Service in Rome

Murphy was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City by Bishop Francis Reh on December 16, 1964. Murphy received his Licentiate in Sacred Theology in 1965 from the Gregorian University. After his ordination, Murphy returned to Boston, where he served as an assistant pastor at parishes in Groveland, Winchester and East Boston. During this period, he also taught at Emmanuel College in Boston and Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts.^[2]

Murphy in 1974 returned to Rome to become an official in the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. He became a lecturer in theology at University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome in 1976, teaching there for the next four years. He was named chaplain of his holiness by the Vatican in 1979. In 1980, Murphy was appointed as undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. He would hold that post until 1987, when he went back to Boston.^[2]

Service in Boston

After returning to Boston in 1987, Murphy was appointed as secretary of community relations for the archdiocese, director of the Office of Social Justice and director of the Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary. In 1987, he was named a prelate of honor by the Vatican. He also lectured on social ethics at St. John’s Seminary.^[2]

In 1993, Murphy was appointed vicar general and moderator of the curia for the archdiocese. In this role, he was the principal assistant to Cardinal Bernard Law, responsible for the clergy.^[2]

Massachusetts report

On July 23, 2003, Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly released the report The Sexual Abuse of Children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. The report described Murphy, when auxiliary bishop in the archdiocese, as being in close consultation with Cardinal Law on sexual abuse issues with clergy.^[5] The report stated that Murphy did some positive things, but it presented this evaluation of his actions:

Bishop Murphy did not report to law enforcement any of the numerous allegations of clerical sexual abuse he reviewed nor did he ever advise the cardinal to do so. And even with undeniable information available to him, Bishop Murphy continued to place a higher priority on preventing scandal and providing support to alleged abusers than on protecting children from sexual abuse.^[5]

In response to the report, Murphy claimed that another archdiocesan official was in charge of these cases.^[6][7] On August 3, 2003, in response to the attorney general report, the Long Island chapter of the group Voice of the Faithful called for Murphy to resign as bishop.^[8] Murphy banned Voice of the Faithful from meeting on diocese property soon after that declaration.^[9]

Monsignor Alan J. Placa, a Rockville Centre diocesan priest, was cleared by the tribunal of the Diocese of Albany, the home diocese of the complainant, of allegations made against him in June 2002. The decision was subsequently confirmed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which instructed Murphy "to do what we can to restore his good name.”^[10]

Renovation of bishop's quarters

Soon after Murphy was installed as Bishop of Rockville Centre in 2001, he decided that his private quarters in the cathedral rectory lacked privacy and sufficient space to entertain visiting clergy. He decided to take over the top floor of an old convent building at the cathedral. The diocese had been planning to create rooms for nuns on that floor, but Murphy asked them to accept some different accommodations. The project ended up costing $800,000.^[11] As news of the project and its cost became public, Murphy invited a Newsday reporter and photographer to tour the apartment.. They reported that the residence included a large suite with a new fireplace with an oak mantel, a temperature-controlled wine storage cabinet, and a marble bathroom.^[11]

Catholic school closings

On December 5, 2011, Murphy announced the closing of six Catholic elementary schools on Long Island:

• St. John Baptist de La Salle Regional School in Farmingdale
• St. Catherine of Sienna School in Franklin Square
• St. Ignatius Loyola School in Hicksville
• Sacred Heart School in North Merrick
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Lindenhurst
• Prince of Peace Regional School in Sayville^[14]