Gerald Shaughnessy

Gerald Shaughnessy, (May 19, 1887 – May 18, 1950) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Seattle in Washington State from 1933 until his death in 1950. He was a member of the Society of Mary (Marists).

Biography

Early life Gerald Shaughnessy was born on May 19, 1887, in Everett, Massachusetts, to Joseph and Margarett (née Colwell) Shaughnessy. In 1909 he graduated from Boston College in Boston, Massachusetts, where he had won the Cronin scholarship. He became an official of the apostolic delegation in 1919. Returning to the Marist College, he served as professor of moral theology from 1920 to 1933. He encouraged the formation of Serra International and served as its first chaplain. He also supported the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul and Catholic Charities chapters in the diocese.

Death and legacy Gerald Shaughnessy died in his home in the First Hill district of Seattle on May 18, 1950.

Viewpoints

Politics In a 1941 Easter sermon, Shaughnessy criticized Republican presidential candidate Wendell Willkie for a remark that Willkie later dismissed as "campaign oratory". During the 1940 US presidential campaign, Willkie had claimed that if re-elected, President Franklin Roosevelt would push the nation into World War II by April 1941. Willkie later downplayed this statement. After Willkie demanded an apology from Shaughnessy, he declared that Willkie was not; "...the man he used to be, and in fact he never was ... And speaking of 'apology,' Mr. Willkie, I believe that you owe one to your party, to those who voted for you and to the whole nation."