Background
Furey, Francis James was born on February 22, 1905 in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania, United States. Son of John and Anna (O'Donnell) Furey.
Furey, Francis James was born on February 22, 1905 in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania, United States. Son of John and Anna (O'Donnell) Furey.
Student, St. Charles Seminary, Overbrook, Pennsylvania, 1924. Doctor of Philosophy, Pontificio Seminario Romano, Rome, 1926. STD, Pontificio Seminario Romano, Rome, 1930.
Doctor of Laws, La Salle College, Philadelphia, 1944. Doctor of Laws, St. John's University, Brooklyn, 1946. Doctor of Laws, Villanova University, 1947.
Doctor of Laws, St. Joseph's College, Philadelphia, 1949.
He served as Bishop of San Diego, California (1966-1969) and as Archbishop of San Antonio, Texas (1969-1979). He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Basilio Pompilj on March 15, 1930. Following his return to Pennsylvania, he served as private secretary to Cardinal Dennis Joseph Dougherty, the Archbishop of Philadelphia, from 1930 to 1936.
He was president of Immaculata College (1936-1946) and rector of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary (1946-1958).
He was named a Domestic Prelate in 1947. Returning from academia, he became pastor of Saint Helena"s Church in Philadelphia in 1958.
On August 17, 1960, Furey was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia and Titular Bishop of Temnus by Pope John XXIII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following December 22 from Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi, with Bishops Joseph Mark McShea and Joseph Carroll McCormick serving as co-consecrators. Furey was named Coadjutor Bishop of San Diego, California, on July 21, 1963.
His transfer to California was the first United States. appointment for the Latin Rite by the newly elected Pope Paul VI. Upon the death of Bishop Charles F. Buddy, Furey succeeded him as the second Bishop of San Diego on March 5, 1966.
On May 23, 1969, Furey was appointed the third Archbishop of San Antonio, Texas, in succession to Archbishop Robert Emmet Lucey. He established one of the first diocesan commissions for Mexican American affairs in the United States, and promoted the candidacy of Patrick Flores, the first Mexican American bishop in the country. He was an outspoken supporter of capital punishment and Communities Organized for Public Service.
He also supported the Farah strike (October 1973) and the lettuce boycotts of the Texas Farm Workers Union.
He held various offices within the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, including chairman of the Committee for the Campaign for Human Development. He was chaplain of the Texas State Council of the Knights of Columbus, bishop protector of the Catholic War Veterans of the United States.A., and appointed by Governor Preston Smith to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Commission.
Furey died at age 74, and was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery.
Director Catholic Charities Appeal, Philadelphia, 1958. Board directors Misericordia Hospital, Philadelphia, St. Joseph Hospital, Ravenhill Academy, Germantown, Pennsylvania. Trustee Roman Catholic High School, Philadelphia.
Member National Educational Association, Pennsylvania Catholic Educational Association, Association College President's Pennsylvania, John Henry Newman Society.