Cardinal Hickey, retired archbishop of Washington, dies at age 84

Published: 2004-10-25

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Cardinal James A. Hickey, the retired archbishop of Washington who made Catholic education and service to the poor two of his top priorities during his years in the nation's capital, died Oct. 24 after a long illness. He was 84. "He always showed the face of the church to the poor," Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington told The Washington Post daily newspaper. "For me, that ... really summarized the whole kind of man and whole kind of vision Jim Hickey had." Cardinal McCarrick, who succeeded Cardinal Hickey in 2000 as Washington's archbishop, was scheduled to celebrate a funeral Mass for his predecessor Oct. 30 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. In a telegram to Cardinal McCarrick, Pope John Paul II recalled Cardinal Hickey's "unfailing commitment to the spread of the Gospel, the teaching of the faith and the formation of future priests."

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .