Edmond Heelan
Edmond Heelan was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Sioux City from 1920 until his death in 1948.Biography
Edmond Heelan was born in Elton, County Limerick, Ireland, to John and Anne Heelan. He studied philosophy and theology at All Hallows College in Dublin, and was ordained to the priesthood on June 24, 1890. He then came to the United States, where he became a curate and rector at St. Raphael's Cathedral in Dubuque, Iowa. He was pastor of in Fort Dodge from 1897 to 1919.
On December 21, 1918, Heelan was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Sioux City and Titular Bishop of Gerasa by Pope Benedict XV. He received his episcopal consecration on April 8, 1919 from Archbishop James Keane, with Bishops James J. Davis and Patrick McGovern serving as co-consecrators. As an auxiliary, he served as rector of the Cathedral of the Epiphany.
Following the death of Bishop Philip Joseph Garrigan, Heelan was named the second Bishop of Sioux City on March 8, 1920. During his nearly thirty-year tenure, he guided the diocese through the Great Depression and World War II, and greatly expanded Catholic education. He died at age 80.
