Edwin Byrne

Edwin Byrne was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Francis Charles and Anna (née Carroll) Byrne.[1] After graduating from Roman Catholic High School for Boys in Philadelphia in 1908, he studied at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook.[1] He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Edmond Francis Prendergast on May 22, 1915.[2] He then served as a curate at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Philadelphia until 1917, when he became a chaplain in the United States Navy during World War I.[1] From 1920 to 1923, he was secretary to Bishop James Paul McCloskey, of the Diocese of Jaro in the Philippines.[1] He was named vicar general of Jaro in 1923.[1]

On June 23, 1925, Byrne was appointed the first Bishop of the Diocese of Ponce in Puerto Rico by Pope Pius XI.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on the following November 30 from Cardinal Dennis Joseph Dougherty, with Bishop John Joseph Swint and Bishop Andrew James Louis Brennan serving as co-consecrators.[2] After Archbishop Jorge José Caruana was made Apostolic Nuncio to Mexico, Byrne was named Bishop of San Juan on March 8, 1929.[2] He became an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne in 1940.[1]

Byrne was appointed the eighth Archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico, on June 12, 1943.[2] During his 20-year-long tenure, he was instrumental in the construction of many churches and schools, and built up the diocesan clergy.[3] In 1958, his decree that no Catholic girl should appear in a bathing suit in the Miss New Mexico pageant received national attention and stirred controversy; he never rescinded the ban.[4][5] He condemned a "right to work" bill being considered in the state legislature.[3] He also prohibited Catholic students from dating while attending high school, describing "going steady, keeping steady company, necking and kissing" as "pagan" practices.[6] He attended the first session of the Second Vatican Council in 1962.[3]

Byrne suffered a gallbladder attack on July 21, 1963, and was admitted to St. Vincent Hospital two days later.[3] He underwent surgery for removal of the gallbladder on July 26, dying later that day.[3]

• Cheney, David M. "Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved June 14, 2018. (for Chronology of Bishops) ^{[self-published]}
• Chow, Gabriel. "Metropolitan Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico". GCatholic.org. Retrieved June 14, 2018. (for Chronology of Bishops) ^{[self-published]}