Francis Quinn

For the American racing driver, see Francis Quinn (racing driver). For other people, see Frank Quinn (disambiguation).
His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Francis Anthony Quinn
Bishop of Sacramento
Quinn in November 2004
ArchdioceseSan Francisco
DioceseSacramento
AppointedDecember 18, 1979
InstalledFebruary 18, 1980
Term endedNovember 30, 1993
PredecessorAlden John Bell
SuccessorWilliam Weigand
Previous post(s)Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco
Orders
OrdinationJune 15, 1946
ConsecrationJune 29, 1978
by John R. Quinn, Joseph Thomas McGucken, and William Joseph McDonald
Personal details
Born(1921-09-11)September 11, 1921
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedMarch 21, 2019(2019-03-21) (aged 97)
Sacramento, California, U.S.
EducationSt. Joseph’s Seminary
St. Patrick's Seminary
Catholic University of America
University of California, Berkeley
MottoLumen gentum Christus
(Christ is the light of the nation)
Styles of
Francis Anthony Quinn
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop

Francis Anthony Quinn (September 11, 1921 – March 21, 2019) was an American Roman Catholic prelate who served as the bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento in California from 1980 to 1993. After his retirement, Quinn ministered for several years to Native American communities in the Southwestern United States.

Early life

Francis Quinn was born on September 11, 1921, in Los Angeles, California, to Frank Quinn and Anne Chierici.[1] At age 14, he entered St. Joseph’s Seminary in Mountain View, California. He then entered St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, California. He was awarded a Bachelor's Degree spent four post-graduate years of theology studies.

Priesthood

Quinn was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco on June 15, 1946 by Archbishop John Joseph Mitty in San Francisco.[2] A few months after his ordination, the archdiocese sent Quinn to Washington, D.C. to attend the Catholic University of America. He earned an Master of Arts degree in education in 1947.[3][4][1]

After returning to San Francisco, the archdiocese assigned him to the faculty of Serra High School, in San Mateo, California. He was transferred in 1950 to Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco. Quinn was named as an assistant superintendent of schools for the archdioceses in 1955. He received a Doctor of Education degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1962.[3][4]He was appointed editor for the San Francisco Monitor in 1962. In 1970, Quinn was named pastor of St. Gabriel Parish in San Francisco, his first pastoral position.[1] He became president of the priests senate in 1973.

Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco

Pope Paul VI on April 24, 1978, appointed Quinn as titular bishop of Numana and as an auxiliary bishop of San Francisco. He was consecrated on June 28, 1978, by Archbishop John Raphael Quinn at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco.[2]

Bishop of Sacramento

On December 18, 1979, Pope John Paul II appointed Quinn as bishop of Sacramento.[2]

From 1980-1992, seven new parishes, several missions, two elementary schools, and one high school were established. He oversaw a 10-year pastoral plan for the diocese as well as a spiritual renewal program, reorganized the deanery structure, initiated a diocesan pastoral council, and celebrated the hundredth anniversary of the diocese.

Quinn inspired and encouraged women to lead in parish governance, educational, liturgical, financial and social ministries. He also activated lay individuals to continue their formation and assume leadership roles in various groups and movements. He supported the launch of an AIDS hospice and he protested the death penalty on the steps of the Capitol and at prison gates. He also spoke up regarding nuclear disarmament, immigration policies, and many foreign issues.

Bishop Quinn at the beatification ceremony for Bishop Alphonse Gallegos(2004)

Retirement and death

Quinn retired in 1993, and spent several years with the Yaquis in Arizona. In 2007, he returned to the Diocese of Sacramento. He took up residence at Mercy McMahon Terrace, a residence for seniors run by the Sisters of Mercy in midtown Sacramento, and continued to serve as an activist for social justice and human rights issues, especially for the poor.

Quinn died in Sacramento on March 21, 2019, at age 97. [2]At the time of his death, he was the oldest living bishop in the United States.[5]

Bishop Quinn High School in Palo Cedro, California was named in his honor.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Bishop Francis Anthony Quinn" (PDF). Diocese of Sacramento Archives. July 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d "Bishop Francis Anthony Quinn [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2025-08-18.
  3. ^ a b "Bishop Emeritus Francis A. Quinn's Biography". Diocese-sacramento.org. Archived from the original on 23 June 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Bishop Francis Anthony Quinn". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  5. ^ Dávilla, Robert D.; Bretón, Marcos (March 21, 2019). "Sacramento's Bishop Quinn, oldest living Catholic bishop in America, dies". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved March 22, 2019.

Episcopal succession

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