James Thomas McHugh (January 3, 1932 – December 10, 2000) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as bishop of Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York during the year 2000. McHugh previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey from 1987 to 1989, as bishop of the Diocese of Camden in New Jersey from 1989 to 1998 and as coadjutor bishop of Rockville Centre from 1998 to early 2000. Biography Early life James McHugh was born in Orange, New Jersey, to James T. and Caroline (née Scavone) McHugh. He received his early education at the parochial school of St. Venantius Parish, and attended Our Lady of the Valley High School in Orange. He attended Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in classical languages. He then began his studies for the priesthood at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington, New Jersey, receiving a Master of Divinity degree. Priesthood On May 25, 1957, McHugh was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey His first assignment was as a curate at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Newark, and he afterwards served at Holy Trinity Parish in Fort Lee, New Jersey. He served as a member of the Archdiocesan Family Life Committee from 1962 to 1965. In addition to his pastoral duties, McHugh did graduate work in sociology at Fordham University in New York City from 1963 to 1965. He served as moderator of the Bergen County Catholic Physicians' Guild (1964–1965) and of the Bergen County Catholic Nurses' Council (1963–1965). He continued his studies in sociology at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. from 1965 to 1967. In 1965, he joined the staff of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, where he served as director of the Family Life Bureau (1965–1975), director of the National Right to Life Committee (1967), and of the Office of Pro-Life Activities (1972–1978). While in that position he caused controversy when, in response to President Richard Nixon's July 1969 proposal of federal funding of artificial contraception as a means of population control, McHugh said Nixon's message was "a positive and constructive approach to the problem." He was named a papal chamberlain in 1971, and raised to the rank of honorary prelate in 1986. McHugh was a