Lawrence Shehan
Lawrence Joseph Shehan (March 18, 1898 – August 26, 1984) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Maryland from 1961 to 1974 and was made a cardinal in 1965. Shehan previously served as an auxiliary bishop of Baltimore from 1945 to 1953 as bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport in Connecticut from 1953 to 1961.
Lawrence Joseph Shehan | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of Baltimore | |
| See | Baltimore |
| Appointed | July 10, 1961 (coadjutor) |
| Installed | December 8, 1961 |
| Term ended | April 2, 1974 |
| Predecessor | Francis Keough |
| Successor | William Donald Borders |
| Other post(s) | Cardinal-Priest of S. Clemente |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | December 23, 1922 by Giuseppe Palica |
| Consecration | December 12, 1945 by Amleto Giovanni Cicognani |
| Created cardinal | February 22, 1965 by Paul VI |
| Rank | Cardinal- Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 18, 1898 |
| Died | August 26, 1984 (aged 86) Baltimore, Maryland |
| Buried | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Previous post(s) | Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore-Washington (1945-53) Bishop of Bridgeport (1953-61) Coadjutor Archbishop of Baltimore (1961) |
| Motto | Ominia in caritate (All things in love) |
| Styles of Lawrence Shehan | |
|---|---|
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Baltimore |
As bishop of Bridgeport, Shehan established new parishes and other facilities to meet the needs of the expanding Catholic population, working to create new ministries for Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking Catholics. As archbishop of Baltimore, he condemned racial discrimination in the archdiocese and participated in the American Civil Rights Movement. Shehan was one of the first Catholic prelates to condemn the Vietnam War. He was also a strong advocate for building ecumenical ties with the Protestant and Jewish communities.
Shehan's reputation has been tarnished by revelations in 2019 and 2023 that he mishandled sexual abuse allegations against clergy in both Bridgeport and Baltimore.