 11, 1911 – June 12, 1995) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Greensburg from 1960 to 1987. Biography Early life William Connare was born on December 11, 1911, in the East End of Pit ...

; Bishop Cyril Vogel and Auxiliary Bishop

John McDowell John Henry McDowell, FBA (born 7 March 1942) is a South African philosopher, formerly a fellow of University College, Oxford, and now university professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Although he has written on metaphysics, epistemology ...

were the principal co-consecrators.

Bishop of Gary

On July 24, 1984

John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

named Gaughan as the second bishop of the Diocese of Gary.. In February 1992, Gaughan suffered a debilitating stroke. Because of his health situation, Paul II appointed Bishop Dale Melczek on August 19, 1992, to be the

apostolic administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

''sede plena'' of the diocese. On October 28, 1995, Paul II appointed Bishop Melczek to be the

coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "c ...

of the Gary diocese. This meant that upon Gaughan's retirement, Melczek would succeed him immediately as bishop.

Retirement and legacy

On June 1, 1996. Paul II accepted Gaughan's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Gary. Gaughan spent his final years at Saint Anthony Home in Crown Point, Indiana. Norbert Gaughan died on October 1, 1999 in Crown Point. He was buried in the Saint Emma Convent cemetery in

Greensburg, Pennsylvania Greensburg is a city in and the county seat of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city lies within the Laurel Highlands and the ecoregion of the Western Allegheny Plateau. The city is ...

, after a funeral mass in Gary.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaughan, Norbert Felix 1921 births 1999 deaths 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Religious leaders from Pittsburgh Roman Catholic bishops of Gary