Lawrence Michael De Falco
His Excellency, The Most Reverend Lawrence Michael DeFalco | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Amarillo | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| See | Diocese of Amarillo |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | December 5, 1933 by Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani |
| Consecration | February 22, 1956 by Amleto Giovanni Cicognani |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 25, 1915 |
| Died | September 22, 1979 (aged 64) Amarillo, Texas , US |
| Education | St. Vincent's College St. John's Home Mission Seminary Pontifical Gregorian University |
| Motto | Gressus meos dirige (Direct my steps) |
Lawrence Michael DeFalco (August 25, 1915 – September 22, 1979) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Amarillo from 1963 to 1979.
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]The eldest of nine children, Lawrence DeFalco was born on August 25, 1915, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, to Rosario and Margret (née Desmone) DeFalco.[1] His father came from Atena Lucana, Italy and worked as a streetcar company foreman.[1] Lawrence DeFalco entered St. Vincent's College at Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1933.[2] However, he was forced to enter St. John's Home Mission Seminary at Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1935, due to the Great Depression.[2]
Priesthood
[edit]DeFalco was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Dallas on June 11, 1942 by Bishop John Baptist Morris.[3] After his ordination, the diocese assigned Morris as a curate at St. Patrick's Parish in Fort Worth. In 1952, he was named vice-chancellor of what was now the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth.[1] He briefly served as a curate at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Dallas before being sent in 1953 to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He received a Licentiate of Canon Law from the Gregorian.[1] Following his return to Dallas in 1955, DeFalco was appointed secretary of the diocesan marriage tribunal.[1] He served as the founding pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Dallas in 1956.[1] The Vatican elevated DeFalco to the rank of papal chamberlain in 1961, and he was named rector of St. Patrick Co-Cathedral in Fort Worth in 1962.[1]
Bishop of Amarillo
[edit]On April 16, 1963, DeFalco was appointed fifth bishop of Amarillo by Pope John XXIII.[3] He received his episcopal consecration on May 30, 1963 from Bishop Thomas Kiely Gorman, with Bishops Francis Joseph Green and Albert Lewis Fletcher serving as co-consecrators, at the St. Patrick Co-Cathedral.[3] He was installed at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Amarillo on June 13, 1963.[3]
Between 1963 and 1965, DeFalco attended three sessions of the Second Vatican Council in Rome. During his 16-year-long tenure, he worked to implement the council's reforms, establishing pastoral councils and senates of priests, of nuns, and of deacons.[1] He also reduced diocesan debt, but was forced to close several schools and hospitals.[1] St. Laurence Church in Amarillo replaced Sacred Heart as the diocesan cathedral in 1975.[4]
Death and legacy
[edit]After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, DeFalco resigned as bishop of Amarillo on August 28, 1979.[3] He died on September 22, 1979, in Amarillo at age 64. He is buried at Llano Cemetery in Amarillo.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "DEFALCO, LAWRENCE MICHAEL (1915-1979)". The Handbook of Texas Online.
- ^ a b "History". Bishop DeFalco Retreat Center.
- ^ a b c d e "Bishop Lawrence Michael De Falco". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
- ^ Albracht, Chris. "St. Laurence Cathedral—History". Diocese of Amarillo. Archived from the original on 2012-05-17. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
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