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Most Rev. Timothy A.
McDonnell
Eighth Bishop of Springfield |
Born in New York City Dec. 23,
1937, he was the eldest of two
sons of the late John J. and
Margaret Looney McDonnell –
both natives of County Cork,
Ireland. Bishop McDonnell
attended Catholic schools
throughout his youth and was
inspired in his vocation by an
Irish born great uncle who was
a priest. Bishop McDonnell’s
brother, John, was also
inspired to answer a vocation
and is a Marist brother in the
United States Province
presently stationed in the
Philippines.
Ordained June 1, 1963 by the
late Cardinal Francis Spellmen,
then Father McDonnell served
in parish ministry for the
first seven years of his
priestly ministry. In 1970, he
was chosen as assistant
director of the Office of
Christian and Family
Development. In 1977, he
assumed the position as
Director of the Society for
the Propagation of the Faith,
followed in 1984 by his
appointment as vice chancellor
for the archdiocese.
In 1983, he was named a
monsignor and year later began
a six year tenure as pastor of
Holy Trinity Parish in
Manhattan. Prior to his
selection and ordination as an
auxiliary bishop in 2001, he
served for nine years as
pastor of St. John and St.
Mary Parish in Chappaqua – an
active suburban parish where
he oversaw a major renovation
construction project to
accommodate the rapidly
growing parish community.
Bishop McDonnell’s most
challenging assignment came in
1990 when he helped to run
Covenant House for six months
following the resignation of
its founder and director,
Conventual Franciscan Father
Bruce Ritter. Following that
he served as chief operating
officer for the archdiocesan
Catholic Charities office.
On Oct. 29, 2001, the Pope
named then Msgr. McDonnell as
an auxiliary bishop in the
Archdiocese of New York City.
He was ordained Dec. 12, 2001
by Cardinal Edward M. Egan at
St. Patrick Cathedral. He had
been serving as co-vicar
general for the archdiocese.
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