Ernest John Primeau

Ernest John Primeau (September 17, 1909 – June 6, 1989) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Manchester from 1960 to 1974.

Primeau was born in Chicago, Illinois, and there studied at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary.^[1] He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal George Mundelein on April 7, 1934.^[2] After serving at parishes and schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago, he spent twelve years in Rome, and was rector of Mundelein Seminary, Chicago's Archdiocesan seminary.^[1] In 1958 he was named pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Chicago.^[3]

On November 27, 1959, Primeau was appointed the sixth Bishop of Manchester, New Hampshire, by Pope John XXIII.

Bishop Primeau

^[2] He received his episcopal consecration on February 13, 1960 from Cardinal Albert Gregory Meyer, with Bishops Martin Dewey McNamara and Raymond Peter Hillinger serving as co-consecrators.^[2] He was installed at Cathedral of St. Joseph on March 15, 1960.^[1] During the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), Primeau was one of the more influential and articulate voices among the Council Fathers.^[4] He spoke out in support of the empowerment of the laity, once declaring, "Let this talk of their duty of subjection cease."^[4] He also founded the first foreign mission of the diocese in 1963 in Cartago, Colombia.^[1] During Primeau's tenure, the number of Catholics increased by 43,000 and the number of parishes by 11;^[4] however, weekly Mass attendance declined from over 70% to below 50%.^[4]

After thirteen years as bishop, he retired on January 30, 1974 at the age of 65. He had often advocated that bishops should retire at that age and so he became the first Bishop of Manchester to resign from office.^[1] Primeau died in 1989 at age 79.

References

Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester
Bishops	Ordinaries Denis Mary Bradley John Bernard Delany George Albert Guertin John Bertram Peterson Matthew Francis Brady Ernest John Primeau Odore Joseph Gendron Leo Edward O'Neil John Brendan McCormack Peter Anthony Libasci Auxiliaries Francis Joseph Christian Joseph John Gerry Robert Edward Mulvee
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of St. Joseph Abbey St. Anselm Abbey Parishes St. Joseph Church, Claremont St. Thomas More Church, Durham Ste. Marie Church, Manchester St. Aloysius of Gonzaga Church, Nashua Former parishes St. Stanislaus Church, Nashua
Education	Higher Education Northeast Catholic College Rivier University Saint Anselm College Thomas More College of Liberal Arts High Schools Bishop Brady High School, Concord Bishop Guertin High School, Nashua Holy Family Academy, Manchester Mount Royal Academy, Sunapee St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Dover Trinity High School, Manchester
Priests	Thomas Michael O'Leary
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Archdiocese of Chicago
Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Chicago Bishops William Quarter James Oliver Van de Velde Anthony O'Regan James Duggan Coadjutor bishop Thomas Patrick Roger Foley Archbishops Patrick Feehan James Edward Quigley George Mundelein Samuel Stritch Albert Gregory Meyer John Cody Joseph Bernardin Francis George Blase J. Cupich Catholicism portal
Churches in the Archdiocese of Chicago Cathedral Holy Name Cathedral Basilicas Basilica of St. Hyacinth Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica Queen of All Saints Basilica Parishes Chicago Holy Cross Church Holy Family Catholic Church Holy Innocents Church Holy Trinity Church Church of the Immaculate Conception Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church Notre Dame de Chicago Old St. Patrick's Church Sacred Heart Church St. Barbara Church St. Clement Church St. Hedwig's Church St. Ita's Church St. John Cantius Church St. Josaphat Church St. Joseph Church St. Jerome Croatian Church St. Ladislaus Church St. Mary of Perpetual Help Church St. Mary of the Angels Church St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church St. Michael's Church, Old Town St. Michael the Archangel Church, South Shore St. Pascal Church St. Stanislaus Kostka Church St. Thomas the Apostle Church St. Vincent de Paul Church Church of St. Vitus St. Wenceslaus Church Cook County St. Anne Church, Barrington St. Mary of Częstochowa Church, Cicero Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Glenview SS. Cyril and Methodius Church, Lemont St. James Church, Lemont St. Martha Church, Morton Grove St. John Brebeuf Church, Niles St. Joseph Church, Wilmette Chapels Madonna Della Strada Chapel
Education in the Archdiocese of Chicago Higher education DePaul University Dominican University Loyola University Chicago Saint Xavier University Stritch School of Medicine Seminaries Catholic Theological Union Saint Joseph College Seminary University of Saint Mary of the Lake High schools Chicago Brother Rice High School Christ the King Jesuit College Prep High School Cristo Rey Jesuit High School De La Salle Institute DePaul College Prep Hales Franciscan High School Holy Trinity High School Josephinum Academy Leo Catholic High School Marist High School Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School Mount Carmel High School Notre Dame High School for Girls Our Lady of Tepeyac High School Resurrection High School St. Benedict High School St. Francis de Sales High School St. Ignatius College Preparatory School St. Patrick High School St. Rita of Cascia High School Cook County St. Viator High School, Arlington Heights Queen of Peace High School, Burbank St. Laurence High School, Burbank Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights Nazareth Academy, La Grange Park Mount Assisi Academy, Lemont Notre Dame College Prep, Niles Fenwick High School, Oak Park Trinity High School, River Forest Guerin College Preparatory High School, River Grove Seton Academy, South Holland St. Joseph High School, Westchester Loyola Academy, Wilmette Regina Dominican High School, Wilmette Lake County Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart, Lake Forest Carmel High School, Mundelein St. Martin de Porres High School, Waukegan Former Higher education Barat College Lexington College St. Viator College High schools Academy of Our Lady, Chicago Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Chicago Immaculata High School, Chicago Maria High School, Chicago St. Gregory the Great High School, Chicago St. Scholastica Academy, Chicago Saint Louise de Marillac High School, Northfield Grade school Our Lady of the Angels School, Chicago
Clergy of the Archdiocese of Chicago Auxiliary bishops Alfred Leo Abramowicz Edwin Michael Conway William Edward Cousins Michael Dempsey Gustavo García-Siller John R. Gorman Raymond E. Goedert Thomas Joseph Grady Wilton Daniel Gregory Nevin William Hayes Raymond Peter Hillinger Edward Francis Hoban Thad J. Jakubowski Francis J. Kane Gerald Frederick Kicanas Jerome Edward Listecki Timothy Joseph Lyne John R. Manz Alexander Joseph McGavick William Edward McManus William David O'Brien John L. May George Murry Cletus F. O'Donnell Thomas J. Paprocki Joseph N. Perry George J. Rassas Plácido Rodriguez Alberto Rojas Bernard James Sheil John George Vlazny Andrew Peter Wypych Priests who became bishop elsewhere Peter Joseph Baltes Robert Emmet Barron Romeo Roy Blanchette Stanislaus Vincent Bona Edward Braxton Maurice Francis Burke Edmund Michael Dunne Edward Joseph Dunne Edward Egan James Aloysius Griffin William Richard Griffin John Richard Keating James Patrick Keleher Moses E. Kiley Francis Joseph Magner Paul Marcinkus John McMullen Martin Dewey McNamara Peter Muldoon William Aloysius O'Connor Thomas Joseph Murphy Ernest John Primeau Paul Peter Rhode Patrick William Riordan Edward James Slattery Raymond James Vonesh Aloysius John Wycislo Priests John George Alleman Donald Martin Carroll George Clements Daniel Coughlin John Joseph Egan Andrew Greeley George G. Higgins Reynold Henry Hillenbrand James Timothy O'Meara Michael Pfleger Jeremiah J. Rodell
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