Adam Maida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Eminence Adam Joseph Maida |
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| Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of Detroit |
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Cardinal Maida in 2004
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| Church | Catholic |
| Archdiocese | Detroit |
| Appointed | April 28, 1990 |
| Enthroned | June 12, 1990 |
| Predecessor | Edmund Szoka |
| Successor | Allen Henry Vigneron |
| Other posts | Cardinal-Priest of Santi Vitale, Valeria, Gervasio e Protasio |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 26, 1956 |
| Consecration | January 25, 1984 by Pio Laghi, Aloysius John Wycisło, and Vincent Leonard |
| Created Cardinal | November 26, 1994 |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 18, 1930 East Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Education |
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| Motto | Facere omnia nova (Latin for 'To make all things new') |
| Styles of Adam Joseph Maida |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Detroit (Emeritus) |
Adam Joseph Maida (born March 18, 1930) is an important leader in the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the Archbishop of Detroit from 1990 to 2009. In 1994, he became a Cardinal, which is a very high rank in the Church. Before coming to Detroit, he was the Bishop of Green Bay from 1984 to 1990.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Education
Adam Joseph Maida was born on March 18, 1930, in East Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. His parents were Adam and Sophie Maida. He was the oldest of three children. His two younger brothers are Thaddeus and Daniel; Thaddeus also became a priest.
His father came from Poland when he was 16 years old. His mother's parents were also from Poland. Adam and his brothers went to public schools in East Vandergrift. This was because there were no Catholic schools nearby. He attended Vandergrift High School and Scott Township High School.
During his second year of high school, Adam decided he wanted to become a priest. He went to St. Mary's Preparatory School in Orchard Lake Village, Michigan. He graduated from there in 1948. Then, he attended St. Mary's College, also in Orchard Lake Village.
In 1950, Maida moved to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He earned a degree called a Bachelor of Philosophy in 1952. He then studied at St. Mary's University in Baltimore, Maryland. There, he received a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 1956.
Becoming a Priest and Early Work
On May 26, 1956, Adam Maida became a priest. He was ordained for the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh by Bishop John Francis Dearden. The ceremony took place at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Pittsburgh.
After becoming a priest, Maida first worked as an assistant pastor. He served at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania. Later, he worked at Holy Innocents Parish in Sheraden, Pennsylvania.
In 1958, Bishop Dearden sent Maida to Rome to continue his studies. He studied at the Pontifical Lateran University. In 1960, he earned a degree called a Licentiate of Canon Law. This degree is about church law.
He also earned a law degree, a Juris Doctor, from Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh in 1964. After this, he was allowed to practice law in Pennsylvania and for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Maida held several important roles in the diocese. He was the vice-chancellor and general counsel from 1965 to 1983. In 1968, he was chosen to be the president of the Canon Law Society of America. He also helped create new rules for how people could seek justice within the church. He worked on updating the Code of Canon Law. For the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, he helped set up fair procedures and led a committee on church law.
Maida also taught. He was a member of the diocesan court. He was an assistant professor of theology at La Roche College. He was also a law professor at Duquesne University Law School from 1971 to 1983. He also served as a chaplain for a legal society.
Bishop of Green Bay
On November 8, 1983, Pope John Paul II chose Adam Maida to be the ninth bishop of Green Bay. He officially became a bishop on January 25, 1984. The ceremony was led by Archbishop Pio Laghi at the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier in Green Bay.
During his time in Green Bay, Bishop Maida made some important changes. He appointed the first woman to be a chancellor in the diocese. He also appointed the first woman to lead a parish. He started a planning council for the diocese. He also began a program to train people for ministry. He helped raise $9 million for education.
Archbishop of Detroit
On April 28, 1990, Pope John Paul II appointed Maida as the fourth archbishop of Detroit. He officially began his role on June 12, 1990. On November 26, 1994, Pope John Paul II made Maida a Cardinal. This is a very high position in the Catholic Church. He became a Cardinal-Priest of a church in Rome.
In 2000, Cardinal Maida was also appointed as the first leader of the Catholic mission in the Cayman Islands.
In April 2005, after Pope John Paul II passed away, Cardinal Maida traveled to the Vatican. He was one of the cardinals who voted to choose the next Pope. He participated in the conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI. Cardinal Maida is no longer able to vote in papal elections because he turned 80 years old.
On March 18, 2005, Cardinal Maida sent a letter to Pope Benedict XVI. This was his resignation letter, as he had reached the age of 75, which is the usual retirement age for bishops. However, the Vatican asked him to continue as archbishop for a while longer. On June 8, 2006, Cardinal Maida celebrated 50 years since he became a priest.
In January 2007, Cardinal Maida ended the pastoral duties of Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Thomas Gumbleton. This was at St. Leo Parish in Detroit. Cardinal Maida stated he was following church rules about bishops retiring.
Retirement
On January 5, 2009, the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI had accepted Cardinal Maida's resignation. Bishop Allen Henry Vigneron, from the Diocese of Oakland, was appointed as his successor. Bishop Vigneron officially took over on January 28, 2009, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. Cardinal Maida helped Bishop Vigneron during this change.
Cardinal Maida celebrated his last public Mass at the cathedral on January 25, 2009. This Mass also marked 25 years since he became a bishop.
See also
In Spanish: Adam Maida para niños
- Catholic Church hierarchy
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of Catholic bishops of the United States
- Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
