Patrick Joseph McGrath

McGrath was born in Dublin, Ireland, on June 11, 1945. He is the youngest of three sons of Patrick Joseph McGrath, Sr., and Eileen Gaule McGrath. He attended Chanel College in Dublin. In 1964, he entered St. John's Seminary in Waterford at age 19. His father died while he was in seminary.[2]

In 1970, McGrath was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. He served as the parochial vicar of St. Anne of the Sunset Parish in San Francisco, and in the archdiocesan tribunal. In 1974, he went to Rome to continue his education and earned a doctorate in Canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University on June 11, 1977. He returned to San Francisco and was appointed the Vice-Officialis, then Officialis, of the archdiocesan tribunal. In 1986, he became pastor and rector of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption.[2][3]

McGrath was named auxiliary bishop of San Francisco and titular bishop of Allegheny on December 6, 1988, and consecrated on January 25, 1989, at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption; archbishop John Raphael Quinn served as his principal consecrator. McGrath was named coadjutor bishop of San Jose by Pope John Paul II on June 30, 1998, and became the ordinary of the diocese upon the retirement of bishop Pierre DuMaine on November 27, 1999.

In 2018 the diocese, with McGrath's approval, paid US$2.3 million for a 3269 square foot, five-bedroom home in Silicon Valley to serve as McGrath's retirement residence.[4][5] A day after the purchase became public, McGrath responded to criticism and said he would order the home sold and that he would live in a rectory in one of the diocese's parishes.[6][7]

• Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose Official Site
• Diocese of San Jose biography
• Twitter Handle @BishopMcGrath (Bishop P.J. McGrath)
• Catholic-Hierarchy.net data