James Joseph Sweeney (June 19, 1898 – June 19, 1968) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of Honolulu in Hawaii from 1941 until his death in 1968.
Biography
Early life
James Sweeney was born on June 19, 1898, in San Francisco, California, to John Joseph and Catherine (née McCarrick) Sweeney. He received his early education at St. James Boys School in San Francisco from 1907 to 1913. After deciding to become a priest, Sweeney entered Saint Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park.
Priesthood
Sweeney was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco on June 24, 1925, by Archbishop Edward Hanna at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco. In 1929, Pope Pius XI conferred the title of monsignor on Sweeney.
Sweeney established the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) in the diocese to provide religious instruction to Catholic children attending public schools. In 1946, Sweeney opened the St. Stephen Seminary, a minor seminary in Kailua, Hawaii. During his tenure as bishop, Sweeney opened 21 new parishes and increased the enrollment in Catholic schools to over 22,000 students.