William Michael Cosgrove
# William Michael Cosgrove

William Michael Cosgrove (November 26, 1916 – December 11, 1992) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Belleville in Illinois from 1976 to 1981. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland in Ohio from September 3, 1968, to October 28, 1976.

## Biography

### Early life

Cosgrove was born on November 26, 1916, in Canton, Ohio. He attended Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland and John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio. Cosgrove was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Cleveland by Archbishop Edward Francis Hoban on December 18, 1943.

### Episcopy

On June 12, 1968, Cosgrove was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland and titular tishop of Trisipa by Pope Paul VI. He received his episcopal consecration on September 3, 1968, from Bishop Clarence Issenmann with bishops John Whealon and Harold Perry as co-consecrators.

Cosgrove was named the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Belleville on August 30, 1976, by Pope John Paul II. Cosgrove was installed on October 28, 1976. The author Michael Gallagher described Cosgrove as a man of deep social concern who was popular with both clergy and laity.

On May 19, 1981, Pope John Paul accepted Cosgrove's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Belleville. William Cosgrove died on December 11, 1992, at age 76. The Bishop William M. Cosgrove Center in Cleveland is named after him.

