Andrew Greeley facts for kids

Andrew M. Greeley (born February 5, 1928 – died May 29, 2013) was an American Catholic priest, a sociologist (someone who studies how people live in groups), a journalist, and a very popular writer of novels.

Greeley was a professor of sociology at the University of Arizona and the University of Chicago. He also worked as a researcher at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC). For many years, he wrote a weekly column for the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper. He also wrote for other well-known publications like The New York Times and America.

Life and Career

Andrew Greeley was born in 1928 in Oak Park, Illinois. This is a suburb near Chicago. He grew up in a large Irish Catholic family during the Great Depression. From a young age, he knew he wanted to be a priest.

He studied at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago. He earned several degrees from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary. In 1954, he became a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

From 1954 to 1964, Greeley worked as an assistant pastor at a church in Chicago. During this time, he also studied sociology at the University of Chicago. His first book, The Church in the Suburbs (1958), came from his notes about his experiences. He earned his Master's degree in 1961 and his PhD in 1962. His PhD research looked at how religion affected the career choices of college graduates.

Greeley taught at several universities, including the University of Arizona and the University of Chicago. In 1973, he was not given a permanent teaching position at the University of Chicago. He believed this was due to unfair views against Catholics. However, some colleagues thought it was because he could be difficult to work with. Later, in 1991, he was given a professorship in social science at the University.

Sociology Studies

As a sociologist, Andrew Greeley wrote many important academic books in the 1960s and 1970s. These included Unsecular Man: The Persistence of Religion (1972) and The American Catholic: A Social Portrait (1977). Throughout his career, he wrote over 70 scholarly books. Most of these books focused on the Roman Catholic Church in the United States.

His early work showed that white Catholics actually went to college and earned degrees more often than other white groups. This went against what many people thought at the time. He believed this was because of the good education Catholics received in parochial schools (Catholic schools). He also studied how religion affected the political choices of Catholic groups. He was one of the first to study the effects of the Second Vatican Council on American Catholics. This council brought many changes to the Catholic Church.

In the early 1970s, the U.S. bishops asked him to study American priests. He found that many priests were unhappy. However, the bishops did not accept his findings. Greeley openly criticized the church leaders, saying he believed they were not doing a good job.

Greeley's sociology work was sometimes viewed with suspicion by other priests. His archbishop, John Cody, did not allow Greeley to work in a local church. Greeley also criticized Cody for closing several inner-city schools.

Understanding American Catholicism

Andrew Greeley was very interested in what is called the "Catholic imagination." This idea suggests that visible things in the world can be symbols or metaphors for God. This is different from other religious views that focus more on written texts. Greeley believed this way of thinking led the church to support art throughout history. He thought art could show spiritual ideas that words alone could not. His love for how art could express spiritual power inspired him to start writing fiction.

Writing Fiction

Andrew Greeley wrote so much that people said he "never had an unpublished thought." He made sure to set aside time each morning, from 6:00 to 9:00 A.M., just for writing fiction. He published his first novel, The Magic Cup, in 1975. It was a fantasy story about a young king who helped Ireland become Christian. His second novel, Death in April, came out in 1980.

His third novel, The Cardinal Sins (1981), became a huge success. After this, he wrote at least two novels every year. In 1987 alone, he wrote four novels and two non-fiction books. He once said he wrote about 5,000 words every day.

Greeley also wrote The Priestly Sins (2004). This novel was about a young priest who reported wrongdoing he had seen. He also wrote The Making of the Pope (2005). This book described how Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI. Greeley even wrote science fiction novels, like God Game and The Final Planet.

He also wrote about spiritual life in his prayer journals. Love Affair (1992) was his first prayer journal. It won an award for spiritual books. These journals were not just books of prayers. They were about his own conversations with God.

Politics

Andrew Greeley was also active in politics. He strongly disagreed with the George W. Bush administration and the Iraq War. He also supported making changes to immigration laws. His book A Stupid, Unjust, and Criminal War: Iraq 2001–2007 (2007) criticized the decision to start the Iraq War. He believed Jesus was a "Prince of Peace," not someone who supported war.

Being a Priest

In 1992, Greeley told the Chicago Tribune that he was "a priest, pure and simple." He explained that all his other work, like his sociology research, newspaper columns, and novels, was just his way of being a priest. He said he had wanted to be a priest since he was a child and never changed his mind.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

Andrew Greeley was likely the best-selling priest ever. It's estimated that by 1999, his books had earned at least $110 million. He lived comfortably, but he gave most of his earnings to the Church and other charities.

In 1984, he gave $1 million to the University of Chicago. This money helped create a special teaching position in Roman Catholic Studies. In 1986, he set up another $1 million fund. This fund provided scholarships and financial help to inner-city schools in the Chicago Archdiocese. These schools had many minority students. He had first offered this money to the Archdiocese, but the Archbishop at the time, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, turned it down. Later, in 2003, the Archdiocese accepted the remaining $420,000 from the fund. This money helped a new fund for Catholic schools, providing scholarships and raising teachers' salaries. Greeley also funded a yearly lecture series at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary.

In 2008, he donated money to Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Obama was a U.S. Senator for Illinois at the time.

Injury and Death

In 2008, Andrew Greeley had a serious accident. His clothes got caught in a taxi door as it drove away, and he fell. He suffered skull fractures and was in critical condition. He remained in poor health after this accident. He passed away on May 29, 2013, at his home in Chicago. He was 85 years old.

Honors

Andrew Greeley received special honorary degrees from several universities. These included the University of Arizona and the National University of Ireland, Galway. In 1981, he received the F. Sadlier Dinger Award. This award recognized his great contributions to religious education in America.