Early life Edward McCarthy was born on April 10, 1918 in
Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated from
Saint Gregory Seminary in Cincinnati and Mt. Saint Mary Seminary in
Norwood, Ohio. His education included a Master of Arts degree in
philosophy from the
Athenaeum of Ohio in Cincinnati.
Priesthood McCarthy was ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Cincinnati by Archbishop
John Timothy McNicholas on May 29, 1943. He earned a
Doctor of Canon Law degree in 1947 and a
Doctor of Sacred Theology degree in 1948 while in
Rome, Italy at the
Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. His dissertation was entitled
"Epiky: a theoretical study of the virtue of epiky and its use, along with a historical review of the development of the doctrine on this subject". During his service within the
Diocese of Cincinnati McCarthy served as the secretary to two
archbishops, judge in the
marriage tribunal and as chair of numerous diocesan committees.
Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati McCarthy was appointed as an
auxiliary bishop of Cincinnati by
Pope Paul VI on April 21, 1965. He was consecrated at the
Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains in Cincinnati on June 15, 1965, with Archbishop
Karl Alter serving as
principal consecrator. Soon after arriving, he oversaw the construction of a Pastoral Center for the diocese and restructured most senior operational divisions. However, he was also picketed by Reverend
Gérard Jean-Juste, who criticized him for not doing more for Haitian refugees and attributed McCarthy's alleged indifference to racism. As punishment, Jean-Juste was forbidden by his church superiors from celebrating
mass in the area. In 1984, McCarthy assisted with the transition of the new
Diocese of Venice and
Diocese of Palm Beach in Florida. A year later, he would call for the first ever Archdiocesan Synod. Lasting until 1988, it was seen as a method to revitalize the faithful within the archdiocese.
Pope John Paul II visited Miami in 1987. For the first time, he was forced to halt his public mass midway due to a massive thunderstorm. Severe lightning caused the liturgy to be suspended due to safety concerns—an event that had never occurred elsewhere during the Pope's travels. John Paul II completed the offering of the mass inside a trailer, as the crowds dispersed, but only after McCarthy pleaded with them to tend to their own safety.
Retirement and legacy In 1993, McCarthy submitted his resignation at the mandatory retirement age of 75. He became officially retired on November 3, 1994. In his final year, he started the planning of a new parish and
high school in western
Broward County. The church, founded after his retirement, bore his namesake...
Saint Edward. Archbishop
John C. Favalora named it the
Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School. Edward A. McCarthy died in his sleep in Miami on June 7, 2005, at age 87. ==References==