John Maguire

John Joseph Maguire (December 11, 1904 – July 6, 1989) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop (1959 to 1965) and as coadjutor archbishop (1965 to 1980) of the Archdiocese of New York.

Biography

Early life and education John Maguire was born on December 11, 1904, in New York City to James and Ellen Marie (née Shea) Maguire. He attended Regis High School in Manhattan and Cathedral College in Queens.

Maguire began his studies for the priesthood at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York. Two years later, Cardinal Patrick Hayes sent Maguire to Rome to continue his studies at the Pontifical North American College.

Priesthood

On December 22, 1928, Maguire was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York by Archbishop Giuseppe Palica in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. Upon his return to New York, Maguire's knowledge of Italian led to his first assignment as a curate at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in Manhattan, which had a large Italian-American congregation.

Maguire was appointed assistant chancellor of the archdiocese in 1940, vice-chancellor in 1945 and chancellor in 1947. The Vatican elevated Maguire to the rank of domestic prelate in 1948. In 1953, Archbishop Francis Spellman named Maguire as vicar general of the archdiocese, a post he held until 1980.

Following Spellman's death in December 1967, Maguire was elected by the archdiocesan board of consultors to serve as apostolic administrator of New York until the pope named a new archbishop. In the interim, he was mentioned as a top candidate to fill the vacant post, but Paul VI ultimately appointed Auxiliary Bishop Terence Cooke as archbishop in March 1968.

Later life and death After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Maguire resigned as coadjutor archbishop and vicar general on January 8, 1980. During his retirement, Maguire resided at the rectory at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Maguire died on July 6, 1989, at St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan at age 84. Upon his death, Cardinal John O'Connor said, "For myself, Archbishop Maguire was the linchpin which linked the archdiocese of yesterday with the archdiocese of today." Maguire is interred near the deceased archbishops of New York in the crypt beneath the main altar of St. Patrick's Cathedral.