Cerny, Father Edward
1962, November 22
Date of Birth: 1890, August 16
Edward Cerny was born in Dubuque, Iowa, on August 16, 1890. Between 1895 and 1907 he underwent his early education in East Dubuque, Illinois. In the latter year he received a graduate diploma in music from the Schroeder Conservatory in Dubuque. In 1908-1909 he attended Valparaiso University and then went to St. Joseph’s (now Loras) College, from which he obtained his B.A. in 1912. He came to St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore that year, and was ordained for the Diocese of Rockford on July 3, 1915, with an S.T.B.
Father Cerny went on to The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. that same year and earned his S.T.L. there in 1917. He then went to his diocese to serve as assistant at St. Nicholas Church in Aurora, Illinois until 1923. For the next two years he pursued graduate studies at The Catholic University of America, and in Rome and Jerusalem at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. When he returned to the United States in 1925, he became pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Durand, Illinois, Vice-officialis of the Rockford Diocese, and Censor Librorum there.
In 1930 Father Cerny came to St. Mary’s Seminary, Paca Street, as a Sulpician candidate to teach Sacred Scripture. In 1932-33 he made his Solitude at Catonsville, Maryland. He was assigned in 1933 to St. Mary’s Seminary at Roland Park where, at various times, he taught – besides Scripture – Apologetics, Hebrew, and Greek, until his retirement. In 1938 he received his S.T.D. from St. Mary’s Seminary.
Along with his teaching he served for nine years as Dean and Registrar of the School of Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary, Roland Park. He also served for many years as Censor Librorum for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Beyond these local involvements, he served on the editorial board of the Catholic Biblical Quarterly for four years and as president of the Catholic Biblical Society for one term. He translated several books for the Confraternity Bible. He retired in September 1962 and died two months later on November 22, 1962.
Adapted from The Voice and from Father Cerny’s “Personal Data” sheet.