Bishop William Murphy
1885 - 1950
William Francis Murphy was born May 11, 1885, into a Kalamazoo, Michigan, home that was sometimes lacking in material goods but was rich in spiritual blessings. With the hopes and prayers of an unusually devout mother in mind, three of his older sisters became nuns and in 1908, William, the youngest in the family, was ordained by Cardinal Respighi at the Cathedral of St. John Lateran in Rome. The next day, he offered his first Mass in the Basilica of St. Peter.
He had prepared for that momentous day with years of study at St. Augustine parochial school in Kalamazoo, St. Jerome College in Kitchener, Ontario, and Assumption College, Sandwich, Ontario, before being chosen to study at North American College in Rome in 1904. He received a doctorate in sacred theology in 1908 and the title of lector—or lecturer in canon law—in 1909.
Back in his Detroit diocese, the Rev. Fr. Murphy was assigned at once to parish work. He served as assistant pastor of St. Thomas Church, Ann Arbor, Holy Cross Church, Marine City and SS. Peter and Paul (later Blessed Sacrament Cathedral) Detroit.
In 1921, he was given the task of building an entirely new Detroit parish. Under his direction, St. David’s grew to include 1600 families and had a parochial school enrollment of 1100. In 1934, while pastor of St. David’s, he was named a Monsignor by Pope Pius XI. On February 7, 1938, the Vatican announced that a new diocese was being established in Saginaw and nine days later, Saginaw learned that Msgr. Murphy had been named its first bishop.
On St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, the appointment was confirmed in impressive ceremonies at St. Peter’s, Rome. Msgr. Murphy did not go to Rome for the ceremonies. His consecration took place the same day at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Detroit. The first to receive his blessings as bishop were his five sisters. The two who had not become nuns served as his housekeeper and as his private secretary.
Saginaw City councilmen sent greetings, stating that Saginaw had been singularly honored and that they hoped Bishop Murphy’s tenure here “would be a long and happy one.”
Bishop Murphy arrived in Saginaw the evening of May 31 to become the leader of 80,000 Catholics in 16 counties with 78 parishes, 106 priests and 9000 parochial school children. He was met on the Dixie Highway by a cavalcade of cars and escorted to Hoyt Park where civic leaders extended a warm welcome.
The next day St. Mary Cathedral, decorated in the papal colors of gold and white, was filled to overflowing with almost 1000 people including 300 priests. An even bigger crowd waited outside. Bishop Murphy was installed by Archbishop Edward Mooney of Detroit who, 10 years later, would become Cardinal Mooney. Bishop Murphy’s young secretary, Rev. Fr. James Hickey, would also become a cardinal.
Bishop Murphy told Saginaw, “I come primarily as a spiritual leader but I will not be blind to your temporal affairs.”
He was as good as his word. Under his leadership, the young diocese of Saginaw gained a widespread reputation for social and charitable work among the poor. He established Catholic Charities bureaus in Saginaw, Bay City, Alpena, and Bad Axe and organized the Mexican Apostolate to minister to the thousands of migrant workers. When World War II broke out, he encouraged drives for money, food and clothing for war victims.
Fellow bishops hailed him as a man of great talent, deep learning and outstanding priestly leadership. A former schoolmate, Cardinal Stritch, described him as “a fearless witness for Christ.” But he never lost the common touch. Bishop Murphy had a host of friends in all walks of life. His jolly wit attracted people; his deep sincerity retained them as friends. Gifted with an easy charm and jovial Irish spirit, he was equally at home in the parlor of a cardinal’s mansion or in the temporary quarters of a migrant beet worker. He enjoyed golf and fishing, especially with his friend, Detroit versifier Edgar Guest, inspiring the poet to write:
“A bishop, bass upon his hook, Rod bent and taut line swishing, Without his robe and shepherd’s crook, Is just a man out fishing.”
Bishop Murphy was a member of the Michigan State Historical Society, the Detroit Tennis Club, and the Detroit Athletic Club. When he died on February 6, 1950, Saginawians of all faiths filed past his bier in St. Mary Cathedral to show their respect and affection.