Tony Meagher, English Teacher and Eventually Bishop

It was the time of flower power, peace, beatniks and Three Dog Night singing Joy to the World. And through this walked Tony Meagher, my English teacher. He wore a houndstooth jacket, polished oxford or wingtip shoes and had an aura of impeccable gentility.

I did not suspect that his life path would turn out like this:


Auxiliary Bishop Ralph Anthony Giroux Meagher (1997 - 2002)

Anthony Meagher was born on November 17, 1940 in Oshawa, Ontario. He attended St. Gregory's Separate School and O'Neill Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Oshawa. He earned his B.A. from the University of Toronto and entered St. Augustine's Seminary shortly afterwards. He left the Seminary in 1966 before being ordained and taught for two years at Port Colborne District High School. He then returned to Oshawa and taught English and coached basketball at Oshawa Catholic High School (no Monsignor Paul Dwyer High School). In 1971 he reentered St. Augustine's Seminary and was ordained at St. Mary of the People Parish, Oshawa on June 17, 1972.

Father Meagher served as Associate Pastor at St. Michael's Cathedral from 1972 to 1976 and at St. John the Evangelist Parish, Whitby from 1976 until 1981, becoming Administrator in 1980. On June 30, 1981 he was appointed Pastor of Blessed Trinity Parish, Willowdale, where he remained until June of 1992. He was then appointed Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Bramalea.

In 1981 Father Meagher became Secretary to the Priests' Senate of the Archdiocese of Toronto, and became a member of the Priests' Personnel Board in August of 1992.

On April 29, 1997 Father Meagher was appointed titular Bishop of Dura and auxiliary to the Archbishop of Toronto. He was consecrated in St. Michael's Cathedral on June 26, 1997 by Archbishop Aloysius Ambrozic who was assisted by Archbishop Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino of Valencia, Venezuela, and Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus M. Pearse Lacey of Toronto. Upon his consecration, Bishop Meagher became Vicar of the Northern region of the Archdiocese.
Bishop Meagher was appointed Archbishop of Kingston on April 27, 2002. He was installed in Kingston on August 13, 2002.

The Most Reverend, Ralph Anthony Giroux Meagher, Archbishop of Kingston passed away on the evening of January 14, 2007 at the age of 66. He is buried in his family plot at St. John the Evangelist Cemetery in Whitby.


The above text came from:
http://www.archtoronto.org/archives/auxbishops/meagher.htm