THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 25, 1994 TAG: 9408250541
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B09 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
The Rev. Msgr. Francis James Byrne, 95, founding pastor of St. Bridget's Parish, died Wednesday, Aug. 24, 1994, at St. Joseph's Home for the Aged in Richmond. He suffered a stroke on Thanksgiving Day 1993, and his condition had deteriorated since that time.
Although born in Baltimore, Msgr. Byrne lived most of his life in the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, where he served as a priest for 50 years.
He attended St. Paul's Catholic Elementary School in Portsmouth and graduated from the high school there in 1915.
He received his philosophy degree in 1918 from St. Charles College in Catonsville, Md., and completed studies for the priesthood at the North American College in Rome.
He was ordained a priest in Rome on May 18, 1924, and in September of that year was assigned as assistant at St. Vincent de Paul in Newport News.
Msgr. Byrne served there for four years before moving to St. Charles Parish in Clarendon (now in the Arlington Diocese). He became the first diocesan superintendent of schools in September of 1929, a position he held for more than 20 years.
That same year, he became pastor of St. Ann Parish in Ashland, and in February 1931 he became associate editor of what was then the Catholic Knight. At that time, the Bishop of the Diocese, the Most Rev. Andrew J. Brennan, purchased the Knight and two months later, in April of 1931, it became the Catholic Virginian.
He succeeded the Rev. Walter J. Nott as managing editor when Fr. Nott died in June 1932.
In August 1949, he was named founding pastor of St. Bridget Parish in Richmond and became the first chaplain of the Richmond Catholic Women's Club that same year.
He was made a monsignor in 1954, and in 1959, Msgr. Byrne became the officials of the Diocesan Tribunal.
He retired from both the pastorate at St. Bridget's and the position at the Tribunal in June of 1974.
Msgr. Byrne is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
Wake services will be held at St. Joseph's Home for the Aged on Michael Road at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26. The Mass of the Resurrection for Msgr. Byrne will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at St. Bridget's Catholic Church with interment in Mount Calvary Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Joseph's Home for the Aged, 1503 Michael Road, Richmond, Va. 23229.
KEYWORDS: DEATH OBITUARY
by CNB