Martin John Amos

Martin John Amos was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the oldest of six children born to Martin and Mary Amos.[1] He grew up in a working-class neighborhood on the west side of Cleveland, attending Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. Amos was educated at Benjamin Franklin elementary school, James Ford Rhodes High School, Borromeo Seminary College in Wickliffe, Ohio and St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland. He holds a Master of Science in Education degree from St. John's College, Cleveland.

On May 25, 1968, Amos was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Cleveland by Bishop Clarence George Issenmann at St. John Bosco Church in Parma Heights, Ohio.

Amos held several pastoral assignments after ordination, and later became academic dean of Borromeo Seminary High School. His last pastoral assignment before becoming bishop was as pastor of St. Dominic Church in Shaker Heights, Ohio

On April 3, 2001.[2] Pope John Paul II appointed Amos as the Titular Bishop of Meta and Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland He was installed and consecrated by Bishop Anthony M. Pilla on June 7, 2001, in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Cleveland. The principal co-consecrators were Auxiliary Bishops Alexander J. Quinn and Anthony E. Pevec.[3]

On October 12, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Amos as the eighth Bishop of Davenport He was installed and consecrated by Archbishop Jerome Hanus on November 20, 2006[4] in the presence of Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. The liturgy was held at St. John Vianney Church in Bettendorf, Iowa.[5]

Two days before Amos assumed office, the Diocese of Davenport filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As a result of the bankruptcy, the diocese was forced to sell off property, including the bishop's residence, to pay for a financial settlement to abuse victims.[6] Amos had requested a small fixer-upper house to live in as he felt the bishop's residence was too big for him.[7]

The diocese sold the chancery building, St. Vincent Center, and the surrounding property to St. Ambrose University in May 2009. In March 2010, the diocese bought back the center, which also houses diocesan priests, and five acres of land.[8] A $22 million capital campaign was also initiated in 2009 to replenish diocesan finances and to provide the finances for other projects.[9]

In 2007, Amos announced that the board of trustees of St. Ambrose University had decided to remove the name of Bishop Gerald O'Keefe from the school library. O'Keefe had covered up sexual abuse crimes by priest in the diocese.[7]

On July 1, 2010, the diocese re-established Catholic Charities. The organization was initially introduced into the diocese in 1929 by Bishop Henry Rohlman and discontinued when St. Vincent's Home in Davenport was closed in 1968 and its services were absorbed by other local social service agencies. [10]

In May 2012 Amos rescinded an invitation to a representative of the Rich Eychaner Charitable Foundation to present a scholarship awarded to Keaton Fuller, a student at the Prince of Peace Catholic School in Clinton. The Eychander foundation promotes anti-bullying legislation and seeks to promote tolerance and non-discrimination for gay youth. A compromise was worked out whereby a representative from the foundation would give a statue to Fuller and a diocesan representative would deliver a pre-approved statement from the foundation.[11]

On April 19, 2017 Pope Francis accepted Amos' resignation and named Monsignor Thomas Zinkula to be the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Davenport.[12]

Upon retirement Amos has been ordaining priest, deacons and transitional deacons in the Diocese of Youngstown. Due to the diocese not having a bishop since the Late Bishop George V. Murry, Amos and Monsignor Siffrin have been administering the diocese.

Bishop Amos attended the installation mass of Bishop Edward C. Malesic of the Diocese of Cleveland. On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, Bishop Amos was invited to the installation mass of Bishop David J. Bonnar of the Diocese of Youngstown.