Michael Joseph Curley

Michael Joseph Curley (October 12, 1879 – May 16, 1947) was an Irish-born American Catholic prelate who served as the first archbishop of Washington in the District of Columbia from 1939 to 1947. He previously served as Archbishop of Baltimore in Maryland (1921–1947) and as bishop of St. Augustine in Florida (1914–1921).

Curley was known for his militancy in protecting the rights of Catholics and of his dioceses against perceived and real attacks from outside forces. As bishop of St. Augustine, he fought anti-Catholic efforts by the State of Florida and the Jesuits to claim what he felt was his rightful authority.

As archbishop of Baltimore and later Washington, he denounced the oppression of Catholic clergy in Mexico and Spain and of Jews in Germany. Curley is also known for his strong program of school construction in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

One of eleven children, Michael Curley was born on October 12, 1879, in Goldenisland Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland to Michael and Maria (née Ward) Curley. He attended a primary school in Athlone that was run by the Marist Brothers. At age 16, Curley entered Mungret College in Limerick, Ireland. While at Mungret, Curley wanted to eventually become a missionary to the Fiji Islands. However, after speaking with Bishop John Moore during a school visit, Curley decided instead to go to the Diocese of St. Augustine in the United States after he finished his education.

After graduating from Mungret, Curley entered the Royal University of Ireland, earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1900. He then travelled to Rome to study at the Urban College of the Propaganda, receiving a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 1903. His ordination was postponed until 1904 due to stress.

On March 19, 1904, Curley was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Saint Augustine by Cardinal Pietro Respighi in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. He arrived in Florida in 1904, and was named pastor of St. Peter's Parish in DeLand, Florida. He lived in a rented room above a store and ate in a local diner. In 1914, Bishop William Kenny appointed Curley as chancellor of the diocese and as his personal secretary.

On April 3, 1914, Pope Pius X appointed Curley as the fourth bishop of St. Augustine. He received his episcopal consecration at the Cathedral of Saint Augustine on June 30, 1914, from Bishop Benjamin Keiley, with Bishops Patrick Donahue and Owen Corrigan serving as co-consecrators. At age 34, Curley was the youngest bishop in the country — indeed 20 years later he was still the second youngest. He spent eight months out of every year on journeys throughout the diocese.

In 1913, the Florida Legislature passed legislation prohibiting white women from teaching African-American children in schools. At that time, the diocese had white nuns teaching in four schools for African-Americans in St. Augustine, Fernandina, Jacksonville, and Ybor City. Considering the law unconstitutional, the bishop at the time, William Kenny, told the sisters to ignore it. In a 1915 letter to the parishes in the diocese, Curley wrote: