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Leo Christopher Byrne (March 19, 1908 – October 21, 1974) was a Catholic bishop who served as the Roman Catholic coadjutor Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Early life

Byrne was born in Saint Louis, Missouri on March 19, 1908, the youngest of eight children of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Byrne. He had five brothers and two sisters, and his uncle was Bishop Christopher Edward Byrne of Galveston. Byrne was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood by Archbishop John J. Glennon on June 10, 1933, for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis after attending St. Louis Preparatory Seminary and Kenrick Seminary. He went on to earn Master's degrees in sociology and social work at St. Louis University in 1942 and 1947, respectively.

He was the executive director of Catholic Charities St. Louis from 1944 to 1950. On October 21, 1953, he was named a monsignor.

Episcopacy

On May 21, 1954, Pope Pius XII appointed Byrne auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis, and he was consecrated on June 29, 1954. Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter was the consecrator, with Bishop Mark Carroll and Bishop John Cody as primary co-consecrators.

On February 11, 1961, Pope John XXIII appointed Bishop Byrne the coadjutor bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita, in Wichita, Kansas. Upon Mark Carroll's retirement on February 15, 1963, Byrne became the apostolic administrator sede plena (transl. the see being occupied), with Carroll retaining the office of archbishop. He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council. The episcopal advisor of the National Laywomen's Retreat Movement, he was seen as a "staunch defender" and proponent of the rights of women in the church.

Pope Paul VI appointed Byrne as coadjutor archbishop of the Saint Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese on July 31, 1967. His responsibilities in the archdiocese included running the programs of confirmations and education. In 1971, he began service as the vice-president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. He attended the Second Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in 1971.

Byrne was found dead from cardiac arrest in his room in the morning on October 21, 1974. His funeral was on October 25, 1974, at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, and he was buried at Resurrection Cemetery.

References

1. ^ "Diocese Rejoices In New Appointment". The Catholic Advance. February 24, 1961. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
2. ^ "Msgr. Leo Byrne Named Auxiliary Bishop Here". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. May 27, 1954. p. 5. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
3. ^ "New Auxiliary Bishops' Consecration Plans Told". Lake Shore Visitor. June 4, 1954. p. 10. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
4. "Most Rev. Leo Byrne Dies at 66". The Forum. October 21, 1974. p. 4. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
5. ^ "Bishop Byrne New St. Paul Coadjutor". The Catholic Advance. August 4, 1967. p. 1. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
6. "Msgr. Leo Byrne Is Consecrated as Auxiliary Bishop". Moberly Monitor-Index and Democrat. June 28, 1954. p. 11. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
7. ^ "Archbishop Leo Christopher Byrne". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
8. ^ "Archbishop Byrne dead at 66". The Catholic Advance. October 24, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
9. ^ "Bishop Leo Byrne Named Archbishop". The Southwest Kansas Register. August 10, 1967. p. 1.
10. ^ "Archbishop Byrne, Former St. Louisan, Buried Today". The Messenger. October 25, 1974. p. 2. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
11. "Week's World". Lake Shore Visitor. December 27, 1974. p. 2. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
12. "Bishop Leo Byrne to St. Paul Post". The Kansas City Times. August 3, 1967. p. 21. Retrieved January 3, 2025.

