Past bishops: Nine men who have shepherded the Diocese of Erie

Special thanks to Father Justin Pino, archivist, for the interview he did with Anne-Marie Welsh for the background necessary for this article written by Abby Badach.

The history of the Diocese of Erie begins in 1789 when the 13 counties of northwest Pennsylvania were considered to be part of the Diocese of Baltimore. This remained the case until 1808, when the entire state of Pennsylvania, along with Delaware and northern New Jersey, became a part of the newly formed Diocese of Philadelphia. Historians might argue that Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick of Philadelphia was the first episcopal presence over our diocese.

The Diocese of Erie was created by papal decree in 1853, and on October 1, 2012, Bishop Lawrence Thomas Persico became the tenth man named as its shepherd. Who were the nine men on whose shoulders he now stands? The Most Rev. Charles Chaput, archbishop of Philadelphia, mentioned them as part of the communion of saints who would be praying for Bishop Persico during his episcopal ordination ceremony.

FaithLife (the former newspaper of the Diocese of Erie) had a conversation with Father Justin Pino, archivist for the Diocese of Erie, who has a wealth of personal stories to share about each bishop. These essays provide insight, not only into the life each man led and the work he did for the Church in northwest Pennsylvania, but also into how God has provided for our diocese since its earliest days.

Right Reverend MICHAEL J. O’CONNOR, D.D.  (1810-1872)
Consecrated on 15 August 1843 at Saint Agatha’s Chapel of the Irish College in Rome, Italy; arrived in Erie as a bishop (formerly Bishop of Pittsburgh) in 1853; served as first bishop of Erie from July 29, 1853 until his transfer back to Pittsburgh on December 20, 1853.

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Right Reverend JOSUE MOODY (JOSHUA MARIA) YOUNG, D.D.  (1808-1866)
Consecrated on 23 April 1854 at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Chain in Cincinnati, Ohio; arrived in Erie as a bishop (having been previously consecrated in Ohio) in 1854; served as second bishop of Erie from December 20, 1853 until his death on September 18, 1866.
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Right Reverend TOBIAS MULLEN, D.D.  (1818-1900)
Consecrated on 2 August 1868 at Saint Paul’s Cathedral in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh; arrived in Erie as a bishop (having been previously consecrated in Pittsburgh) in 1868; served as third bishop of Erie from March 3, 1868 (following a nearly two-year interregnum when Vicar-General John Coady served as apostolic administrator) until he resigned on September 15, 1899.
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Right Reverend JOHN EDMUND FITZMAURICE, D.D.  (1837-1920)
Consecrated on 24 February 1898 at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; arrived in Erie as a bishop, named coadjutor which meant he came to the diocese while Bishop Mullen was still serving, publicly knowing he would be the successor. Succeeded as ordinary in 1899 and served as fourth bishop of Erie from September 15, 1899 until his death on June 18, 1920.
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Most Reverend JOHN MARK GANNON, D.D., D.C.L.  (1877-1968)
Consecrated on 6 February 1918 at St. Peter Cathedral in Erie, Pennsylvania; served as auxiliary bishop of Erie until being named bishop on August 26, 1920 and served as fifth bishop (appointed archbishop ad personam in 1953) of Erie until his resignation on December 9, 1966. The title archbishop was given as a personal honor for Archbishop Gannon’s tremendous efforts in the diocese and beyond; it is not usually given to a bishop who is not serving in an archdiocese.
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Most Reverend JOHN FRANCIS WHEALON, D.D., S.S.L.  (1921-1991)
Consecrated on 6 July 1961 at the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in Cleveland, Ohio; arrived in Erie as a bishop (having been previously consecrated in Cleveland as auxiliary bishop of Cleveland) in 1966; served as sixth bishop of Erie from December 6, 1966 until his transfer to Hartford on December 28, 1968.
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Most Reverend ALFRED MICHAEL WATSON, D.D. (1907-1990)
Consecrated on 29 June 1965 at Saint Peter Cathedral in Erie, Pennsylvania; served as auxiliary bishop of Erie until succeeding as bishop on March 17, 1969 and serving as seventh bishop of Erie until his resignation on July 16, 1982.
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Most Reverend MICHAEL JOSEPH MURPHY, D.D., S.T.L.  (1915-2007)
Consecrated on 11 June 1976 at the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in Cleveland, Ohio; arrived in Erie as a coadjutor bishop (having been previously consecrated in Cleveland as auxiliary bishop of Cleveland) in 1978; succeeded as ordinary on July 16, 1982 and served as eighth bishop of Erie until his resignation on July 1, 1990.
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Most Reverend DONALD WALTER TRAUTMAN, S.T.D., S.S.L.  (b. 1936-2022)
Consecrated on 16 April 1985 at Saint Joseph Cathedral in Buffalo, New York; arrived in Erie as a bishop (having been previously ordained in Buffalo as auxiliary bishop of Buffalo) in 1990; served as ninth bishop of Erie from July 16, 1990 until his resignation in July 2012.
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*The following priests were ordained to the episcopacy at Saint Peter Cathedral, Erie, Pennsylvania:

The Right Reverend THOMAS FRANCIS BRENNAN, S.T.D.  (1853-1916)
Consecrated on 5 April 1891; served as the first bishop of Dallas, Texas from January 9, 1891 until his resignation on February 1, 1893.

The Most Reverend RICHARD THOMAS GUILFOYLE, D.D.  (1892-1957)
Consecrated on 30 November 1936; served as third bishop of Altoona, Pennsylvania from August 8, 1936 until his death on June 10, 1957.

The Most Reverend EDWARD PETER McMANAMAN, D.D.  (1900-1964)
Consecrated on 28 October 1948; served as auxiliary bishop of Erie until his death on 18 July 1964.
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