Alphonse James Schladweiler

Alphonse James Schladweiler (July 18, 1902—April 3, 1996) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of New Ulm from 1958 to 1975.

Early life and education

Alphonse Schladweiler was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the third child of Mathias and Gertrude (née Schneider) Schladweiler.[1] Following his mother's death in 1911, he and his family moved to Madison, Minnesota.[2] He attended the parochial school of St. Michael's Church, where he served as an altar boy.[2] He studied at the Franciscan Minor Seminary in Teutopolis, Illinois, for six years before teaching Latin at St. Michael's High School.[2] In 1923, he enrolled at St. Paul Seminary.[1]

Priesthood

Schladweiler was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Austin Dowling on June 9, 1927.[3] His first assignment was as a curate at the Church of the Nativity in St. Paul, and he later served at Holy Trinity Church in New Ulm, St. Michael's Church in St. Michael, and St. Bernard's Church in Cologne.[2] He also served as chaplain of St. Mary's Hospital in Minneapolis.[2]

Schladweiler received his first pastorate at St. Joseph's Church in Montevideo.[1] He later served as pastor of St. Michael's Church in Morgan and of Holy Rosary Church in North Mankato.[1] In December 1955, he was appointed pastor of St. Agnes Church in St. Paul.[1] In addition to his pastoral duties, he served as prosynodal judge for the Archdiocese of St. Paul from 1954 to 1957.[4] He was raised to the rank of domestic prelate in 1957.[2]

Episcopacy

On November 28, 1957, Schaldweiler was appointed the first Bishop of the newly erected Diocese of New Ulm by Pope Pius XII.[3] He received his episcopal consecration on January 29, 1958, from Archbishop William O. Brady, with Bishops James Joseph Byrne and Hilary Baumann Hacker serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of St. Paul.[3] His installation took place at Holy Trinity Church on January 30, 1958.[3]

Between 1962 and 1965, Schaldweiler participated in all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council in Rome.[5] Following the conclusion of the Council, he worked to implement its reforms, including introducing English into the Mass.[5] During his 18-year tenure, he ordained 64 priests and organized St. Isadore Church in Clarkfield (1960) and Lady of the Lakes Church in Spicer (1962).[2] In 1972, he founded a diocesan newspaper, Newsletter, and the Diocesan Pastoral Council.[5] He also established a mission in Guatemala, assuming responsibility for staffing a parish in San Lucas Tolimán.[5]

Later life and death

Schaldweiler retired as Bishop of New Ulm on December 23, 1975.[3] He was succeeded by Bishop Raymond Alphonse Lucker, an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.[6]

He later moved to Divine Providence Community Home in Sleepy Eye, where he died at age 93.[2] He is buried in the New Ulm Catholic cemetery.[2]

Notes
  1. "MONSIGNOR ALPHONSE J.SCHLADWEILER (1955-1957)". Church of st. Agnes. Archived from the original on 2009-08-04. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
  2. "Msgr. Alphonse J. Schladweiler named bishop of New Ulm diocese" (PDF). The Prairie Catholic. November 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
  3. "Bishop Alphonse James Schladweiler". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  4. Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
  5. "Bishop Schladweiler". Roman Catholic Diocese of New Ulm. Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
  6. "Bishop Raymond Alphonse Lucker". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
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