Background
Griffin was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the eleventh of twelve children of John Jay and Catherine (née Lyons) Griffin.
Griffin was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the eleventh of twelve children of John Jay and Catherine (née Lyons) Griffin.
He received his early education at the parochial school of Saint Patrick Church in his native city, and then attended Saint Patrick High School, also in Elizabeth. He attended Seton Hall College in South Orange before studying for the priesthood at Immaculate Conception Seminary.
He served as Bishop of Trenton from 1940 until his death in 1950. Griffin was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Newark on August 15, 1910. His first assignment was as principal of Bayley Hall, a grammar school attached to Seton Hall College.
In December 1924, Griffin was appointed diocesan director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
He later became national treasurer of the same organization in 1935. From 1929 to 1938, he was pastor of Saint Michael Church in Jersey City.
He was named a papal chamberlain in 1930. He also served as administrator of Saint John Church and Saint Augustine Church in Newark, and state chaplain of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.
Newark
On February 26, 1938, Griffin was appointed auxiliary bishop of Newark and titular bishop of Sanavo by Pope Pius XI. He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 1 from Archbishop Thomas J. Walsh, with Bishops John A. Duffy and Moses East. Kiley serving as co-consecrators, at Sacred Heart Cathedral.
As an auxiliary bishop, he served as rector of Immaculate Conception Seminary. Trenton
Following the promotion of Bishop Kiley to Archbishop of Milwaukee, he was named Bishop of Trenton on May 21, 1940. His installation took place at Saint Mary"s Cathedral on July 23 of that year.
A member of the faculty at Seton Hall for fifteen years, he taught Latin, Greek, and English in the preparatory school before becoming professor of philosophy and English in the college.