Bishop-elect John Keener will be the fifth Northeastern-Ohio native to be made a bishop. But who were the others? As you peruse this timeline of Bishops, you’ll no doubt find some familiar names, including one who was eventually elevated to a Cardinal—Cardinal Aloysius Mooney.
+EDWARD ALOYSIUS MOONEY
1887
Thomas and Sarah Mooney arrive in Youngstown with their young family, including five-year-old Edward, who attended St. Columba School. There, he was a star pupil of the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown and excelled at baseball.
1909
Following seminary training and ordination in Rome, Father Edward Mooney returned to St. Columba Church in Youngstown, “The parish church of his infancy and boyhood … for the celebration of his first solemn Mass; for the worthy widowed mother and loyal home folks was kept the privilege of assisting in that sublime service” (Youngstown Daily Vindicator, July 26,1909). Later that day he was a guest at dinner in the Ursuline convent, and in the evening he greeted hundreds of friends at a reception.
1922
Father Mooney served as pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Youngstown.
1926
Father Mooney, aged 44, was ordained a bishop in Rome, given the title Archbishop and appointed apostolic delegate—the first American to have a permanent diplomatic post for the Vatican. He served in India and later in Japan.
1933
Archbishop Mooney returned to the United States, serving the Diocese of Rochester, New York.
1935 to 1945
He served several terms as board chairman of the National Catholic Welfare Conference, the policy-forming association of Bishops that acted as the primary voice of the Church in the U.S. (a forerunner of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops).
1937
He became Archbishop of Detroit, where he notably advocated for labor and opposed antisemitism.
1946
He was elevated to Cardinal by Pope Pius XII.
1956
The new Catholic high school in Youngstown opened, bearing his name.
1958
Cardinal Mooney died suddenly in Rome before a papal conclave.
+JAMES WILLIAM MALONE
1920
James and Catherine Malone of Youngstown welcomed the birth of James, their first of five children. Dominican priests and sisters educated him at St. Dominic School.
1937
He graduated from Ursuline High School as president of his class and went on to work in a steel mill, like his father, for a year to earn money for college. He then attended St. Charles College in Maryland and completed his theology studies at St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland.
1945
Bishop James McFadden of Youngstown ordained James Malone a priest and named him associate pastor at St. Columba Cathedral.
1950
Father Malone began his post-graduate studies at the Catholic University of America (CUA), where, in 1957, he earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree. In the summer months during the 1950s, Father Malone served as instructor and dean of men at CUA.
1952
He became superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Youngstown. Four years later, he took on the added responsibility of director of Christian doctrine for the diocese.
1960
He was consecrated Bishop in St. Columba Cathedral by Youngstown Bishop Emmet Walsh, becoming Auxiliary Bishop of Youngstown.
1962 to 1965
Bishop Malone attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council and worked thereafter to implement its teachings on liturgical renewal and on the role of the laity in the Church.
1966
He became apostolic administrator of the diocese due to the ill health of Bishop Walsh.
1968
Bishop Malone was installed as the third Bishop of Youngstown.
1972
He received a lifetime membership in the Ohio Council of Churches for his contributions to ecumenism.
1977
Bishop Malone, with other religious leaders, formed the Ecumenical Coalition, which received national and international attention for its efforts to develop employee ownership of closed steel mills and provided services to families suffering from job loss.
1983
He was elected president of the National Council of Catholic Bishops, in an unprecedented win on the first ballot—the first time a non-archbishop or cardinal was selected.
1995
He resigned as Bishop of Youngstown, after turning 75.
2000
Bishop Malone died and is buried in Youngstown.
+WILLIAM ANTHONY HUGHES
1921
James and Anna Hughes welcomed the birth of their son William, who was baptized, confirmed and received First Communion at St. Patrick Church in Youngstown.
1939
He graduated from Ursuline High School and went on to St. Charles College in Maryland and St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland.
1946
Bishop James McFadden of Youngstown ordained William Hughes a priest and named him associate pastor at St. Charles in Boardman (now St. Catherine of Siena Parish). He served there for seven years and for three at St. Joseph in Massillon (now Divine Mercy Parish).
1956
Father Hughes earned his master’s degree in education from the University of Notre Dame and became the founding principal of Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown. His motto was: “For Mooney and Against No One.”
1965
Now Monsignor Hughes, he became superintendent of schools for the diocese. The following year he was named vicar of education.
1965
He joined other local ecumenical leaders in going to Washington, D.C., to petition Congress for passage of civil rights legislation.
1972
Bishop Malone, undergoing treatment for cancer, appointed Monsignor Hughes as vicar general to lead the diocese in his absence.
1974
He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Youngstown. Bishop James Malone consecrated him.
1976
He led the work of implementing the recommendations of the diocesan synod, a process that included laity as well as priests and vowed religious women and men.
1970s
Bishop Hughes represented the Ohio Bishops on a national committee to promote the realistic funding of pension plans for vowed men and women religious, resulting in the successful nationwide campaign that yearly funds pensions for religious.
1979
He was installed as the eighth Bishop of Covington, Kentucky. During his 16-year tenure, he was noted for making strides in justice, peace and reverence for life initiatives; promoting spiritual and leadership growth for laity as well as clergy; and establishing five new parishes and five new missions. His episcopal motto was: “To Serve, Not to Be Served.”
1995
He retired as Bishop of Covington.
2013
Bishop Hughes died and was buried in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky.
+BENEDICT CHARLES FRANZETTA
1921
Charles and Josephine Franzetta welcomed the birth of Benedict Charles in East Liverpool—youngest of their seven children—11 years after they arrived in the U.S. from their native Sicily. They belonged to St. Ann Church, and Benedict attended public grade school and high school in East Liverpool. He also attended night school in New York City, where one of his sisters gave him a home for a time.
1940s
He worked as a civilian employee for the Army Corps of Engineers in Washington, D.C., where he heard the call to priesthood. He finished his seminary training at St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland.
1950
Bishop James McFadden ordained Benedict Franzetta a priest and named him assistant pastor at St. Anthony (now St. Francis of Assisi Parish) in Canton, where he remained for seven years. He then served one year as assistant pastor at St. Mary (now Corpus Christi Parish) in Conneaut.
1958
Bishop Emmet Walsh appointed Father Franzetta as vice-chancellor of the diocese. In the following years he took on additional responsibilities as director of the Diocesan Family Life Bureau and priest conductor of the Cana Program.
1963
Now Monsignor Franzetta, he accompanied Bishop Walsh to Rome for the second session of the Second Vatican Council. He could not attend the sessions, but in the seven weeks of the visit, he was able to visit his mother’s family. She was the only member of her family to emigrate.
1965
He became chancellor of the diocese.
1966
Bishop Malone, as apostolic administrator of the diocese, appointed Monsignor Franzetta as the first vicar for finances of the diocese. The following year, he became director of Diocesan Cemeteries.
1979
Monsignor Franzetta became vicar general of the diocese.
1980
He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Youngstown. Bishop James Malone consecrated him. During his time as Auxiliary, Bishop Franzetta was described as organized, adaptable, persevering, well-informed and caring about people, listening to them and respecting their viewpoints. When Bishop Malone was elected to national leadership in the Conference of Bishops, Bishop Franzetta assumed many of his daily responsibilities. He was active in the Catholic Conference of Ohio and the Ohio Council of Churches.
1996
He retired as Auxiliary Bishop of Youngstown.
2006
Bishop Franzetta died and is buried in Youngstown.
