Alfred Clifton Hughes | |
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Archbishop Emeritus of New Orleans | |
![]() Archbishop Hughes greets parishioners at St. Louis Cathedral after the first services in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. | |
Archdiocese | New Orleans |
Appointed | February 16, 2001 |
Installed | January 3, 2002 |
Retired | June 12, 2009 |
Predecessor | Francis Bible Schulte |
Successor | Gregory Michael Aymond |
Previous posts |
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Orders | |
Ordination | December 15, 1957 by Martin John O’Connor |
Consecration | September 14, 1981 by Humberto Sousa Medeiros, Thomas Vose Daily, and John Michael D'Arcy |
Personal details | |
Born | |
Education | St. John's Seminary College Pontifical Gregorian University |
Motto | For you, God’s own love |
Styles of Alfred Clifton Hughes | |
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Reference style | |
Spoken style | Your Excellency |
Religious style | Archbishop |
Ordination history of Alfred Clifton Hughes | |||||||||||||||
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Alfred Clifton Hughes, KCHS (born December 2, 1932) is a retired American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as archbishop of New Orleans in Louisiana from 2002 to 2009.
Hughes previously served as bishop of Baton Rouge in Louisiana from 1993 to 2002 and as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Boston in Massachusetts from 1981 to 1993
Alfred Hughes was born on December 2, 1932, in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, as the third of the four children of Alfred and Ellen (née Hennessey) Hughes; he has two older sisters, Dorothy Callahan and Marie Morgan, and a younger brother, a Jesuit priest named Kenneth. Deciding to become a priest, Alfred Hughes entered St. John's Seminary College in Boston, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy in 1954. He then furthered his studies in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University. [1] [2]
Hughes was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Martin John O’Connor for the Archdiocese of Boston in Rome on December 15, 1957. [3] After her ordination, the archdiocese assigned Hughes to pastoral work in parishes before sending him back to the Gregorian in 1959. He obtained a obtain a doctorate in spiritual theology in 1961. Upon his return to the United States, he became a professor, as well as spiritual director and lecturer, at St. John's Seminary in 1962. [1] [2]
On July 21, 1981, Hughes was appointed auxiliary bishop of Boston and titular bishop of Maximiana in Byzacena by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on September 14, 1981, from Cardinal Humberto Medeiros, with Bishops Thomas Daily and John D'Arcy serving as co-consecrators. [3] Hughes served as rector of St. John's Seminary from 1981 to 1986. Cardinal Bernard Francis Law named Hughes as his vicar general and vicar of administration in 1990. [1] [2]
Hughes was named bishop of Baton Rouge by John Paul II on September 7, 1993; he was installed on November 7, 1993. [1] [2]
On February 16, 2001, Hughes was appointed by John Paul II as coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans, serving under Archbishop Francis Schulte. He visited 90 of the archdiocese’s 142 parishes when he arrived there to become more familiar with the people. [2]
Hughes automatically succeeded Schulte as archbishop of New Orleans upon the latter’s retirement on January 3, 2002. [2] His tenure was marked by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In response to people questioning God during the hurricane’s aftermath, Hughes also said,
“People can either turn inward on themselves and lose hope, or they turn upward to God and outward to other people. Our faith teaches us to do the latter, to really believe that God is present and is asking us to be partners with him in the recovery and restoration”. [4]
Hughes implemented a controversial post-Katrina church consolidation program that reduced the number of parishes in the diocese form 142 to 108. The hurrican drove away nearly a quarter of its former membership and left it with nearly $300 million in physical damage. [5]
Questions were raised concerning Hughes's handling of sexual abuse cases by the clergy, in both Boston and New Orleans. For this, he apologized and said, “Our action or inaction failed to protect the innocents among us, the children. I ask for forgiveness." [6]
Hughes placed an emphasis on evangelization as a major theme of his tenure. He also sat on serveral committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, including the one overseeing the oversees the use of the catechism.
In April 2009, Hughes a group of American bishops criticizing the University of Notre Dame's decision to award US President Barack Obama an honorary doctorate at graduation exercises that Spring. [7] The reasons Include Obama's support for abortion rights for women and other issues viewed as incompatible with Catholic teachings.
That same month, Hughes refused to attend commencement exercises at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans because Xavier was awarding an honorary degree to author Donna Brazile, a supporter of abortion rights. [8]
On June 12, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI accepted Hughes' resignation as archbishop of New Orleans. He was succeeded by Gregory Aymond. Hughes continued to serve as apostolic administrator until August 20, 2009. [9]