George L. Leech

George Leo Leech (May 21, 1890 – March 12, 1985) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, from 1935 to 1971.

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

George Leech
Bishop of Harrisburg
Titular Bishop of Mela
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
SeeDiocese of Harrisburg
PredecessorPhilip R. McDevitt
SuccessorJoseph Thomas Daley
Other post(s)Titular Bishop of Mela
Orders
OrdinationMay 29, 1920
by Denis Dougherty
ConsecrationOctober 17, 1935
by Denis Dougherty
Personal details
BornMay 21, 1890
Ashley, Pennsylvania, US
DiedMarch 12, 1985(1985-03-12) (aged 94)
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, US
EducationSt. Charles Borromeo Seminary
Catholic University of America
Styles of
George Leech
Reference styleThe Right Reverend
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop
Posthumous stylenone

Biography

Early life

George Leech was born on May 21, 1890, in Ashley, Pennsylvania, to William Dillon and Helen Mary (née Fitzimons) Leech.[1] He attended Hanover Township High School in Hanover, Pennsylvania, and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia.

Leech was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Denis Dougherty on May 29, 1920.[1] He then furthered his studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he obtained his doctorate in canon law.

Leech served as secretary of the Apostolic Delegation to the United States, and then as pastor of St. Patrick's Parish in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. He was raised to the rank of a privy chamberlain in 1925, and a domestic prelate in 1934. He also served as spiritual director of the Regional Holy Name Union and moderator of Ecclesiastical Conferences.[2]

Auxiliary Bishop and Bishop of Harrisburg

On July 6, 1935, Leech was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg and titular bishop of Mela by Pope Pius XI. He received his episcopal consecration on October 17, 1935, from Cardinal Dougherty, with Bishops Thomas O’Reilly and James Ryan serving as co-consecrators.[1]

The pope named Leech as the fifth bishop of Harrisburg on December 19, 1935.[1] After a month as bishop, he had memorized the forenames of all the clergy of his diocese.[3] In 1946, Leech described Howard Hughes’s 1943 film The Outlaw as "a destructive and corrupting picture which glamorizes crime and immorality".[4]

Leech attended the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965; Father William Keeler served as his peritus, or expert, at the Council. [1]

Retirement and legacy

On October 19, 1971, Pope Paul VI accepted Leech's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg and appointed him as titular bishop of Allegheny. [1] Leech continued to reside at the episcopal residence. George Leech died on March 12, 1985, at Holy Spirit Hospital in Harrisburg[5] at age 94.[1] He is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Harrisburg.

On August 1, 2018, Bishop Ronald Gainer, Leech's successor as bishop of Harrisburg, announced that the names of every bishop of Harrisburg from 1947 onward – including Leech's – would be removed from any building or room in the diocese named in their honor, due to their failure to protect victims from abuse.[6]

References
  1. "Bishop George Leo Leech [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  2. Itzoe, Linda (2006). 2006 Highway Of Missionaries An Illustrated History Of The Diocese Of Harrisburg. Editions du Signe. ISBN 978-2746815483.
  3. "More Bishops". Time. May 4, 1936.
  4. "That Outlaw". Time. June 10, 1946.
  5. "Bishop George Leech Dies". The New York Times. March 14, 1985.
  6. Zauzmer, Julie (August 1, 2018). "Pennsylvania diocese will remove every bishop's name since 1947 from buildings because they failed to root out child sexual abuse". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 1, 2018.


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