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Adam Joseph Maida was born on March 18, 1930, in East Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. He was the first of three sons born to Adam Maida and Sophie Cieslak Maida.

Cardinal Maida's father, now deceased, came to the United States from a rural area near Warsaw, Poland. His mother was born in the United States and prior to her death resided in Scott Township, Pennsylvania.

His brother, Thaddeus, is a senior priest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.  His brother, Daniel, lives in Presto, Pennsylvania, and is married to the former Patricia Hurley.  Daniel is in private business and he and Patricia have three sons, Timothy, Joseph and Robert.

Cardinal Maida attended East Vandergrift Public Schools; Vandergrift Public High School for one year, and Scott Township High School for one year.  He then completed high school and graduated from St. Mary's Preparatory, Orchard Lake, Michigan, in 1948.

Following graduation from St. Mary's, Cardinal Maida entered St. Mary's College, Orchard Lake, Michigan.  In 1950, he transferred to St. Vincent's College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy.

In 1956, Cardinal Maida graduated with a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) from St. Mary's University, Baltimore, Maryland.

In 1960, Cardinal Maida received a Licentiate in Canon Law (J.C.L.) from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.  In 1964, he was awarded a Doctorate in Civil Law ( J.D.) from Duquesne Law School in Pittsburgh.

Cardinal Maida was admitted to practice law before the Bar for the State of Pennsylvania, the Federal Bar in Western Pennsylvania, and the United States Supreme Court.

On May 26, 1956, Cardinal Maida was ordained a priest in St. Paul Cathedral, Pittsburgh, by then Bishop John Dearden (deceased Cardinal Archbishop of Detroit).

Following his ordination, Cardinal Maida served in the Diocese of Pittsburgh as an associate pastor, Vice Chancellor and General Counsel of the Diocese, in the Diocesan Tribunal, and as Assistant Professor of Theology at La Roche College, and Adjunct Professor of Law at Duquesne University Law School.

On January 25, 1984, he was ordained and installed as the ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

On April 28, 1990, Pope John Paul II named Bishop Maida Archbishop of Detroit.  He was installed as Archbishop of Detroit on June 12, 1990.

On October 30, 1994, Pope John Paul II named Archbishop Maida a Cardinal.  He was elevated to the College of Cardinals at a Consistory held on November 26, 1994, at the Paul VI Auditorium in the Vatican.

As required by Church law, Cardinal Maida submitted his resignation to our Holy Father when he turned 75, in March of 2005.  Pope Benedict XVI then invited him to continue as Archbishop of Detroit.

On January 5, 2009, the Vatican announced our Holy Father had accepted Cardinal Maida's resignation.  He was named Apostolic Administrator of the archdiocese until the installation of his successor.  The Most Reverend Allen Vigneron was installed as Archbishop of Detroit on January 28, 2009.

Cardinal Maida is now Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Detroit.

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