Patrick O'Boyle

Patrick Aloysius O'Boyle (July 18, 1896 – August 10, 1987) was an American Catholic prelate who served as the first resident Archbishop of Washington from 1948 to 1973. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 1967.

Early life and education Patrick O'Boyle was born on July 18, 1896, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Michael and Mary (née Muldoon) O'Boyle, who were Irish immigrants. His father was originally from Glenties, County Donegal, and in 1889 came to the United States, where he settled at Bedford, New York. His mother moved to New York City from County Mayo in 1879, and married O'Boyle in December 1893. Shortly afterwards, the couple moved to Scranton, where Michael became a steelworker; they had a daughter who died during infancy in 1895.

Patrick O'Boyle was baptized at St. Paul's Church in Scranton. Following Michael's death in January 1907, he helped support his mother by becoming a paperboy. He dropped out of school in 1910 to pursue a full-time career with the Bradstreet Company, but entered St. Thomas College in 1911. The next day he celebrated his first mass at St. Paul's Church in his native Scranton. After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned O'Boyle as a curate at St. Columba's Church in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. While there, he organized St. Joseph's Society for teenage boys, beginning with about 300 members, and instituted parish dances. O'Boyle furthered his studies at the New York School of Social Work in Manhattan from 1927 to 1932.

On November 27, 1947, O'Boyle was appointed archbishop of Washington by Pope Pius XII. O'Boyle received his episcopal consecration on January 14, 1948, from Cardinal Francis Spellman, with Bishops John McNamara and Henry Klonowski serving as co-consecrators, in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. According to Wickouski, O'Boyle's view of his role was shaped by his experience as an administrator under Spellman. O'Boyle in 1948 racially integrated the Catholic schools of Washington six years before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregation in the public schools to be unconstitutional. He started with the city of Washington first and then expanded to the southern counties of Maryland in the archdiocese. The colleges and universities were integrated first, followed by the high schools and the primary schools.

In 1949, O'Boyle delivered the benediction at the inauguration ceremony of US President Harry S. Truman. In Washington, O’Boyle consecrated the United States to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

From 1962 to 1965, O'Boyle attended the Second Vatican Council in Rome. He was made Metropolitan Archbishop on October 12, 1965, upon Washington's promotion to that ecclesiastical status. On August 28, 1963, he delivered the invocation that began the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

In April 1964, in the midst of the debate by the US Congress on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, O'Boyle chaired the Inter-religious Convocation on Civil Rights at Georgetown University. In giving the invocation, O'Boyle said that:There is in every man a priceless dignity which is your heritage. From this dignity flow the rights of man, and the duty in justice that all must respect and honor these rights....

Cardinal O'Boyle was created cardinal priest of the Church of San Nicola in Carcere in Rome by Pope Paul VI in the consistory of June 26, 1967. O'Boyle resigned as archbishop of Washington on March 3, 1973, after 25 years of service.

Death O'Boyle died in Washington, D.C., at Providence Hospital in 1987 at age 91. During his younger days, he supported Wisconsin Governor Robert M. La Follette, Sr. and New York Governor Al Smith.