Former Catholic bishop of Birmingham dies 

Bishop David Foley was head of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham from 1994-2005.
Bishop David Foley was head of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham from 1994-2005.(Joe Songer/AL.com)

Retired Bishop David Foley, former head of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham from 1994-2005, died Tuesday night, the diocese announced.
Foley had been battling cancer. He died at 7:01 p.m., April 17, at the St. John Vianney Residence for Priests. He was 88.
Foley was hospitalized on Feb. 25.
The Birmingham diocese, which includes 90,000 Catholics in north-central Alabama, maintains a high profile in the Roman Catholic Church worldwide as home to Eternal Word Television Network.
"All of us at EWTN are saddened by the death of the Most Reverend David Foley who served the Diocese of Birmingham as Bishop for over a decade," said Michael P. Warsaw, chairman and chief executive officer of EWTN Global Catholic Network.
Warsaw said he had known Foley since he was a pastor in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., 30 years ago. "Throughout his life and wherever his service to the Church took him, he was always known for his keen intellect, pastoral sensitivity and powerful preaching," Warsaw said.
Bishop Foley sent out a hand-written open letter earlier this month.
Foley had been an occasional on-air personality for EWTN, which gave him some national TV exposure.
 "During his time as Bishop of Birmingham, he served as a member of the EWTN Board of Governors," Warsaw said. "He also took great joy in hosting 'Pillars of Faith', a weekly live call-in television program that examined the Catechism of the Catholic Church from cover to cover."

Foley was also a long-time friend and associate to Mother Angelica, the nun who founded the international network based in Irondale.
 "Despite their occasional disagreements, when Mother Angelica suffered her stroke and brain hemorrhage in 2001, Bishop Foley was one of the first to be at her bedside and he remained a frequent visitor to pray for her," Warsaw said. "He never wavered in his respect for all that Mother had accomplished and was always supportive of the Network she founded. May God reward him for his life of service to the Church, and may he rest In peace."
Pope John Paul II assigned Foley to Birmingham in 1994 after Foley had been named an auxiliary bishop in 1986 and served in Richmond, Va.
Foley sent out a handwritten open letter to the diocese on April 5 as he knew he was approaching death. "Our Lord Jesus Christ has blessed me through you in the outpouring of love," he wrote.