Cardinal Terence Cooke was made an Archbishop of New York in 1968 and a Cardinal in 1969.[1] He was loved and respected by all, and his tragic battle with leukemia ultimately called him to God at the age of 62. In his final days, he wrote, “The ‘gift of life,’ God’s special gift, is no less beautiful when it is accompanied by illness or weakness, hunger or poverty, mental or physical handicaps, loneliness or old age.”[2] He was known for a deep dedication to the pro-life movement. He regularly spoke out against abortion, and he served for 10 years as the chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ committee on pro-life issues.[3] In 1984, Cardinal Cooke’s cause for sainthood was initiated, and in 1992, Cardinal Cooke was elevated to a “Servant of God.”
[1] http://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/07/obituaries/cardinal-cooke-dies-at-62-after-fight-with-leukemia.html
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/07/obituaries/cardinal-cooke-dies-at-62-after-fight-with-leukemia.html
[3] https://www.osv.com/OSVNewsweekly/ByIssue/Article/TabId/735/ArtMID/13636/ArticleID/16178/‘Thy-Will-Be-Done’.aspx