Most Reverend Robert Patrick Maginnis, retired Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia and Titular Bishop of Siminina, died at Villa Saint Joseph in Darby, Pennsylvania, on the evening of September 14, 2022 following a lengthy illness. He was 88.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. The date has not yet been determined. Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will be the principal celebrant. All will be welcome to attend and the Mass will be broadcast live via streaming video at https://vimeo.com/event/17522. More complete funeral arrangements will be made public when they are finalized.
“I was deeply saddened to learn of Bishop Maginnis’ passing,” said Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, Archbishop of Philadelphia. “For over 60 years he served God’s people tirelessly and selflessly with grace and compassion. In the true spirit of a Missionary Disciple he saw the face of Christ in everyone he met and shared the warm and comforting light of Christ’s love with them. Bishop Maginnis was a man of great joy and charity who positively impacted the lives he touched in deeply positive ways. His legacy is an indelible one of Missionary Discipleship. I count the times I spent with Bishop Maginnis as a great blessing. He was a friend and mentor from my days as a young priest and I learned much from his priestly example.
Archbishop Pérez continued, “I ask the people of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to offer prayers for the happy repose of Bishop Maginnis’ soul. May God grant him the gift of eternal life and bring comfort to those who mourn his passing.”
Robert Patrick Maginnis was born on December 22, 1933 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to William and Cecilia Maginnis. He was the youngest of their four children. Young Robert Maginnis attended elementary school at Saint Aloysius Academy in West Chester, graduating in 1948, and secondary school at Saint Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia.
Following high school graduation in 1952, he enrolled in the program of priestly formation at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. There, he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theological Studies and a Master of Divinity Degree.
Father Maginnis was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on May 13, 1961 by John Cardinal Krol in the first class of priests he ordained as Archbishop of Philadelphia.
After ordination, Father Maginnis served as an Assistant Pastor at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Abington (1961-1964) and Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Chester (1964-1967).
Recognizing Father Maginnis’ administrative capabilities and his ability to connect with young people, Cardinal Krol called him to serve the broader local Church. In 1967, he was appointed Assistant Director of the Department of Youth Activities and would become Director of the Office for Youth and Young Adults (OYYA) in 1981.
Father Maginnis was named an Honorary Prelate to His Holiness with the title of Monsignor by then-Pope, now Saint John Paul II on April 24, 1982. Monsignor Maginnis remained at the helm of OYYA until 1988 when he was appointed Pastor of Saint Alphonsus Parish in Maple Glen, Pennsylvania. For more than two decades he labored tirelessly to evangelize the young people of our region and he was much beloved for his efforts. Many of the programs and initiatives created during that time exist to this day in one form or another and remain popular.
In 1991, Monsignor Maginnis was again called to serve the people of the Archdiocese in a more expansive role when was named Regional Vicar for Montgomery County, a position he would hold for five years.
On January 24, 1996, Monsignor Maginnis was named Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia and Titular Bishop of Siminina by then-Pope, now-Saint John Paul II. He was ordained to the Episcopacy on March 11, 1996 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, then Archbishop of Philadelphia, served as the Principal Consecrator. Most Reverend Francis B. Schulte, then Archbishop of New Orleans and a former Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia, served as a Co-Consecrator along with Most Reverend Edward P. Cullen, who was an Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia at that time. In June of that same year, Bishop Maginnis was appointed pastor of Saint Colman Parish in Ardmore and was a cherished shepherd during his eight years leading that community.
As part of his pastoral and administrative responsibilities, Bishop Maginnis oversaw the work of the Secretariat for Evangelization from 2004 until his retirement in 2010. As an auxiliary bishop, he also guided efforts undertaken by the Metropolitan Tribunal, the Chancery Office, the Office for Consecrated Life, the Office for Research and Planning, the Office for Black Catholics, and the Office for Hispanic Catholics. In addition, he was the driving force behind the launch of the inaugural Archdiocesan Men’s Spirituality Conference in 2009, an initiative that remains more than a decade later.
In 2007, Bishop Maginnis was chosen by The Philadelphia Daily News as one of its 75 Greatest Living Philadelphians. In 2009, he was inducted into the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Catholic Youth Organization Hall of Fame, in recognition of his 21 years of work in youth ministry.
After his retirement, Bishop Maginnis remained highly engaged in the life of the Church and dedicated great time and energy to its many charitable endeavors. Until declining health limited his activity, he spent several years living at Saint Edmond’s Home for Children in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, a residential care facility for children and young adults with cognitive and physical disabilities. Bishop Maginnis served as their Chaplain throughout his residency.
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Editor’s Note: A photograph of Bishop Maginnis accompanies this news release. Credit for usage should be given to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
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