Bryan Joseph McEntegart

Bryan Joseph McEntegart (January 5, 1893 – September 30, 1968) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Ogdensburg (1943–1953), Rector of the Catholic University of America (1953–1957), and as Bishop of Brooklyn (1957–1968).

Bryan Joseph McEntegart
Archbishop, Bishop emeritus of Brooklyn
McEntegart Hall, Brooklyn
Appointed	June 15, 1943
Installed	1943
Term ended	1953
Orders
Ordination	September 8, 1917 by John Murphy Farley
Consecration	August 3, 1944 by Amleto Giovanni Cicognani
Personal details
Born	January 5, 1893 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	September 30, 1968 (aged 75) Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Denomination	Roman Catholicism
Parents	Patrick and Katherine (née Roe) McEntegart
Occupation	Curate
Profession	Director of the Children's Division in the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York
Education	Manhattan College
Alma mater	St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie, Westchester County, New York, U.S.

Biography

Early life and education

Bryan McEntegart was born in Brooklyn in a house in the corner of DeKalb and Nostrand Avenues[1] to Patrick and Katherine (née Roe) McEntegart.[2] He studied at Manhattan College, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1913, and then at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers.[2]

Ordination and ministry

McEntegart was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal John Murphy Farley on September 8, 1917. In 1918 he earned a Master's degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., with a thesis entitled: "The Care of the Poor in New York in the 17th Century."[3] He then served as a curate at Sacred Heart Church in New York City until 1923, when he was transferred to St. Patrick's Cathedral.[4]

After pursuing his graduate studies at the New York School of Social Work (1919-1920), McEntegart was named the first director of the Children's Division in the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York.[2] During his tenure as director, he also taught courses in child welfare at Fordham Graduate School of Social Service (1920-1930), served on the White House Committee on Child Welfare under Presidents Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt, and was director of the Child Welfare League of America (1931-1937).[2] He was a curate at St. Frances de Sales Church from 1938 to 1941.[4] In 1941 he was elected president of the National Conference of Catholic Charities.[5] From 1941 to 1943, he served as national secretary of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association.[2] He became the first executive director of Catholic Relief Services in 1943.[2] He also served on the board of the United Service Organizations for fourteen years.[3]

Bishop of Ogdensburg

On June 5, 1943, McEntegart was appointed the fifth Bishop of Ogdensburg by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following August 3 from Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, with Bishops Edmund Gibbons and Stephen Joseph Donahue serving as co-consecrators, at St. Patrick's Cathedral.[6] Shortly after his installation, the Cathedral of Ogdensburg was destroyed by fire; however, McEntegart constructed a new edifice within months.[3] From 1953 to 1957, he served as rector of the Catholic University of America.[2] He was assigned the titular see of Aradi on August 19, 1953. During his administration, he embarked on a large fund-raising campaign to expand all phases of the university's work.[3]

Bishop of Brooklyn

Returning to New York, McEntegart was named the fourth Bishop of Brooklyn on April 16, 1957. As such, he headed the largest diocese in the United States in terms of Catholic population.[3] He was installed by Cardinal Francis Spellman on June 13, 1957. During his tenure he launched a multimillion-dollar building program, which included six high schools, Cathedral Preparatory Seminary, a hospital, a college for training Long Island's priests, and a four-year theological seminary.[3] He promoted outreach to the growing Hispanic population, sending priests and religious to study Spanish language and culture.[7] He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council between 1962 and 1965; he implemented the reforms of the Council, becoming a pioneer in the ecumenical movement and establishing the Pastoral Institute in 1967.[7] He was given the personal title of Archbishop by Pope Paul VI on April 15, 1966.

Retirement

He tendered his resignation as Bishop of Brooklyn because of poor health, and Pope Paul VI accepted it on July 17, 1968.[1] Two months later, he died at his residence in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, aged 75.[3]

References

1. "Brooklyn Diocese to Get New Bishop" (PDF). The New York Times. July 18, 1968. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
2. Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
3. "Archbishop Bryan McEntegart, Bishop of Brooklyn, 75, Is Dead" (PDF). The New York Times. October 1, 1968.
4. "McEntegart Appointed Bishop of Ogdensburg" (PDF). The New York Times. June 8, 1943.
5. "Catholics Warned of Welfare Perils". The New York Times. November 21, 1940.
6. "Bishop M'Entegart Consecrated Here" (PDF). The New York Times. August 4, 1943. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
7. "History in Brief". Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. Archived from the original on October 1, 2009.