He was born on April 2, 1928 in Columbia, South Carolina to a family of Italian immigrants, and ordained a priest on December 15, 1952, serving in the diocese of Charleston, South Carolina. On March 9, 1966 he was appointed Titular Bishop of Ligura and Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Atlanta, Georgia, and became the youngest bishop in the nation at the age of 38 when he was ordained a bishop on April 26, 1966. He was appointed Archbishop of Cincinnati, Ohio on November 21, 1972, where he was installed December 19, 1972, before being appointed Archbishop of Chicago, on July 10, 1982 and installed August 25, 1982. He was elevated to Cardinal on February 2, 1983, and served as archbishop until his death from pancreatic cancer at the age of 68. He also served as head of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. He is interred in the Bishops’ Mausoleum at Mt. Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois.
See also List of Roman Catholic Bishops and Archbishops of Chicago.