Martin David Holley facts for kids

Styles of Martin David Holley
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Martin David Holley (born December 31, 1954) is an American Catholic leader. He served as the Bishop of Memphis from 2016 to 2018. Before that, he was an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington from 2004 to 2016. His time as Bishop of Memphis ended in 2018.

Martin Holley's Life and Career

Early Life and Education

Martin Holley was born on December 31, 1954, in Pensacola, Florida. He went to Tate High School in Cantonment, Florida, and finished in 1973. While in high school, he played basketball and was active in student government.

After high school, Holley attended Faulkner State Junior College. He earned a degree in general studies in 1975. He then went to Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama. There, he earned a degree in management in 1977.

Holley continued his studies at the Theological College at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He then attended St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida. He earned a special degree in religious studies there.

Becoming a Priest

On May 8, 1987, Martin Holley became a priest for the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee. Bishop Joseph Symons led the ceremony at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pensacola, Florida.

As a priest, Holley worked in several parishes. He was an associate pastor and administrator at St. Mary Catholic Parish in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He also served as an associate pastor at St. Paul Parish in Pensacola. Later, he became an administrator and pastor at Little Flower Parish in Pensacola.

Holley was also involved in other church groups. He was part of the diocesan council of priests. He helped guide the Serra Club of West Florida. He also directed and taught for the program that trains deacons. He led the department for different cultural groups in the diocese. He was also a member of a group for Black Catholic clergy.

Serving as Auxiliary Bishop

On May 18, 2004, Pope John Paul II chose Holley to be an titular bishop of Rusubisir. This meant he would also be an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. He was officially made a bishop on July 2, 2004. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick led this ceremony.

In November 2014, Holley was chosen by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to join the board of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network. Within the USCCB, he was part of several committees. These included groups for families, youth, and activities that support life. He also worked with a subcommittee for Hispanic affairs and a committee for church collections.

For 12 years, Holley served as an auxiliary bishop. He was also a vicar general, helping with ministries for different cultural groups. He was a member of several interfaith and support organizations. Holley also joined various archdiocesan groups, including the College of Consultors and the Presbyteral Council. He also chaired the College of Deans.

Becoming Bishop of Memphis

On August 23, 2016, Pope Francis appointed Holley as the bishop of the Diocese of Memphis. He officially began his role on October 19, 2016.

Soon after arriving in 2016, Bishop Holley asked all parish priests to offer their resignations. He then reappointed them as "parochial administrators." This allowed him to move priests to new parishes without needing their full resignations. He used this method to transfer about 75% of the pastors in the diocese. He did not publicly state the reasons for these transfers. Bishop Holley also appointed Monsignor Clement J. Machado to several important roles.

In January 2018, the diocese announced that ten schools in its network would close. These were the Memphis Jubilee Catholic Schools, which had been started in 1999 to help children from low-income families. The reason given for the closures was a lack of money.

In June 2018, the Vatican sent two archbishops, Wilton Gregory and Bernard Hebda, to Memphis. They visited for three days to look into complaints from the diocese and a drop in donations. During their visit, they met with many priests. A few days after their visit, Monsignor Machado left his positions in the diocese. The results of this visit were not made public.

End of Service and Later Events

In October 2018, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had ended Holley's service as bishop of Memphis. The Vatican mentioned his "management of the diocese" as the reason. Pope Francis then appointed Archbishop Joseph Kurtz to temporarily oversee the diocese until a new bishop was chosen.

On October 25, 2018, Holley spoke to the Catholic News Agency. He said he believed his removal was due to disagreements with other church leaders. He denied claims of financial issues. On March 5, 2019, Pope Francis appointed Bishop David Talley as the new bishop of Memphis.

See also

In Spanish: Martin Holley para niños