Robert Emmet Lucey
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Styles of Robert Emmet Lucey |
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| Reference style | The Most Reverend |
| Spoken style | His Excellency |
| Religious style | Monsignor |
| Posthumous style | not applicable |
Archbishop Robert Emmet Lucey (16 March 1891 – 1 August 1977) was the second Bishop of Amarillo and the second Archbishop of San Antonio.
Lucey was born in Los Angeles, California to the parents of John Joseph and Marie Lucey on March 16, 1891. He began his college education at St. Vincent's College and completed the rest at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park in 1912. Robert completed his graduate studies at North American College in Rome and in 1916, received his doctorate in Sacred Theology at the University of the Propaganda in Rome. On May 14, 1916 Robert Lucey was ordained a priest in the Church of St. Apollinaris in Rome. Archbishop Cepetelli, Patriarch of Constantinople and Vice Regent of Rome conducted the ordination. Lucey returned to Los Angeles where he held a series of positions that would serve as experience as a bishop.
During the next five years in Los Angeles, Father Lucey was assistant pastor of several parishes which included St. Vibiana's Cathedral, Immaculate Conception Parish, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, and St. Anthony's in Long Beach. It was in Los Angeles that he gained numerous opportunities that helped him gain experience and knowledge in matters of social doctrine between the church and state. Among the positions that he held were Chaplain of the Newman Club at the University of Los Angeles and Diocesan Director of Catholic Charities (1921–1925), President of the California Conference of Social Work (1923–24), director of Catholic Hospitals for the Diocese of Los Angeles-San Diego (1924–34), and member of the Executive Board of the California State Department of Social Welfare (1924–30) appointed by the governor of California. The Catholic Church in Rome had plans for him as he was appointed Bishop of Amarillo on February 10, 1934 by Pope Pius XI. These plans included specific ways to educate social doctrine to the community on matters of faith and social justice. Father Lucey received this opportunity in Amarillo and San Antonio, Texas.
One may argue that Lucey's years in California were formative years in propagating Catholic doctrine in society. As a bishop he created several institutions and vehicles that left a strong imprint in Texas that lasted even till this today. On March 1, 1934, after Archbishop Amleto Cicognani, Apostolic Delegate to the U.S., consecrated him bishop at St. Vibiana's Cathedral in Los Angeles he began to work on ways to bring the community aware of the Catholic Church in Amarillo. To better inform readers on Catholic news in the U.S. and around the world he established a newspaper called the Texas Panhandle Register. To bridge the gap between parish priests and lay people he either created or supported organizations such as Catholic Action, a lay ministry group, created the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, and constructed the first parish in Amarillo to serve the needs of the African-American community. However, bigger plans were needed as he was next appointed the second Archbishop in San Antonio, Texas to serve the community in 1941.
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