Walter James Edyvean

Walter James Edyvean (born October 18, 1938) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is a retired auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston who served from 2001 to 2014.

Edyvean was born in Medford, Massachusetts, and attended Boston College, from where he obtained a degree in English literature in 1960. He also studied at St. John's Seminary before furthering his studies in Rome at the Pontifical North American College and Pontifical Gregorian University, there earning a baccalaureate (1963) and licentiate in theology (1965). While in Rome, Edyvean was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Francis Reh on December 16, 1964.

He was an assistant pastor at St. Joseph Church in Ipswich from 1965 to 1968, and earned a doctorate in theology after further studies in Rome from 1968 to 1971. He was a faculty member of St. John's Seminary from 1971 to 1990, when he was named capo ufficio of the Congregation for Catholic Education in the Roman Curia.

On June 29, 2001, Edyvean was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Boston and Titular Bishop of Aeliae by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following September 14 from Bernard Cardinal Law, with Bishops Lawrence Riley and William Murphy serving as co-consecrators. As an auxiliary, he serves as Regional Bishop of the West Pastoral Region and vicar general of the Archdiocese.

Thirteen years to the day after his appointment (June 29, 2014), Pope Francis accepted his retirement as Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Boston.