Francis Mugavero

Francis John Mugavero (June 8, 1914 – July 12, 1991) was an American Catholic prelate who served as bishop of Brooklyn in New York from 1968 to 1990.

Early life Francis Mugavero (pronounced Ma-GUV-e-ro) was born on June 8, 1914, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn and grew up over his father's barber shop. He studied at Cathedral College in Brooklyn and the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, New York. Mugavero received a Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University in the Bronx .

Priesthood Mugavero was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Brooklyn by Bishop Thomas Edmund Molloy in Brooklyn on May 18, 1940, at age 25. In 1965, Mugavero served as master of ceremonies at the Vatican Pavilion of the New York World's Fair in Queens during the papal visit of Pope Paul VI. Mugavero eventually ran the diocesan branch of Catholic Charities. Mugavero often called Brooklyn "the diocese of immigrants," and was proud that mass was celebrated there in 14 languages. By 1985, the Nehemiah Project had constructed 300 row houses in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn at an average cost of $51,000. The project sold the homes to families with incomes averaging less than $25,000.

In 1970, Veronica Lueken, a resident of the Bayside section of Queens, claimed to have seen her first apparition of the Virgin Mary. Over the next 25 years, she reported more apparitions of Mary, along with those of Jesus Christ and some of the saints. Lueken reported receiving messages criticizing the changes from the Second Vatican Council, the revival of the permanent diaconate and other reforms in the Catholic Church. In 1986, Mugavero issued a declaration concerning Lueken's visions; "I, the undersigned Diocesan Bishop of Brooklyn, in my role as the legitimate shepherd of this particular Church, wish to confirm the constant position of the Diocese of Brooklyn that a thorough investigation revealed that the alleged "visions of Bayside" completely lacked authenticity". In 1987, Mugavero established the Immaculate Conception Center at the site of the former Cathedral College. Mugavero was a founder of the Campaign for Human Development, an annual fund-raising drive in the diocese for the poor.

The Bishop Francis J. Mugavero Center in Brooklyn is a memory care facility for the elderly. The Bishop Mugavero Senior Apartments are located in Brooklyn

The New York State Catholic Conference Council of Catholic Charities Directors created the Bishop Mugavero Award. It recognizes individuals who make a significant and sustained contribution to the work of charity and social justice in New York.

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Abortion Mugavero issued more than 20 pastoral letters strongly condemning abortion rights for woman. He tended, however, to avoid public criticism of pro-choice Catholic politicians, choosing to speak about it privately with those individuals.