F. Joseph Gossman

Francis Joseph Gossman (April 1, 1930 – August 12, 2013) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh in North Carolina from 1975 to 2006.

Biography

Early life Francis Gossman was born on April 1, 1930, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Frank and Genevieve (née Steadman) Gossman. He attended St. Charles College in Ellicott City, Maryland. He then entered St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in 1952. Gossman furthered his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

Priesthood Gossman was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Baltimore by Archbishop Martin O’Connor in Rome on December 17, 1955. He earned a Licentiate of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1956. Upon his return to the United States, Gossman began his graduate studies at the Catholic University of America School of Canon Law in Washington, D.C., receiving a Doctor of Canon Law degree in June 1959.

The Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh gives the Bishop F. Joseph Gossman Award each year to a high school senior with high personal, spiritual and academic achievement.