James Michael Moynihan

James Michael Moynihan (July 6, 1932 – March 6, 2017) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the ninth bishop of Syracuse in New York State from 1995 to 2009.

Biography

Early life James Moynihan was born on July 6, 1932, in Rochester, New York, to Michael Joseph and Carolyn Elizabeth (née Horigan) Moynihan; he had one sister, Carol Anne. While in Rome, he received a Licentiate in Theology from the North American College and a Doctor of Canon Law degree summa cum laude from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

After returning to the United States, the diocese in 1961 assigned Moynihan as an associate pastor at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Rochester. That same year, he was named as defender of the bond and promoter of justice in the diocesan tribunal. In 1962, Moynihan was also assigned as a chaplain to the Monroe County Detention Center in Rochester and the Rochester Police Department. Moynihan left Our Lady in 1962 after Bishop James Kearney named him as his secretary. In protest, 54 diocesan priest signed a letter to Moynihan requesting a meeting about it. In November 2001 he released a pastoral letter entitled: Equipping the Saints for the Work of Ministry.Moynihan was a founding member of the Bishop Sheen Ecumenical Housing Foundation, which assisted needy homeowners in the rural areas of the diocese. Retirement and death Moynihan retired as bishop of Syracuse on May 26, 2009. He was succeeded by Bishop Robert J. Cunningham.