George Henry Guilfoyle

George Henry Guilfoyle (November 13, 1913 – June 11, 1991) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Camden in New Jersey from 1968 to 1989. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York from 1964 to 1968.

Biography

Early life The second oldest of five children, George Guilfoyle was born on November 13, 1913, in New York City to James J. and Johanna (née McGrath) Guilfoyle. After graduating from Regis High School in New York City in 1931, he studied at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1935. At Georgetown, Guilfoyle was president of the student body and a member of the Philodemic Debating Society.

In 1939, Guilfoyle received a Bachelor of Laws degree from Fordham University in the Bronx and was later admitted to the New York Bar. However, deciding to become a priest, he soon abandoned his legal career and entered St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York. He earned a Master of Laws degree from Columbia University in Manhattan that same year.

Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968, Guilfoyle described racism as "not a mere myth but an ugly reality" and urged Catholics to "purge every fragment of racism among us."