Florida Catholic | Editorial

Archbishop’s legacy lives on in our time

Published: 10.26.07

“He left a lasting footprint for the church throughout the state as he found ways to buy land for future parish sites, well before the population need was obvious to others.”

Think about your grandparents and great-grandparents. When you trace your family tree, these folks play an important role — without them, you wouldn’t be here, or if they were different, you’d be someone else. For the church in Florida, we have an important “great-grandfather” who died 40 years ago this month.

Archbishop Joseph Patrick Hurley served more than two decades as bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine, which during his tenure included most of the state of Florida. In that time, he spoke eloquently against Nazism during the Second World War, and encouraged dialogue between Catholics and other Christians.

He left a lasting footprint for the church throughout the state as he found ways to buy land for future parish sites, well before the population need was obvious to others.

Many people only see their bishop when he visits their parish for a church dedication or confirmation. They often don’t realize that the bishop is also responsible for the temporal needs of his flock — ensuring that there is sufficient space and appropriate locations for the faithful to worship.

Bishop Hurley (later Archbishop Hurley, a personal title from the pope, even though he did not lead an archdiocese), ensured Catholics in Florida would have the ability to worship at a nearby church, and that parishes would have land to expand — build a school, a parish hall, offices and more. This foresight was not unique, but it was uncommon, and it was certainly welcome in the church setting.

Had the church waited until the population patterns were set, land would have cost more and larger sites may not have been available. We might have smaller churches, or smaller parking lots, or more churches without schools. But advance planning allowed more options, at more reasonable costs.

When I was in college in the Chicago area, I knew a man whose job for the phone company (back when there was only one phone company) was to go into the far suburban areas and predict how many phone customers (and therefore phone lines) a given neighborhood might need in the next five to 10 years. Such planning took plenty of research and foresight. Archbishop Hurley took advantage of such planning as he toured the state. He watched the advance of phone and power lines. He watched the development of the I-75 and I-95 freeway corridors. He projected the flow of people — and therefore his parishioners — as populations would follow the growth projected and promoted by these public utilities.

We remember and honor not just Archbishop Hurley’s real estate savvy, but also his zeal for the faith. This is what drove him to make plans and purchase land. His faith in Christ and desire to spread the Gospel — in Florida and on his diplomatic missions for the Holy See — are the true legacy he left behind.

This is the real message we ought to realize in recalling the 40th anniversary of Archbishop Hurley’s death. It ought to call us to the question: What kind of faith legacy are we leaving for those who follow us?

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