James Patterson Lyke

American prelate

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

James Patterson Lyke

OFM

Archbishop of Atlanta
See| Atlanta
Installed| June 24, 1991
Term ended| December 27, 1992
Predecessor| Eugene Antonio Marino
Successor| John Francis Donoghue
Other post(s)| Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland (1979–1990)
Apostolic Administrator of Atlanta (1990–1991)
Orders
Ordination| June 24, 1966
Consecration| August 1, 1979
Personal details
Born| (1939-02-18)February 18, 1939

Chicago, Illinois

Died| December 27, 1992(1992-12-27) (aged 53)
Atlanta, Georgia
Buried| Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs, Georgia
Denomination| Catholic Church
Motto| Christus pax
Christ is peace
Styles of
James Patterson Lyke

Reference style|

* His Excellency
* The Most Reverend

Spoken style| Your Excellency
Religious style| Bishop

James Patterson Lyke, O.F.M. (February 18, 1939 - December 27, 1992) was an African-American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Atlanta from 1991 to 1992. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland from 1979 to 1990. He was the second African-American archbishop in history.

## Biography

[edit]

### Early life

[edit]

James Lyke was born on February 18, 1939, on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, the youngest of seven children of Amos and Ora (née Sneed) Lyke.[1] Amos Lyke abandoned the family, leaving Ora Lyke to raise the children in impoverished surroundings, relying on welfare checks.[2] The family lived in a flat with no beds and a coal stove, before moving to Wentworth Gardens, a housing project.[2]

Ora Lyke, a Baptist, sent James Lyke to St. George Catholic School when he was in the fourth grade to keep him out of trouble. She washed the St. George Church laundry to help pay the school tuition. She and six of her children later converted to Catholicism.[2]

Deciding to become a priest, James Lyke joined the Franciscan order in 1959, studying at the St. Francis Novitiate in Teutopolis, Illinois. He later obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy at Our Lady of Angels House of Philosophy through Quincy College in Quincy, Illinois. He received a Master of Divinity degree from St. Joseph Theological Seminary in Teutopolis, Illinois.

### Priesthood

[edit]

Lyke was ordained a priest at St. Francis Church in Teutopolis on June 24, 1966, by Bishop William O’Connor.[3] After his 1966 ordination, the Franciscans assigned Lyke to teach at Padua High School in Cleveland. While at Padua, Lyke led the local Operation Breadbasket campaign to help the African-American community.[4]

After the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, Lyke requested that the Franciscans assign him to a parish in Tennessee. They sent him to serve as pastor to St. Thomas Parish in Memphis, becoming the first African-American priest in Tennessee. During this period, he also served as president of the National Office for Black Catholics.[4]

In 1977, the Franciscans appointed Lyke as director of the Newman Center at Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana.[1]

### Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland

[edit]

Pope John Paul II named Lyke as an auxiliary bishop of Cleveland and titular bishop of Furnos Major on June 30, 1979.[5][3] He was consecrated in Cleveland by Cardinal James Hickey on August 1`, 1979. Lyke obtained a Doctor of Theology degree in 1981 from the Union Graduate School in Cincinnati, Ohio.[6]

While serving as auxiliary bishop, Lyke coordinated the group that produced Lead Me, Guide Me: The African American Catholic Hymnal in 1987.[7]

### Archbishop of Atlanta

[edit]

After the resignation of Archbishop Eugene Marino due to scandal, the college of consultors for the archdiocese appointed Lyke as apostolic administrator of Atlanta on July 10, 1990. John Paul II appointed him as archbishop there on April 30, 1991,[8][9] and he was installed on June 24, 1991.[3]

### Death

[edit]

Lyke died of kidney cancer on December 27, 1992. At the time of his death, Lyke was the highest-ranking African-American Catholic clergyman in the nation.[10]

## Legacy

[edit]

The following institutions have been named after Lyke:

