John Cardinal Krol
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John Joseph Cardinal Krol (October 26, 1910 - March 3, 1996) was a Roman Catholic clergyman. He was born to Polish parents in Cleveland, Ohio in 1910. He was ordained a priest at age 26 in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. He quickly rose through the ranks and was appointed auxiliary bishop of Cleveland at age 41. Krol served in Cleveland as a priest for 24 years and as a bishop for eight before moving to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In Philadelphia, the conservative cleric became a beloved figure. He was elevated to Cardinal in 1967 during the same consistory as Archbishop Karol Wojtyła of Kraków, Poland. Wojtyła would become Pope John Paul II and Krol one of his closest advisors.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Krol shepherded the Diocese of Philadelphia through an era where the population shifted to the suburbs. Krol also championed for the canonization of St. Katharine Drexel.
In ill health, Krol resigned his position as Archbishop of Philadelphia on February 11, 1988, exactly 27 years after he was appointed to the post. He was the longest serving prelate in the history of the archdiocese. He was succeeded by Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua.
Krol is buried in the crypt beneath the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia.de:John Joseph Krol