John E. McCarthy

John Edward McCarthy (June 21, 1930 – August 18, 2018) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.He served as bishop of the Diocese of Austin in Texas from 1985 to 2001. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston in Texas from 1979 to 1985.

Biography Early life John McCarthy was born on June 21, 1930, in Houston, Texas, to George McCarthy and Grace O'Brien McCarthy. The youngest of four children, he was just 18 months old when his father died.

Priesthood McCarthy was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 1956, for the Diocese of Galveston by Bishop Wendelin Joseph Nold. His next parish was St. Cecilia's in an affluent section of Houston.His third assignment was his home parish, All Saints. After several non-parish assignments in San Antonio and Washington, D.C., McCarthy returned to Houston to become pastor of St. Theresa's Parish. It was here that he developed his ideas for the parish social ministry model. This "Sisters in Social Services" program was adopted by Catholic Charities USA. Its mandate included voter registration, community-run schools, minority-owned and rural cooperatives, and job training programs.

Bishop of Austin On December 24, 1985, McCarthy was appointed by John Paul II as bishop of Austin. He was installed on February 26, 1986.

In 1987, McCarthy attended the National Black Catholic Congress. After returning to Austin, he established the Office of Black Catholics to focus on African American ministry within the diocese. McCarthy encouraged parishes to focus on their social advocacy and charity work. He also established missionary programs both abroad and at home. McCarthy established the diocesan Law Project, which recruited hundreds of attorneys and interpreters to volunteer legal services for the needy.

McCarthy issued two pastoral letters to parishioners in his diocese. His 1992 letter asked Catholics to practice compassion for people living with HIV/AIDS. His 1993 letter cited the "tragic collapse of standards of decency, morality and honesty in TV, movie and popular music products. It urged Catholics to question themselves, what values were being instilled by the popular media.

At the time of his death, McCarthy was a member of St. Teresa's Parish of Austin. “I am not comfortable placing you in charge of a parish, even a small one, but in order to give you a base for a few months while you rethink your situation, I am happy to go against my better judgment on the basis of Christian charity. While pastor of St. Theresa's he continued to develop the parish social ministry model.His parish social ministry model spread throughout the diocese. Eventually this "Sisters in Social Services" model was adopted by Catholic Charities USA.

Race Self described as "slightly tilted toward the left", McCarthy was known for his efforts supporting civil rights, helping workers and increasing minority inclusion in the Catholic church. McCarthy supported the United Farm Workers movement led by Cesar Chavez.