Early life Francis Gossman was born on April 1, 1930, in
Baltimore, Maryland, to Frank and Genevieve (née Steadman) Gossman. He attended
St. Charles College in Ellicott City, Maryland. He then entered
St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, where he obtained a
bachelor's degree in 1952. Gossman furthered his studies at the
Pontifical North American College in Rome.
Priesthood Gossman was
ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Baltimore by Archbishop
Martin O’Connor in Rome on December 17, 1955. He earned a
Licentiate of Sacred Theology from the
Pontifical Gregorian University in 1956. Upon his return to the United States, Gossman began his graduate studies at the
Catholic University of America School of Canon Law in Washington, D.C., receiving a
Doctor of Canon Law degree in June 1959. The
Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh gives the Bishop F. Joseph Gossman Award each year to a high school senior with high personal, spiritual and academic achievement. ==See also==