James Albert Murray

infobox bishopstyles
name=James Murray
dipstyle=The Most Reverend
offstyle=Your Excellency
relstyle=Monsignor
deathstyle=not applicable |

James Albert Murray (born July 5, 1932) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the third and current Bishop of Kalamazoo.

Biography

James Murray was born in Jackson, Michigan to James Albert and Marcella Clare (née Harris) Murray; he has two older brothers, Joseph and William. After attending St. Mary Elementary and High Schools in Jackson, he studied at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, from where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree), and St. John Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, earning his Bachelor's in Sacred Theology. Murray was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Joseph Albers on June 7, 1958, and then served as parochial vicar of [http://www.stjoestjoe.com/ St. Joseph Parish] in St. Joseph until 1961.

He then worked as an assistant pastor at St. Mary Cathedral, and did pastoral work at [http://www.sttherese.org/ St. Therese Parish] . He received a licentiate in canon law from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in 1964. Murray served as pastor of [http://stgerardlansing.catholicweb.com/ St. Gerard Parish] in Lansing from 1962 to 1973, whence he became rector of St. Mary Cathedral. In addition to his duties as rector, he served as chancellor, curial moderator, and tribunal judge for the Diocese of Lansing as well. Murray was also a diocesan ecumenical officer, chaplain of the Lansing police, and sat on several committees of the Michigan Catholic Conference. He was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness in 1993.

On November 18, 1997, Murray was appointed the third Bishop of Kalamazoo by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on January 27, 1998 from Adam Cardinal Maida, with Bishops Paul Donovan and Carl Mengeling serving as co-consecrators, in St. Augutine Cathedral. Murray selected as his episcopal motto: "Rejoice in the Lord always" ( [http://www.drbo.org/chapter/57004.htm Phil 4:4] ).

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he formerly sat on the [http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2002/02-170.shtml Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse] . The Bishop is a member of the Committee for the American College of Louvain as well.

External links

* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmurray.html Catholic-Hierarchy]
* [http://www.dioceseofkalamazoo.org/bishop/biography.html Diocese of Kalamazoo]
* [http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/1997/97-255.shtml USCCB Office of Media Relations]