Edward Cornelius O'Leary

Edward O'Leary was born in Bangor, Maine, and studied at Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts, from where he obtained his Bachelor's degree.[1] He attended St. Paul's Seminary in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, there earning a Licentiate of Sacred Theology.[1] Returning to Maine, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Joseph Edward McCarthy on June 15, 1946.[2]

O'Leary was a curate at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception before serving at Sacred Heart Church of Portland and at St. Margaret's Church in Old Orchard Beach.[1] He was later named chancellor of the Diocese of Portland, and a Domestic Prelate by Pope John XXIII in 1959.[1] He was pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Church in Brunswick from 1967 to 1971.[3]

On November 16, 1970, O'Leary was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Portland and Titular Bishop of Moglaena by Pope Paul VI.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on January 25, 1971 from Bishop Peter Leo Gerety, with Bishops Bernard Joseph Flanagan and Lawrence Graves serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.[2] Following the promotion of Bishop Gerety to Archbishop of Newark in April 1974, O'Leary was named to succeed him as the ninth Bishop of Portland on October 16, 1974.[2] He was formally installed on December 18 of that year.[2]

During his tenure, O'Leary was forced to address the problems of an increasing population but a decline in priestly vocations.[4] He encouraged the greater involvement of laity and women in church administration, and developed a system of parish councils.[1] The Portland Diocese also joined the Maine Council of Churches during this time.[4] O'Leary took frequent public stands on a number of social issues of importance to the Church, endorsing a referendum on pornography and opposing the Maine Equal Rights Amendment (which he believed would enforce taxpayer-funded abortions).[1] He also targeted AIDS victims for the Church's social services program.[1] It was also customary for Bishop O'Leary to visit all the hospitals every Christmas Day.

After fourteen years as bishop, O'Leary retired due to health reasons on September 27, 1988.[2] He later died at age 81. He was brother of the sister-in-law of Bishop Thomas Vose Daily.[5] He remained Bishop Emeritus of Portland until his death on April 2, 2002.[2]