Legacies and Lessons from the People's Bishop: Chicago's Bernard J. Sheil (1886-1969)
The fiftieth anniversary of Bernard Sheil's death presents an opportunity to examine the legacy of the Catholic Youth Organization's founder. Born in the late nineteenth century, the second-generation Irish American and Chicago native chose the priesthood over a career in professional base...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
[2019]
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| In: |
American catholic studies
Year: 2019, Volume: 130, Issue: 3, Pages: 111-128 |
| IxTheo Classification: | CH Christianity and Society KAH Church history 1648-1913; modern history KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history KBQ North America KDB Roman Catholic Church |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | The fiftieth anniversary of Bernard Sheil's death presents an opportunity to examine the legacy of the Catholic Youth Organization's founder. Born in the late nineteenth century, the second-generation Irish American and Chicago native chose the priesthood over a career in professional baseball. Moving quickly up the ecclesiastical ladder in the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sheil became auxiliary bishop in 1928 at the age of forty-two, rising to vicar general a year later under the patronage of Cardinal George Mundelein. Using sports to attract young people, Sheil founded the CYO in 1930. Known throughout his career by numerous sobriquets, including the "Apostle of Youth," "Labor's Bishop," and the "People's Bishop," Sheil, along with Mundelein, was a strong supporter of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. The success of the CYO—racially integrated from its inception—provided a national platform for Sheil, who became known during the Great Depression, World War II, and immediate postwar period as a champion of liberal causes, including racial justice for African Americans, support of organized labor, and opposition to anti-Semitism. Viewed within the context of the challenges facing today's American Catholic Church, including shifting demographics, clericalism, and the sexual abuse crisis, an examination of Sheil's leadership offers valuable lessons. |
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| ISSN: | 2161-8534 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: American catholic studies
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1353/acs.2019.0056 |