v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Ordinaries	Bishops Joseph Crétin Thomas Grace Archbishops John Ireland Austin Dowling John Gregory Murray William O. Brady Leo Binz John Roach Harry Joseph Flynn John Clayton Nienstedt Bernard Hebda Coadjutor archbishop Leo Christopher Byrne
Auxiliary bishops	John Jeremiah Lawler James J. Byrne Leonard Philip Cowley Gerald Francis O'Keefe James P. Shannon John Roach Raymond Alphonse Lucker Paul Vincent Dudley John Francis Kinney William Henry Bullock James Richard Ham Robert James Carlson Joseph Charron Lawrence Welsh Frederick F. Campbell Richard Pates Lee A. Piché Andrew H. Cozzens Joseph Andrew Williams Michael Izen Kevin Kenney
Churches	Cathedrals Cathedral of Saint Paul Basilica of Saint Mary Former cathedrals First Second Third Parishes Guardian Angels Church, Chaska St. Peter's Church, Mendota Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Minneapolis Church of St. Stephen, Minneapolis Church of St. Wenceslaus, New Prague Church of St. Mark, Saint Paul Church of St. Mary, New Trier Church of St. Michael, St. Michael Church of the Assumption, St. Paul Church of St. Agnes, St. Paul Church of St. Bernard, St. Paul Church of St. Casimir, St. Paul St. Mary's Church of the Purification, Marystown Church of the Annunciation, Webster Township Church of the Most Holy Trinity, Wheatland Township Historic Church of St. Hubertus, Chanhassen Chapel Our Lady of Victory Chapel
Education	Higher education St. Catherine University University of St. Thomas Seminaries Saint John Vianney College Seminary Saint Paul Seminary Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary (defunct) High schools Academy of Holy Angels, Richfield Benilde-St. Margaret's, St. Louis Park Bethlehem Academy, Faribault Chesterton Academy, Edina Convent of the Visitation, Mendota Heights Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Paul Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Minneapolis DeLaSalle High School, Minneapolis Hill-Murray School, Maplewood Holy Family Catholic High School, Victoria Providence Academy, Plymouth Saint Agnes School, St. Paul Saint Thomas Academy, Mendota Heights Totino-Grace High School, Fridley
Priests	Joseph Francis Busch Peter F. Christensen Alexander Christie Jozef Cieminski James Louis Connolly Timothy J. Corbett Donald DeGrood James Albert Duffy Hilary Baumann Hacker Patrick Richard Heffron Patrick J. Hessian Michael Joncas James Keane Kevin Kenney John M. LeVoir James McGolrick Francis Missia Thomas O'Gorman Augustin Ravoux James Michael Reardon James O'Reilly Jakub W.J. Pacholski John A. Ryan Patrick J. Ryan Francis Joseph Schenk Alphonse James Schladweiler John Shanley Paul Sirba John Stariha Tim Vakoc Thomas Anthony Welch
Cemeteries	Calvary Cemetery Resurrection Cemetery
Other	The Catholic Spirit Ninth National Eucharistic Congress
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis
v t e Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of St. Louis Bishop Joseph Rosati Archbishops Peter Richard Kenrick John Kain John J. Glennon Joseph Ritter John Carberry John L. May Justin Rigali Raymond Leo Burke Robert James Carlson Mitchell T. Rozanski Coadjutor Archbishop Patrick John Ryan Catholicism portal
v t e Churches in the Archdiocese of St. Louis List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis Cathedral Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis Basilica Basilica of St. Louis, King of France Parishes St. Joseph Church, Apple Creek St. Maurus Church, Biehle St. James Church, Crosstown Ste. Genevieve Church, Ste. Genevieve Sacred Heart Church, Ozora St. Mary's of the Barrens Church, Perryville St. Vincent de Paul Church, Perryville St. Alphonsus Liguori "Rock" Church, St. Louis St. Francis Xavier College Church, St. Louis St. Mary of Victories Church, St. Louis St. Rose of Lima Church, Silver Lake Former parishes Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Belgique St. Mary's Church, Bridgeton St. John the Evangelist Church, Lithium St. Boniface Church, Perryville Immaculate Conception Church, St. Louis St. John Nepomuk Church, St. Louis St. Liborius Church, St. Louis St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, St. Louis Abbey Abbey of Saint Mary and Saint Louis Oratory St. Francis de Sales Oratory, St. Louis Shrines St. Ferdinand's Shrine, Florissant Shrine of St. Joseph, St. Louis
v t e Education in the Archdiocese of St. Louis Higher education Fontbonne University Maryville University Saint Louis University Seminaries Aquinas Institute of Theology Kenrick–Glennon Seminary High schools Barat Academy, O'Fallon Bishop DuBourg High School, St. Louis Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School, St. Louis Chaminade College Preparatory School, Creve Coeur Christian Brothers College High School, Town and Country Cor Jesu Academy, St. Louis De Smet Jesuit High School, Creve Coeur Duchesne High School, St. Charles Incarnate Word Academy, Bel-Nor John F. Kennedy Catholic High School, Manchester Nerinx Hall High School, Webster Groves Notre Dame High School, Lemay Rosati-Kain High School, St. Louis St. Dominic High School, O'Fallon St. Francis Borgia Regional High School, Washington St. John Vianney High School, Kirkwood St. Joseph's Academy, Frontenac Saint Louis Priory School, St. Louis St. Louis University High School, St. Louis St. Mary's High School, St. Louis St. Pius X High School, Festus St. Vincent High School, Perryville Ursuline Academy, Oakland Valle Catholic High School, Sainte Genevieve Villa Duchesne, St. Louis Visitation Academy of St. Louis, Town and Country Former Higher education Marillac College High schools St. Elizabeth Academy, St. Louis Trinity Catholic High School, North St. Louis County
v t e Clergy of the Archdiocese of St. Louis Auxiliary bishops Christian Herman Winkelmann George Joseph Donnelly John Cody Charles Herman Helmsing Leo Christopher Byrne Glennon Patrick Flavin George Joseph Gottwald Joseph Alphonse McNicholas Charles Roman Koester Edward Thomas O'Meara John Nicholas Wurm Edward Joseph O'Donnell J. Terry Steib Paul Albert Zipfel Edward Braxton Michael John Sheridan Joseph Fred Naumann Timothy M. Dolan Robert Joseph Hermann Edward M. Rice Mark S. Rivituso Priests Christopher Edward Byrne Mark Kenny Carroll Luis Morgan Casey Patrick Feehan Robert Finn Marion Francis Forst John R. Gaydos John Hennessy John Joseph Hogan John Joseph Leibrecht George Joseph Lucas Antoni Klawiter Joseph Melcher Michael Portier Andrea Bernardo Schierhoff Leo John Steck Richard Stika John Henry Tihen
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• 1908 births
• 1974 deaths
• 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the United States
• Roman Catholic archbishops of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
• Participants in the Second Vatican Council
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis
• Clergy from St. Louis
• Religious leaders from Minnesota
• People from Wichita, Kansas
• Roman Catholic bishops of Wichita
• Religious leaders from Missouri
• Burials at Resurrection Cemetery