Robert Edward Mulvee
Robert Edward Mulvee (February 15, 1930 – December 28, 2018) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wilmington, Delaware (1985–1995) and Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island (1997–2005).
Robert Edward Mulvee | |
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Bishop Emeritus of Providence | |
Church | Roman Catholic Church |
Archdiocese | Hartford |
Diocese | Providence |
Appointed | February 9, 1995 (Coadjutor) |
Installed | June 11, 1997 |
Term ended | March 31, 2005 |
Predecessor | Louis Edward Gelineau |
Successor | Thomas Joseph Tobin |
Orders | |
Ordination | June 30, 1957 |
Consecration | April 14, 1977 by Odore Joseph Gendron, Ernest John Primeau, and John Francis Hackett |
Personal details | |
Born | Boston, Massachusetts | February 15, 1930
Died | December 28, 2018 88) North Smithfield, Rhode Island | (aged
Previous post | Auxiliary Bishop of Manchester (1977–1985) Bishop of Wilmington (1985–1995) Coadjutor Bishop of Providence (1995–1997) |
Motto | As one who serves |
Styles of Robert Edward Mulvee | |
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Reference style | |
Spoken style | Your Excellency |
Religious style | Bishop |
Life and career
Robert Mulvee was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to John F. and Jennie T. Mulvee.[1] He studied at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield, Connecticut; St. Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario; and American College at Louvain in Belgium.[2] While at Louvain, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, on June 30, 1957.[3]
Mulvee did pastoral work for several years before furthering his studies in Europe, earning a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome (1964) and a Master's degree in religious education from the University of Louvain.[1] Following his return to the United States, he was named assistant chancellor of the Manchester Diocese and in 1966 a Papal Chamberlain.[1]
On February 15, 1977, Mulvee was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Manchester and Titular Bishop of Summa by Pope Paul VI.[3] The position of auxiliary bishop was new in the Manchester diocese at the time, with Mulvee the first to attain this position. While in Manchester, Mulvee stayed as a guest at Saint Anselm Abbey. He received his episcopal consecration on April 14, 1977, from Bishop Odore Joseph Gendron, with Bishops Ernest John Primeau and John Francis Hackett serving as co-consecrators.[3] After the death of Bishop Thomas Joseph Mardaga, Mulvee was named the seventh Bishop of Wilmington, Delaware, on February 19, 1985.[3] He was replaced as auxiliary of Manchester by his friend Bishop Joseph John Gerry, O.S.B. of Saint Anselm Abbey.
During his tenure as Bishop of Wilmington, he emphasized collegiality in his administration of the diocese, helped restructure the Delmarva Ecumenical Agency into the Christian Council of Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore, and founded three new missions and raised a fourth to parish status.[4]
Mulvee was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island, on February 9, 1995, and later succeeded Louis Edward Gelineau as the seventh Bishop of Providence upon the latter's resignation on June 11, 1997.[3]
In September 2002, Mulvee ended a 10-year-long (the longest in the nation) legal battle over clerical sexual abuse cases.
Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Mulvee submitted his letter of resignation to Pope John Paul II on February 15, 2005. His resignation was accepted on March 31, 2005, and Bishop Thomas Joseph Tobin was appointed his successor.[1] He served as apostolic administrator of the Providence diocese until Bishop Tobin's installation on May 31, 2006.
On December 28, 2018, Mulvee died at St. Antoine Residence, an assisted-living community in North Smithfield, Rhode Island.[5] He was 88.
See also
- Catholic Church hierarchy
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of Catholic bishops of the United States
- Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
References
- "The Most Reverend Robert E. Mulvee". Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence.
- "Bishop Mulvee Succeeds Bishop Gelineau in Providence". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 1997-06-11.
- "Bishop Robert Edward Mulvee". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
- "A Brief History of the Diocese of Wilmington". Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington.
- "Former Catholic Bishop Robert Mulvee dies at 88". Providence Journal.
Episcopal succession
Catholic Church titles | ||
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Preceded by Louis Edward Gelineau |
Bishop of Providence 1997–2005 |
Succeeded by Thomas Joseph Tobin |
Preceded by Thomas Joseph Mardaga |
Bishop of Wilmington 1985–1995 |
Succeeded by Michael Angelo Saltarelli |
Preceded by – |
Auxiliary Bishop of Manchester 1977–1985 |
Succeeded by – |