James "Jim" Moriarty (13 August 1936 – 27 March 2022) was an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin between 2002 and 2010. Early life Moriarty was born in Dublin on 13 August 1936, one of five children to Michael and Catherine Moriarty. He attended secondary school at the Catholic University School and studied for the priesthood at Holy Cross College, from where he was ordained to the priesthood on 21 May 1961. Moriarty also attended University College Dublin and St Patrick's College, Maynooth, from where he obtained a Doctorate in Divinity. Presbyteral ministry Following his ordination, Moriarty's first appointment was as a teacher at the vocational school in Killester. He later served as chaplain to the Poor Servants of the Mother of God community on Portland Row, and as a teacher at the vocational school on Mount Street in the city centre. Moriarty was appointed chaplain in University College Dublin from 1968 to 1979, before subsequently serving as a curate in Dún Laoghaire between 1979 and 1983, and in Bawnogue between 1983 and 1985. Moriarty was appointed the first parish priest of Deansrath – a then-developing area near Clondalkin that had been constituted from Bawnogue – from 1983 to 1989, and subsequently parish priest of Donaghmede from 1989 to 1991. Moriarty was elected chairman of the diocesan council of priests in the late 1980s. Episcopal ministry Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin Moriarty was appointed auxiliary bishop of Dublin and titular bishop of Bononia by Pope John Paul II on 26 June 1991. He was consecrated on 22 September by the Archbishop of Dublin, Desmond Connell, in St Andrew's Church, Westland Row, Dublin. He was given responsibility for the deaneries of Fingal South East, Fingal South West and Howth. Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin Moriarty was appointed Bishop-elect of Kildare and Leighlin by Pope John Paul II on 4 June 2002, and was installed on 31 August in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow. During his episcopate, in response to a consultation process on pastoral priorities for the diocese, he introduced the "Reach Out" initiative, in which parishioners in all churches in the diocese were invited during Advent to bring home a candle and an envelope containing an explanatory leaflet and a table prayer card. He also chaired the Commission for Worship, Pastoral Renewal and Faith Development of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference. Resignation Following the