Cornelius Michael Power

Cornelius Michael Power (December 18, 1913 – May 22, 1997) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Portland from 1974 to 1986.

Cornelius Power was born to Irish immigrants William and Katherine (Kate) (née Dougherty) Power in Seattle, Washington. He had five siblings, four of whom selected lives in religion as well. After receiving a public education in Beacon Hill from 1919 to 1923, Power attended St. Mary Parochial School from 1923 to 1927, whence he entered O'Dea High School before leaving a year later for St. Joseph College in Mountain View, California. He studied at St. Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park from 1933 to 1935, and St. Edward Seminary in Kenmore from 1935 to 1939. While at St. Edward, Power was a classmate of Joseph McKeirnan of Pomeroy, Washington.

Power was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Gerald Shaughnessy, S.M., on June 3, 1939, and then served as assistant pastor at St. James Cathedral until 1940. He was subsequently sent to study canon law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. from 1940 to 1943. Upon his return to Washington, he was chaplain of Holy Names Academy (1943-1952) and of St. James Cathedral (1952-1955). Power was made administrator of Our Lady of the Lake Church in Seattle in 1955, rising to become its pastor in 1956. He remained at Our Lady of the Lake for the next twenty-six years, whilst concurrently holding several positions in the archdiocesan curia. He was promoted to the rank of Domestic Prelate of His Holiness on January 12, 1963.