John L. May

John Lawrence May (March 31, 1922 – March 24, 1994) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of St. Louis from 1980 to 1992. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago from 1967 to 1969, and as Bishop of Mobile from 1969 to 1980.

Early life and education John May was born on March 31, 1922, in Evanston, Illinois, to Peter Michael and Catherine (née Allare) May. He received his early education at the parochial school of St. Nicholas Church in Evanston, and attended Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, graduating in 1940. May was of Luxembourgian ancestry.

Priesthood On May 3, 1947, May was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago at St. Mary of the Lake by Cardinal Samuel Stritch After his 1947 ordination, the archdiocese assigned him as a curate at St. Gregory Church in Chicago. In 1956, he was transferred to Mercy Hospital in Chicago as a chaplain. He was installed at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis on March 25, 1980.

Retirement and death In July 1992, May was diagnosed with brain cancer. For this reason, he resigned as archbishop of St. Louis on December 9, 1992. He died in 1994 at a St. Louis nursing home, at age 71. He was buried in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.