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THE BULLETIN, April 30, 1960—PAGE 5
Early in March the Most Reverend Archbishop Egidio Vag-
nozzi, Apostolic Delegate to the United States, announced that the
Most Reverend Thomas J. McDonough, Administrator “sede
vacante” of the Diocese of Savannah, had been appointed by His
Holiness, Pope John XXIII, the tenth Bishop of Savannah.
McDonough. Two of the Bish-
BISHOP MCDONOUGH'S PARENTS celebrated their fiftieth
wedding anniversary in 1956 and posed happily with their three
Priest sons,, Father William McDonough of the Philadelphia
Archdiocese and Monsignor Martin J. McDonough, Philadelphia
Archdiocesan Director of the Propagation of the Faith, and Bish-i
op McDonough, who is seated next to his mother. Shortly after 3
this photo was taken, Bishop McDonough was named auxiliary ,
Bishop of Savannah. r
Bishhop McDonough, prior to
his election on November 11,
1959 as Administrator of the
Diocese, upon the resignation of
Archbishop Gerald P. O’Hara,
had held the post of Auxiliary
Bishop of Savannah, to which he
was appointed in January of
1957.
The new Ordinary was born
in Philadelphia, Penna., Decem
ber 5, 1911, the son of Michael
and the late Margaret Mary
op’s brothers are priests, name
ly, Monsignor Martin J. Mc
Donough, Archdiocesan Director
of the Propagation of the Faith
in Philadelphia, and Father
William F. McDonough, Assist
ant Pastor of St. Colman’s Par
ish, Ardmore, Pennsylvania. His
other two brothers, James J. and
M. Francis, reside respectively
in Los Angeles and Springfield,
Pennsylvania.
Bishop McDonough received
his early education in St. Aga
tha’s Parochial School and West
Catholic High School, both in
Philadelphia. He continued his
studies at St. Charles Borromeo
Seminary, Overbrook, Pennsyl
vania, where he was ordained
to the Sacred Priesthood in the
Cathedral of Saints Peter and
Paul, on May 26, 1938, by His
Eminence, Dennis Cardinal
Dougherty, the late Archbishop
of Philadelphia.
Following ordination Bishop
McDonough was selected to
pursue Post graduate studies at
the Catholic University of
America, where he was awarded
the degree of Doctor of Canon
Law, in June, 1941.
Bishop McDonough was then
loaned to the Diocese of St.
Augustine, in Florida, for the
purpose of setting up the Matri
monial Tribunal and the estab
lishment of the Diocesan Chan
cery. Originally Bishop McDon
ough was to remain in Florida
for two years. In reality he serv
ed in Florida from June, 1941
until September 20, 1957, at
which time he came to Savan
nah as Auxiliary Bishop. Bishop
McDonough filled many import
ant offices in St. Augustine. In
addition to being pastor in four
parishes, he also served as
Chancellor and Officialis of the
Diocese, together with many
other assignments. In December,
1945 he was appointed Vicar
General of the Diocese of St.
Augustine and placed in charge
of that Diocese when Bishop
Hurley was appointed Regent to
the Apostolic Nunciature in Bel
grade, Yugoslavia. Bishop Mc
Donough served as Administra
tor of the Diocese of St. Augus
tine from December, 1945, until
June of 1951, at which time
Archbishop Hurley returned to
St. Augustine.
On January 16, 1946, the new
Bishop of Savannah w, a s ap
pointed a Domestic Prelate with
the title of Right Reverend
Monsignor, by His Holiness, the
late Pope Pius XII. Then in
March of 1947 he was named
Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese
of St. Augustine. The consecra
tion of the new Bishop took
place in America’s oldest Parish,
the Cathedral in St. Augustine.
The consecrator was His Emi
nence, the late Dennis Cardinal
Dougherty, the co-consecrators
were Bishop Emmet Walsh,
Bishop of Youngstown, and
Auxiliary Bishop J. Carroll Mc
Cormick of Philadelphia. Bishop
Ready, then Bishop of Colum
bus, Ohio, preached the sermon.
In early January, 1957, word
was received in Savannah that
Bishop McDonough had been ap
pointed the new Auxiliary Bish
op of this Diocese. Bishop Me-
Donough came to Savannah on j
February 19, 1957, when he ar
rived at the Union Station he
f
was greeted by a large turnout
of priests and laity of this Dio
cese. The next day the Solemn t
Installation as Auxiliary Bishop ’
took place in the venerable Ca- J
thedral of St. John the Baptist,.
Bishop McDonough was sent
to Savannah to carry on the
spiritual and temporal needs of ’
the Diocese in the absence of
Archbishop Gerald P. O’Hara, 1
Apostolic Delegate in Great
Britain.
BISHOP McDONOUGH visited the Eternal City during 1 the
Holy Year in 1950. Here he is shown as he met the late Holy
Father, Pius XII at a general audience on June 30th of that year.
SAVANNAH'S NEW ORDINARY is shown here with members of his family on the oc
casion of his Episcopal Consecration, April 30, 1947. Bishop McDonough is flanked by his mother,
the late Mrs. Michael McDonough and his father, Mr. Michael McDonough of Philadelphia. His
brothers are left to right: Mr. James McDonough of Los Angeles, Calif., Rt. Rev. Msgr. Martin
J. McDonough and Rev. William McDonough, both priests of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, and
Mr. M. Francis McDonough of Springfield, Penna.
A considerable expansion program has been carried on in the 1
Diocese of Savannah since the arrival of Bishop McDonough. Pres-
ently every parish under his juris diction has either erected new build- 1
ings or carried out needed expansions to existing facilities. The City 1
of Savannah itself has been foremost in the construction work. The ^
Bishop has dedicated himself not only to the building up of churches 1
but also of aiding the much needed school expansion program in *
South Georgia. 1
Attached hereto is a list of the accomplishments since February,\
1957 to the present time.
SAVANNAH DEANERY
City of Savannah
CATHEDRAL: Renovation and
restoration program inaugurated.
BLESSED SACRAMENT:
Combination school-auditorium-
gymnasium constructed.
NATIVITY: New Elementary
School constructed and opened
in September, 1959.
Acquisition Bishop’s House, 1
Edgewood Road.
Construction of New Chan
cery Building, 225 Abercorn
Street.
Foundation of Carmelite Mon- 5
astery, Our Lady of Confidence. k
Opening of St. John Vianney
Minor S e m i n a r y-Grimball’s^
Point.
Reopening after extensive re
pairs, alterations and additions^
to Camp Villa Marie.
i
st/
Extensive repairs to
Mary’s Home.
Dedication St. A n t h o n y’3
Church.
Large addition to St. Vin
cent’s Academy now under
(Continued on Page 19)