Frederick Richard McManus

An inventory of Monsignor Frederick Richard McManus Papers at The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives

Mailing Address: The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. 20064

Telephone: 202-319-5065

Email: archives@mail.lib.cua.edu

URL: http://libraries.cua.edu/achrcua/index.html

Biographical Note

Msgr. Frederick Richard McManus, 1923-2005, was a respected scholar, noted canonist, and tireless liturgical reformer. He was born 8 February 1923 in Lynn, Massachusetts, and attended Boston College High School. He studied at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, 1940-1942, and St. John's Seminary in Brighton, 1942-1947, earning an A.B. Ordained in 1947 as a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston, he served one year as assistant pastor at St. Catherine of Sienna Church in Norwood, then two years as both assistant pastor at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston and as the Archdiocesan master of ceremonies. He was then secretary for the Metropolitan Tribunal of Boston, the office that adjudicated internal Church legal affairs, from 1950 to 1951. He then returned to studies, going to The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C., where he earned a J.C.B. in 1952, J.C.L. in 1953, and a J.C.D. in 1954. He went back to his alma mater, St. John's Seminary, serving there 1954 to 1958 as professor of canon law and moral theology. He then returned to CUA as professor of canon law from 1958 to 1993, remaining thereafter professor emeritus.

While at CUA, McManus edited the canon law journal, The Jurist, and served in various administrative positions. He was the dean of the school of Canon Law from 1967 to 1973, vice provost and dean of Graduate Studies from 1974 to 1983, and academic vice president, 1983-1985. He was also a founder of the liturgical studies program and a member of the 1968 Committee on Humane Vitae. He also served on the Bishop's Committee on the Liturgy of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB), the former National Catholic Welfare Conference (NCWC), established in 1958 under the name of the Bishop's Commission on the Liturgical Apostolate, and reorganized in 1968 with the mission to study and report on canonical and liturgical issues and official statements. He was director of the Secretariat and editor of the committee's newsletter from 1965 to 1975 and continued thereafter to aid the committee's work as a staff consultant. He was involved in all aspects of canon law from teaching and the liturgical committee to various other commissions, boards and associations, including the Canon Law Society of America (CLSA) and Second Vatican Council. In addition, he published continuously, with nine books and scores of contributions to journals such as American Ecclesiastical Review, Catholic World, Commonweal, The Jurist, The Living Light, Theology Today and Worship.

He received numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the Pax Christi Award from St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, and the John Courtney Murray Award from the Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA). He was a member several organizations, including the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU), Canon Law Society of America (CLSA), Catholic Commission on Intellectual and Cultural Affairs (CCICA), Catholic Theological of American (CTSA), North American Academy of Liturgy, and The Liturgical Conference. He died 27 November 2005 and was buried in his hometown of Lynn, Massachusetts.

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Scope and Contents

This collection is especially rich in documenting liturgical changes in the Roman Catholic Church through the Second Vatican Council and the last third of the twentieth century. Because of the importance of this collection to scholars the decision was made to create an online finding aid even though only three of the fifty two boxes have been processed according to general archival standards. The remaining forty-nine boxes are housed in the same order and condition as they were in when they were received and accessioned into the Archives. A basic preliminary box inventory has been created and added to this finding aid, but, at some later point, the collection will be organized to the folder level with basic preservation means, such as new folders and the removal of metal paper clips, to upgrade the finding aid considerably. When perusing through the first nine series, boxes 1-3, the researcher should remember that there might well be additional related material located in boxes 4-52.

The first series, The Jurist Editorial Files, 1956-1970, consists of a portion of McManus' editorial work with The Jurist, a journal published by the Canon Law Department of The Catholic University of America (CUA). The bulk of this series is general correspondence relating to articles and the publication of the journal. Most of the correspondence is to the editor, but some are from Fr. Clement Bastnagel, business editor, and John Schmidt, associate editor. There are also copies of some of the articles.

The second series, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) Committee on the Liturgy Files, 1951(1965-1970)n.d., contains correspondence to and from the committee regarding various liturgical subjects as well as notes, revisions, and printed reports that document some of the developments in the liturgy and liturgical issues through the Vatican Council II period.

The third series, the Canon Law Society of America (CLSA) Files, 1961-1969, has correspondence and materials such as drafts of speeches given and papers presented at CLSA conferences.

The fourth series, ACTA Apostolicae Sedis Publication, 1967-1970, has copies of this publication, which is the official record of papal statements published by the Vatican.

The fifth series, the Department of Canon Law at The Catholic University of America (CUA) Correspondence, 1961-1970, contains correspondence related to this university department or addressed to McManus in his capacity as professor and scholar in Canon Law.

The sixth series, Miscellaneous Liturgical Files, 1958(1966-1967)n.d., is as described, with a miscellaneous grouping of canon law related materials.

The seventh series, United States Catholic Conference (USCC)/National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) Printed Material, 1966-1970, has miscellaneous publications, such as the Booz, Allen Hamilton, Inc. 1967 study, and press releases.

The eight series, Miscellaneous Files, 1959-1970, n.d., contains personal papers, articles, notes, and newspaper clippings.

The ninth series, Vatican II Council Documentation: Animadversions in Schema Constitutionis de Sacra Liturgia Printed Material, 1962-1963, has copies of the various volumes in soft print, including appendices.

The tenth series, Unprocessed Papers, ca. 1925-2005, is a large addendum of currently unprocessed correspondence, subject files, notes, printed material, photographs, and memorabilia described with a preliminary inventory. When organized, some of this material would undoubtably feed into the existing nine organized series of files whereas some might be constituted into new series as appropriate.

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Arrangement

The Frederick R. McManus Papers consists of nine series.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

The McManus papers were received in several installments from Msgr. McManus or his estate between 1970 and 2006 as well as some minor donations from miscellaneous sources in 2008 and 2009.

Processing Information

Partial processing by Jennifer Jukes in 1998, with additonal work by William John Shepherd in 2010. EAD markup by William John Shepherd in 2010.

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Related Material

The National Catholic Welfare Conference (NCWC) Executuve Department/Office of the General Secretary's Records and the various Vatican Council II related collections.

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Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Persons:

Organizations:

Places:

Subjects:

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Bibliography

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Detailed Description of the Collection

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Descriptive Summary

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents

Arrangement

Restrictions

Administrative Information

Related Material

Index Terms

Bibliography

Detailed Description of the Collection

Series 1: The Jurist Editorial Files, 1956-1970

Series 2: National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) Committee on the Liturgy Files, 1951(1965-1970)n.d.

Series 3: Canon Law Society of America (CLSA) Files, 1961-1969

Series 4: ACTA Apostolicae Sedis Publication, 1967-1970

Series 5: Department of Canon Law, Catholic University of America (CUA) Correspondence, 1961-1970

Series 6: Miscellaneous Liturgical Files, 1958(1966-1967)n.d.

Series 7: United States Catholic Conference (USCC)/National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) Printed Material, 1966-1970

Series 8: Miscellaneous Files, 1959-1970, n.d.

Series 9: Vatican II Council Documentation: Animadversions in Schema Constitutionis de Sacra Liturgia, 1962-1963

Series 10: Unprocessed Records ca. 1925-2005