James Louis Connolly


James Louis Connolly was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Fall River in Massachusetts from 1951 to 1970.

Biography

Early life

James Connolly was born on November 15, 1894, in Fall River, Massachusetts, to Francis and Agnes Connolly. After graduating from B.M.C. Durfee High School in Fall River, he studied at St. Charles College in Catonsville, Maryland. Connolly then entered the Sulpician Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Priesthood

Connolly was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Daniel Feehan for the Diocese of Providence on December 21, 1923. After his ordination, Connolly served as a curate at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.
In 1924, after being incardinated, or transferred, to the Archdiocese of St. Paul in Minnesota, Connolly entered Catholic [University of Leuven (1834–1968)|Catholic University of Leuven] in Leuven, Belgium. He earned a doctorate in historical science summa cum laude in 1928. After receiving his doctorate, Connolly traveled to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he served as a professor and then rector of Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary in Arden, Hills, Minnesota, from 1940 to 1943 and Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul from 1943 to 1945.

Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Fall River

On April 7, 1945, Connolly was appointed coadjutor bishop of Fall River and titular bishop of Mylasa by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration at the Cathedral of [Saint Paul (Minnesota)|Cathedral of Saint Paul] in St. Paul on May 24, 1945, from Archbishop John Murray, with Bishops William O. Brady and Leo Binz serving as co-consecrators. In addition to his episcopal duties, he served as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish from 1945 to 1951. Upon the death of Bishop James Cassidy, Connolly automatically succeeded him as the fourth bishop of Fall River on May 17, 1951.
During his tenure as bishop, Connolly erected 15 new parishes, 17 schools, and 33 churches. He also established the following high schools in the diocese:
Connolly encouraged vocations, ordaining a total of 230 priests during his administration. He founded the diocesan newspaper, The Anchor, in 1957. He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council in Rome between 1962 and 1965.

Retirement and legacy

On October 30, 1970, Pope Paul VI accepted Connolly's resignation as bishop of Fall River and appointed him titular bishop of Thibuzabetum. He resigned his titular see on December 31, 1970. James Connolly died on September 12, 1986, at St. Anne's Hospital in Fall River, aged 91.

Works