* The Lyke House Catholic Newman Center at the Atlanta University Center[11]
* Archbishop Lyke School in Cleveland[12]
* The Archbishop Lyke Conference, a yearly African-American liturgical conference[4]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Keiser, Gretchen (January 7, 1993). "Archbishop James Lyke, OFM -- 1939-1992". The Georgia Bulletin. Archived from the original on June 21, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
2. ^ a b c Keiser, Gretchen (July 2, 1991). "From Chicago Projects To Priesthood: A Faith Journey". The Georgia Bulletin. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
3. ^ a b c "Archbishop James Patterson Lyke [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
4. ^ a b c "Home". Lyke Conference. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
5. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXXI. 1979. p. 900. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
6. ^ "Arch James P Lyke". Lyke Foundation. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
7. ^ "Lead Me, Guide Me". GIA Publications. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
8. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXXXIII. 1991. p. 527. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
9. ^ "Interim Archbishop of Atlanta Named to Post Permanently". New York Times. May 1, 1991. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
10. ^ "James Lyke Dies at 53, Archbishop of Atlanta". New York Times. December 28, 1992. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
11. ^ "Lyke House - The Catholic Center at AUC". lykehouse.org. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
12. ^ "Archbishop Lyke School – Archbishop Lyke School". Retrieved May 17, 2024.

Catholic Church titles

Preceded by

Eugene Antonio Marino

|  Archbishop of Atlanta
1990-1992  | Succeeded by

John Francis Donoghue

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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta

Ordinaries|

Bishop
Francis Edward Hyland

Archbishops
Paul John Hallinan
Thomas Andrew Donnellan
Eugene Antonio Marino
James Patterson Lyke
John Francis Donoghue
Wilton Daniel Gregory
Gregory John Hartmayer

Auxiliary bishops
Joseph Bernardin
Luis Rafael Zarama
David Talley
Bernard Shlesinger
Joel Matthias Konzen
John-Nhan Tran

Churches|

Cathedral
Cathedral of Christ the King

Education|

High schools
Blessed Trinity Catholic High School, Roswell
Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School, Atlanta
Holy Spirit Preparatory School, Atlanta and Sandy Springs
Marist School, Brookhaven
Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School, Athens
Notre Dame Academy, Duluth
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School, Fayetteville
Pinecrest Academy, Cumming
St. Pius X Catholic High School

* Georgia (U.S. state) portal
* Catholicism portal

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Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland

Bishops|

Ordinaries
Louis Amadeus Rappe
Richard Gilmour
Ignatius Frederick Horstmann
John Patrick Farrelly
Joseph Schrembs
Edward Francis Hoban
Clarence George Issenmann
James Aloysius Hickey
Anthony Michael Pilla
Richard Gerard Lennon
Nelson J. Pérez
Edward Charles Malesic

Auxiliaries
Joseph Maria Koudelka
James A. McFadden
William Michael Cosgrove
John Raphael Hagan
Floyd Lawrence Begin
John Krol
Clarence Edward Elwell
John Francis Whealon
Gilbert Ignatius Sheldon
Michael Joseph Murphy
James Anthony Griffin
James Patterson Lyke
Anthony Edward Pevec
Alexander James Quinn
Martin John Amos
Roger William Gries
Michael G. Woost

Churches|

List
List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland

Cathedral
Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist

Parishes
Holy Rosary Church, Cleveland
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Cleveland
St. Barbara Church, Cleveland
St. Casimir Church, Cleveland
St. Elizabeth's Magyar Church, Cleveland
St. Michael the Archangel Church, Cleveland
St. Paul's Church, Cleveland
St. Peter Church, Cleveland
Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus, Cleveland
St. Stephen Church, Cleveland
St. Vitus's Church, Cleveland
St. Mary's Church, Elyria
Immaculate Conception Church, Grafton
St. Martin's Church, Valley City
St. Patrick's Church, Wellington

Former parishes
Annunciation Church, Cleveland
Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Cleveland
St. Joseph's Church, Cleveland
St. Mary's on the Flats, Cleveland
Transfiguration Church, Cleveland
St. Ladislaus Church, Lorain

Higher education|

Colleges & universities
John Carroll University
Ursuline College

Seminary
Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology

Former colleges
Notre Dame College
St. John's College, Cleveland

Priests|

Timothy P. Broglio
John Dearden
Raymond Joseph Gallagher
Louis de Goesbriand
Paul John Hallinan
Joseph Patrick Hurley
Charles Hubert Le Blond
Edward Aloysius Mooney
Thomas Charles O'Reilly
Michael Joseph Ready
John Patrick Treacy

Miscellany|

* St. Joseph Convent and Academy Complex
* 7th National Eucharistic Congress (United States)

* Catholicism portal

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