Joseph Francis Maguire

Joseph Francis Maguire (September 4, 1919 – November 23, 2014) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts from 1977 to 1991. He previously serve as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston in Massachusetts from 1972 to 1977 and as coadjutor bishop of Springfield from 1976 to 1977.

Biography

Early life Maguire was born on September 4, 1919, in the Roxbury section of Boston, Massachusetts. After grammar school, he attended St. Columbkille High School in the Brighton neighborhood. He attended Boston College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1941. As a young man, Maguire played both hockey and baseball. Maguire then began his studies for the priesthood at St. John's Seminary in Boston. After his ordination, Maguire had the following posts as assistant pastor in Massachusetts parishes:

St. Joseph's in Lynn St. Anne's in Readville Blessed Sacrament in Jamaica Plain St. Mary of the Hills in Milton

As bishop, Maguire created a program to train permanent deacons for parish service. He also established the Apostolate for Black Catholics. He recruited 300 lay members from the diocese to visit the sick and disabled at home or in institutions. Maguire received the Human Relations Award in 1986 from the National Conference of Christians and Jews. In 1993, the Maguire Center for Health, Fitness and Athletics at Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, was named for Maguire. Graves was barred from ministry in the 1990's and defrocked in 2006. At the time of the settlement, Maguire made this statement:I only wish that in 1976 as a new bishop, I could have foreseen the true nature of one who violated our trust with such devastating harm to his victims. Joseph Maguire died in Springfield at age 95 on November 23, 2014. In remarks to Jobserve.org after Maguire's death, Springfield Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski said:"From the time of his arrival ... Bishop Maguire quickly became the 'people's bishop' and was known for his priestly ministry, which extended to attending numerous parish and diocesan events," iobserve.org said. "He had the ability to not only remember names of people, but also recall personal and family details. He also was a regular visitor at area hospitals at all hours of the day and attended many wakes."