Fun Facts about the Bishops of the Diocese of Erie

1. There have been ten bishops of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie since it was canonically estabilished on 29 July 1853; the tenth bishop is currently in office.
   
   
2. Of the ten bishops of Erie – two had previously served as coadjutor bishop of Erie (Fitzmaurice and Murphy);
   
   
3. Of the ten bishops of Erie – two had previously served as auxiliary bishop of Erie, neither with the “right of succession” (Gannon and Watson);
   
   
4. A total of six bishops have been ordained within the Diocese of Erie itself (Brennan, Gannon, Guilfoyle, McManaman, Watson and Persico);
   
   
5. Only two bishops arrived in Erie already ordained but never having served as a bishop elsewhere (Mullen and Fitzmaurice);
   
   
6. The only priest to be ordained to the episcopacy in Erie and then immediately be installed as Ordinary is the Tenth Bishop of Erie, Lawrence T. Persico (2012).
   
   
7. Bishop Michael J. Murphy lived the longest of all former deceased bishops of Erie, having died as bishop emeritus at the age of 91 years and 9 months in 2007;
   
   
8. Two bishops of Erie have died in office as Ordinary (Young and Fitzmaurice);
   
   
9. Five bishops of Erie died in Erie as bishop emeritus (Mullen, Gannon, Watson, Murphy and Trautman);
   
   
10. Two bishops of Erie died outside the diocese (O’Connor and Whealon);
    
    
11. All bishops of Erie have been of Irish extraction, except Bishop Young (English-American), Bishop Trautman (German) and Bishop Persico (Italian);
    
    
12. Three Bishops of Erie were born outside the United States, all in Ireland (O’Connor, Mullen and Fitzmaurice);
    
    
13. Two bishops of Erie were from the native clergy of the diocese (Gannon and Watson)