John Joyce Russell

John Joyce Russell (December 1, 1897 – March 17, 1993) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as bishop of the Diocese of Richmond in Virginia from 1958 to 1973.

Russell served as pastor of St. Ursula Paris in Baltimore from 1937 to 1946, and was named a domestic prelate by the Vatican in 1945.

Russell then served as pastor of St. Patrick Parish[3] in Washington, D.C. from 1946 to 1948 and as diocesan director of Catholic Charities (1946–1950).

[2] Russell was named the as the tenth bishop of Richmond by Pius XII on July 3, 1958; he was installed on September 30, 1958.

[5] A champion of civil rights, he had the parents of prospective students for Richmond's Catholic schools be interviewed for signs of racism.