John Grimes (bishop of Syracuse)


John Grimes
Bishop of Syracuse
Titular Bishop of Hermeria
SeeDiocese of Syracuse
In office1912-1922
PredecessorPatrick Anthony Ludden
SuccessorDaniel Joseph Curley
Previous postCoadjutor Bishop of Syracuse (1909 to 1912)
Orders
OrdinationFebruary 19, 1882
by Francis McNeirny
ConsecrationMay 16, 1910
by John Murphy Farley
Personal details
Born(1852-12-18)December 18, 1852
DiedJuly 26, 1922(1922-07-26) (aged 69)
NationalityIrish
DenominationCatholic
ParentsJohn and Bridget (née Hammon) Grimes
EducationCollege of Saint-Hyacinthe
Grand Seminary of Montreal
MottoMonstra te esse matrem
(Show yourself to be our mother)

John Grimes (December 18, 1852 – July 26, 1922) was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of Syracuse in New York State from 1912 until his death in 1922. He previously served as coadjutor bishop of Syracuse from 1909 to 1912.

Biography

Early life

John Grimes was born on December 18, 1852, in County Limerick in the United Kingdom of Britain and Ireland to John and Bridget (née Hammon) Grimes.[1] He was educated at both a national school and a Jesuit college in Ireland before going to Canada, where he enrolled at the College of Saint-Hyacinthe in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, in 1874.[2]

In 1878, Bishop Francis McNierney of the Diocese of Albany in New York State paid for Grimes to study for the priesthood at the Grand Seminary of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec, in 1878.[2]

Priesthood

Grimes was ordained to the priesthood in Albany for the Diocese of Syracuse by McNeirny on February 19, 1882.[3] After his ordination, the diocese assigned Grimes as a curate at St. Mary's Parish in Syracuse. In 1887, he was named pastor of St. Paul's Parish in Whitesboro, New York.[2] In 1890, Grimes returned to St. Mary's as its pastor.[1]

Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Syracuse

On February 1, 1909, Grimes was appointed as coadjutor bishop of Syracuse and titular bishop of Hermeria by Pope Pius X to assist Bishop Patrick Anthony Ludden in his duties. [4]Grimes received his episcopal consecration on May 16, 1909, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Syracuse from Archbishop John Farley, with Ludden and Bishop Thomas Burke serving as co-consecrators.[3]

Upon Ludden's death on August 6, 1912, Grimes automatically succeeded him as the second bishop of Syracuse.[3]

Death and legacy

John Grimes died in Syracuse on July 26, 1922, at age 69.[3] The funeral was presided over by Patrick Joseph Hayes, archbishop of New York, during which city courts adjourned for one hour.[5]

A Catholic high school, Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High School in East Syracuse, New York, was named in 1960 after him.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b "Most Rev. John Grimes". Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse.
  2. ^ a b c The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. II. New York: James T. White & Company. 1892.
  3. ^ a b c d "Bishop John Grimes [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
  4. ^ "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Syracuse (New York)". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
  5. ^ "Bishop Grimes", The Catholic Telegraph, Volume LXXXXI, Number 32, 10 August 1922
  6. ^ "History - Bishop Grimes Jr-Sr High". www.bishopgrimes.org. Retrieved 2025-09-28.