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John Joseph Sullivan (July 5, 1920 – February 11, 2001) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Grand Island in Nebraska (1972–1977) and bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in Missouri (1977–1993).

Biography

Early life

John Sullivan was born on July 5, 1920, in Horton, Kansas, to Walter and Mary (née Berney) Sullivan. His father worked for the Electro-Motive Company. When he was age ten, his family to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He received his early education at the parochial schools of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, where he also served as an altar boy to Bishop Francis Kelley. He attended St. Benedict's College in Atchison, Kansas, for two years before entering Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1939.

Priesthood

He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Albert Lewis Fletcher on September 23, 1944, for the Diocese of Oklahoma City-Tulsa.

Following his ordination, Sullivan became a curate at Holy Family Cathedral Parish in Tulsa. He also served as director of Catholic Activities and as chaplain at the University of Tulsa. Bishop Eugene J. McGuinness originally intended for Sullivan to study canon law at the Catholic University of America, but instead assigned him as pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Guthrie in 1947. While in Guthrie, he recruited college students to work as volunteers among the poor. Sullivan became pastor of St. James Parish in Oklahoma City in 1959. From 1961 to 1968, he was national director of lay volunteers for the Catholic Church Extension Society. Returning to Tulsa, he was made pastor of the Church of the Madalene Parish and episcopal vicar for Eastern Oklahoma.

Bishop of Grand Island

On July 25, 1972, Sullivan was appointed the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Grand Island by Pope Paul VI. He received his episcopal consecration on September 19, 1972, from Archbishop John R. Quinn, with Bishops John L. May and Charles Buswell serving as co-consecrators. He was installed at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 21, 1972.

Bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph

Sullivan was named the sixth Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph by Paul VI on June 27, 1977. He was installed on August 17, 1977. After being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, petitioned the Vatican for early retirement. Pope John Paul II accepted his retirement as bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph on June 22, 1993.

John Sullivan died on February 11, 2001, at the Jeanne Jugan Center in Kansas City, Missouri at age 80.

References

1. ^ Sly, Julie (1994). The Call to Ministry: The Vision of Bishop John J. Sullivan. Kansas City: Sheed & Ward. ISBN 9781556127182.
2. ^ "Most Reverend John J. Sullivan". Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island. Archived from the original on 2009-02-14.
3. ^ "Bishop John Joseph Sullivan". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph
Ordinaries	Bishops of Kansas City John Joseph Hogan Thomas Francis Lillis Edwin Vincent O'Hara Bishops of St. Joseph John Joseph Hogan Maurice Francis Burke Francis Gilfillan Charles Hubert Le Blond Bishops of Kansas City–St. Joseph John Cody Charles Herman Helmsing John Joseph Sullivan Raymond James Boland Robert William Finn James Vann Johnston, Jr.
Auxiliary bishops	John J. Glennon Joseph M. Marling Joseph Vincent Sullivan
Churches	Cathedrals Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of St. Joseph Parishes Sacred Heart Church, Kansas City St. Ludger Church, Germantown Abbey Conception Abbey Former parishes Holy Name Church, Kansas City
Education	Higher education Avila University Rockhurst University High schools Bishop LeBlond High School, St. Joseph Cristo Rey Kansas City High School, Kansas City Notre Dame de Sion, Kansas City Rockhurst High School, Kansas City St. Michael the Archangel Catholic High School, Lee's Summit Saint Pius X Catholic High School, Kansas City St. Teresa's Academy, Kansas City Former high school Archbishop O'Hara High School, Kansas City St. Mary's High School, Independence
Clergy	William Wakefield Baum Francis Johannes George Kinzie Fitzsimons Joseph Hubert Hart Michael Francis McAuliffe Lawrence James McNamara
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island
Bishops	James Albert Duffy Stanislaus Vincent Bona Edward Joseph Hunkeler John Linus Paschang John Joseph Sullivan Lawrence James McNamara William Joseph Dendinger Joseph G. Hanefeldt
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parishes St. Anselm's Church, Anselmo Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, O'Connor St. Michael's Church, Spalding
Education	High schools Central Catholic High School, Grand Island Kearney Catholic High School, Kearney St. Patrick High School, North Platte Spalding Academy, Spalding
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
Ordinaries	Prefects of Indian territory Isidore Robot Ignatius Jean Bishops Theophile Meerschaert Francis Kelley Eugene J. McGuinness Victor Joseph Reed Archbishops John R. Quinn Charles Salatka Eusebius J. Beltran Paul Stagg Coakley
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parishes St. Joseph Old Cathedral Abbey St. Gregory's Abbey
Education	Higher education St. Gregory's University High schools Bishop McGuinness High School Mount St. Mary High School Cristo Rey High School
Priests	Raised to the episcopate Stephen Aloysius Leven John Joseph Sullivan Anthony Taylor Edward Weisenburger Beatified Stanley Rother
Miscellany	Sooner Catholic
Catholicism portal

• 1920 births
• 2001 deaths
• Kenrick–Glennon Seminary alumni
• University of Tulsa people
• People from Horton, Kansas
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
• Roman Catholic bishops of Grand Island
• Roman Catholic bishops of Kansas City–Saint Joseph
• 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
• Religious leaders from Oklahoma