Key events in the life of Cardinal Bernard Law
Key dates in the life of Cardinal Bernard Law, who died early Wednesday at age 86.
— Nov. 4, 1931: Bernard Law is born in Torreon, Mexico; the only child of a U.S. Air Force colonel and a mother who converted to Roman Catholicism from Presbyterianism.— 1953: Law graduates from Harvard University with a degree in medieval history.— 1961: Law is ordained as a priest.— 1968: Law takes a job at the ecumenical office of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.— 1973: Law is named bishop of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau in Missouri.
— January 1984: Law becomes archbishop of Boston.— 1985: The Vatican elevates Law to cardinal.— 1998: Law travels to Cuba to support Catholics in the communist island nation.