Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
BYRNE, James J.
BYRNE, James J. (St. Paul, MN, July 28, 1908-Dubuque, Ia, Aug. 2, 1996). Archbishop. In 1962 Byrne replaced Archbishop Leo BINZ who was transferred to the archdiocese of St. Paul. Corning to Dubuque six months after the convening of Vatican II, Byrne chose a moderate course including a low profile in the community. A survey of community leaders in 1978 found the state's most powerful Catholic ranked eighth. Byrne considered the change from Latin to English in the liturgy an especially significant event.
Many crucial decisions occurred during Byrne's tenure as archbishop. In 1966 the Senate of Priests was established as an advisory body, one of the first priest senates in the United States. This led to such innovations as the Priest Personnel Board, responsible for pastoral reassignments and the archdiocese's self-insurance program.
In 1967 the Archdiocesan Board of Education was established. Adult education was started at the parish level. The following year, the Priest Personnel Board was established to manage the assignment or reassignment of priests in the diocese. In 1970 the Interim Pastoral Council, an advisory and consultative group, was begun. In 1971 Villa Raphael, a home for retired priests, was opened.
Considering prayer extremely important, Byrne urged local Catholics to pray daily before the evening news. Churches distributed four-inch-high cards with a picture of the Virgin Mary and the prayer "Hail Holy Queen" to place on the television as a reminder. On February 23, 1984, upon Byrne's retirement,Daniel KUCERA was installed as the tenth Archbishop of Dubuque.
Pope John Paul II accepted his resignation on August 23, 1983, and he was named Archbishop Emeritus of Dubuque. Following his retirement, Archbishop Byrne remained in the Dubuque area. He died while a resident at the Stonehill Care Center (operated by Franciscan Sisters) and was buried in the mortuary chapel of ST. RAPHAEL'S CATHEDRAL along with other deceased bishops and archbishops of the archdiocese. Archbishop Byrne had earlier purchased a simple wooden casket from the monks of NEW MELLERAY ABBEY and stored it at the Cathedral; this was the casket in which he was buried.