38 Facts About Richard Cushing

Richard James Cushing was an American prelate of the Catholic Church.

Richard Cushing served as Archbishop of Boston from 1944 to 1970 and was made a cardinal in 1958.

Richard Cushing built useful relationships with Jews, Protestants, and institutions outside the usual Catholic community.

Richard Cushing helped presidential candidate John F Kennedy deflect fears of papal interference in American government if a Catholic became president.

Richard Cushing was not efficient at business affairs, and when expenses built up he counted on his fundraising skills instead of cost-cutting.

Richard Cushing looked rather like a tough, handsome, Irish cop and behaved more like a ward politician than a high church cleric.

Richard Cushing was born in City Point, South Boston on August 24,1895.

Richard Cushing's parents were both Irish immigrants; his father was originally from Glanworth, County Cork, and his mother from Touraneena, County Waterford.

Richard Cushing dropped out of high school in his freshman year because of his compulsive truancy.

Richard Cushing subsequently entered Boston College High School, a Jesuit college preparatory school.

Richard Cushing's tuition there was paid by his cousin, who was a priest of the Archdiocese of New York.

Richard Cushing graduated from high school in 1913, receiving honors for Latin and Greek.

Richard Cushing was torn for a time between religion and politics.

Richard Cushing originally wanted to be a politician, even earning money by speaking for politicians from the back of wagons.

Richard Cushing entered Boston College in 1913, becoming a member of the first freshman class following the college's move to Chestnut Hill.

Richard Cushing was assigned to continue his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, but the escalation of U-boat activity prevented him from sailing across the Atlantic.

On May 26,1921, Richard Cushing was ordained a priest by Cardinal William Henry O'Connell at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

Richard Cushing was afterwards transferred to St Benedict's Church in Somerville.

Richard Cushing later served as director of the Society from 1929 to 1944.

Richard Cushing was raised to the rank of Monsignor on May 14,1939.

On June 10,1939, after Bishop Francis Spellman was named Archbishop of New York, Richard Cushing was appointed, at the request of Cardinal O'Connell, as Auxiliary Bishop of Boston and titular bishop of Mela by Pope Pius XII.

Richard Cushing took as his episcopal motto: Ut Cognoscant Te.

Richard Cushing was named the third Archbishop of Boston on September 25,1944, following the death of Cardinal O'Connell and honoring his earlier request that Richard Cushing succeed him.

Richard Cushing had a focus on allowing Catholics to live their faith in their daily lives, and this included opening the St Francis Chapel at the Prudential Center for office workers in the Back Bay, Our Lady of the Railways at South Station, Our Lady of Good Voyage in the Seaport, and Our Lady of the Airways at Logan International Airport.

Richard Cushing was created Cardinal-Priest of Santa Susanna by Pope John XXIII in the consistory of December 15,1958.

Richard Cushing was one of the cardinal electors in the 1963 papal conclave, which elected Pope Paul VI.

Richard Cushing gave the prayer invocation at Kennedy's inauguration in 1961.

Richard Cushing later defended Jacqueline Kennedy after her marriage to Aristotle Onassis in 1968.

Richard Cushing received a large amount of hate mail and was contradicted by the Vatican.

In 1959, Richard Cushing published his only book, a biography of the late Pope Pius XII.

Richard Cushing depicted him as the "Pope of Peace" who, armed only with the spiritual weapons of his office, triumphed over insidious attacks that seemed about to destroy the center of Christendom.

Richard Cushing's work contributed to making the Roman Catholic Church acceptable to the general population at the time of then-Senator John F Kennedy's run for the White House.

Richard Cushing strongly condemned Communism, particularly the regime of Josip Broz Tito in Yugoslavia.

At the Second Vatican Council, Richard Cushing played a vital role in drafting Nostra aetate, the document that officially exonerated the Jews of the deicide charge.

Richard Cushing was deeply committed to implementing the council's reforms and promoting renewal in the Church.

Less than two months after his resignation, on November 2,1970, Richard Cushing died peacefully in his sleep of cancer at the Cardinal's Residence in Brighton, Massachusetts, aged 75.

Richard Cushing was surrounded by his brother and sisters and his successor, Archbishop Humberto Medeiros.

Richard Cushing was buried in Hanover, Massachusetts at the Portiuncula Chapel on the grounds of the Cardinal Richard Cushing Centers.