{{Short description|Roman Catholic Church bishop (1932–2004)}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = Bishop | name = Nicholas Carmen Dattilo | title = Bishop of Harrisburg | image = Nicholas C. Dattilo.webp | alt = | caption = | church = Roman Catholic Church | archdiocese = | diocese = | see = Harrisburg | term = January 26, 1990 – March 5, 2004 (died in office) | predecessor = William Henry Keeler | successor = Kevin C. Rhoades <!-- Orders -->| ordination = May 31, 1958 | ordinated_by = | consecration = January 26, 1990 | consecrated_by = Anthony Bevilacqua | rank = <!-- Personal details --> | birth_date = {{birth date|1932|3|8}} | birth_place = Mahoningtown, Pennsylvania, US | death_date = {{death date and age|2004|3|5|1932|3|8}} | death_place = Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, US | previous_post = | honorific_prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend | education = St. Vincent Seminary<br>St. Charles Borromeo Seminary | ordained_by = John Francis Dearden }} '''Nicholas Carmen Dattilo''' (March 8, 1932 – March 5, 2004) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg in Pennsylvania from 1990 until his death in 2004.
==Biography==
=== Early life === The oldest of six children, Nicholas Dattilo was born on March 8, 1932, in Mahoningtown, Pennsylvania, to Frank and Emma (née Nocera) Dattilo.<ref name="gazette">{{cite news|date=2004-03-06|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|title=Obituary: Nicholas Dattilo/Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg for 14 years|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04066/281854-122.stm|last=Rodgers|first=Ann}}</ref> He studied for the priesthood at St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.
=== Priesthood === Dattilo was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Pittsburgh on May 31, 1958 in Pittsburgh by Cardinal John Francis Dearden.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Bishop Nicholas Carmen Dattilo [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bdattilo.html |access-date=2025-09-15 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref> After his ordination, the diocese assigned Dattilo as a parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Until 1971, also briefly serving at St. Colman Parish in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania. He named pastor of Madonna del Castello Parish in Swissvale, Pennsylvania in 1971 and of St. Vitus Parish in New Castle, Pennsylvania, in 1981.<ref name="gazette" /> In 1985, Dattilo was appointed secretary for clergy and pastoral life for the diocese, later becoming its vicar general.
=== Bishop of Harrisburg === On November 21, 1989, Dattilo was appointed the eighth bishop of Harrisburg by Pope John Paul II.<ref name=":0" /> He received his episcopal consecration on January 26, 1990, from Archbishop Anthony Bevilacqua, with Bishops William Keeler and Donald Wuerl serving as co-consecrators, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Harrisburg.<ref name=":0" />
As bishop, Dattilo began a three-year Consultations Process to assess the needs and resources of the local church in preparation for the next century. This resulted in a major reorganization of parishes and missions, because of populations shifts within the fifteen counties of the diocese.<ref name="diocese">{{cite news|work=Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg|title=About the Diocese|url=http://www.hbgdiocese.org/default.aspx?PageID=493ff336-c373-4353-b247-314b253fb14b|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921210819/http://hbgdiocese.org/default.aspx?PageID=493ff336-c373-4353-b247-314b253fb14b|archivedate=2010-09-21}}</ref> During Dattilo's tenure, the number of parishes was reduced from 120 to 89, resulting in 23 appeals to the Vatican and years of parishioner protests.<ref name="gazette" />
In 1998, Dattilo established the Ecclesial Lay Ministry Program, a three-year formation program to prepare trained lay leaders.<ref name="diocese" /> Following the closure of Villa Vianney, he approved construction of a new residence for retired priests in 1999. He also finalized plans for a diocesan conference center, with the groundbreaking ceremony in October 1999.<ref name="diocese" />
=== Death and legacy === Dattilo was hospitalized in February 2004 for kidney failure, diabetes and heart and respiratory problems.<ref name="gazette" /> Nicholas Dattilo died at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, three days before his 72nd birthday.<ref name="gazette" /> His funeral mass was celebrated at Good Shepherd Church in Camp Hill, as St. Patrick's Cathedral was undergoing renovations.
On August 1, 2018, Bishop Ronald Gainer, Dattilo's successor as bishop of Harrisburg, announced that the names of every bishop of Harrisburg from 1947 onward—including Dattilo's -- would be removed from any building or room in the diocese named in their honor, due to their failure to protect victims from abuse.<ref name="WPost_2018.08.01">{{cite news |date=August 1, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post |title=Pennsylvania diocese will remove every bishop's name since 1947 from buildings because they failed to root out child sexual abuse |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/08/01/pennsylvania-diocese-will-remove-every-bishops-name-since-1947-from-buildings-since-they-failed-to-root-out-child-sexual-abuse |last=Zauzmer |first=Julie |access-date=August 1, 2018}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{succession box | title=Bishop of Harrisburg | before=William Henry Keeler| after=Kevin C. Rhoades| years=1990–2004 }} {{s-end}}
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg}} {{Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dattilo, Nicholas C.}} Category:1932 births Category:2004 deaths Category:People from Lawrence County, Pennsylvania Category:Roman Catholic bishops of Harrisburg Category:20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Category:21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Category:Saint Vincent Seminary alumni Category:St. Charles Borromeo Seminary alumni