| William Joseph Hafey | |
| Bishop Of: | Bishop of Scranton Titular Bishop of Appia |
| See: | Diocese of Scranton |
| Predecessor: | Thomas Charles O'Reilly |
| Successor: | Jerome Daniel Hannan |
| Ordination: | June 16, 1914 |
| Consecration: | June 24, 1925 |
| Birth Date: | March 19, 1888 |
| Birth Place: | Chicopee, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Religion: | Roman Catholic |
| Honorific Prefix: | His Excellency, The Most Reverend |
| Consecrated By: | Michael Joseph Curley |
| Education: | College of the Holy Cross (AB) Georgetown University Mount St. Mary's University |
| Ordained By: | Owen Patrick Bernard Corrigan |
| Motto: | Emitte Spiritum Tuum (Send forth thy spirit) |
William Joseph Hafey (March 19, 1888 - May 12, 1954) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh in North Carolina (1925–1937) and bishop of the Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania (1938–1954).
William Hafey was born on March 19, 1888, in Chicopee, Massachusetts, to James and Catherine (née Mulcahy) Hafey. He attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1909. From 1909 to 1910, he studied at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., then attended Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.[1]
Hafey was ordained to the priesthood at Mount St. Mary's by Bishop Owen Corrigan for the Archdiocese of Baltimore on June 16, 1914.[2] After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Hafey served as a curate at St. Joseph's Parish in Baltimore. In 1920, he was appointed chancellor of the archdiocese.
On April 6, 1925, Hafey was appointed the first bishop of Raleigh by Pope Pius XI. He received his episcopal consecration on June 24, 1925, from Archbishop Michael Curley at the Baltimore Cathedral. Bishops Thomas O'Leary and Michael Keyes were co-consecrators.
Hafey was named coadjutor bishop of Scranton and titular bishop of Appia on October 2, 1937 by Pius IX. Haley automatically succeeded Bishop Thomas O'Reilly as the fourth bishop of Scranton on March 25, 1938. Hafey created new parishes, multiplied the number of buildings, and increased the number of priests and religious.[3] He was also dedicated to social needs such as education, healthcare, and youth activities.[3]
William Hafey died in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on May 12, 1954, at age 66.