Soaring: A Journal of Undergraduate Research
Abstract
Throughout their vocation, Catholic priests are assigned to a parish within their diocese, oftentimes without their consultation, and are called to engage with that church to increase the liveliness and faithfulness of its parishioners and encounter others within the surrounding community. While the geographic location of priestly assignments will impact the immediate influence that one can have on a group of people, it is the inherent identity and leadership abilities of the priest that will dictate the trajectory of the lives of people that will proceed them. After being assigned to the Diocese of Rochester, NY in 1937, The Most Reverend James Edward Kearney, the fifth Bishop of Rochester, had to find a way to earn trust and respect from community members while also attempting to lead the city through tumultuous historical times home and abroad. Through his demonstration as a servant, authentic, and transformational leader, Bishop Kearney became a true, beloved leader and driving force of Rochester. The possession of a societal and spiritual obligation to serve others and demonstrate leadership derives from his social and personal identities. His commitments to addressing areas of social injustice, furthering education at the high school and collegiate levels, and promoting Catholic ideology while establishing relationships with other area religious leaders are still felt today, forever shaping Catholicism in Rochester.
Keywords
Rochester, Leadership, Catholic, Authentic, Servant, Bishop
Recommended Citation
Wild, Maria G.
(2023)
"Reawakening Rochester: The Leadership Styles of Bishop James E. Kearney,"
Soaring: A Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2023, Article 11.
Available at:
https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/soaring/vol2023/iss1/11
Additional Files
Included in
Catholic Studies Commons, Leadership Studies Commons, Regional Sociology Commons, Social History Commons