Bernard Joseph Topel
Encyclopedia
Bernard Joseph Topel was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Spokane
from 1955 to 1978.
, Montana
, the fourth son of Henry Albert and Mary Pauline (née Hagen) Topel. His father was an East Prussia
n tailor who had come to the United States
in 1878, and his mother had immigrated from Switzerland
at age nine. He attended grade school
in Bozeman and, after graduating from St. Charles High School in Helena
, studied at Mount St. Charles College
. He then studied theology
at the Grand Seminary of Montreal
in Quebec
, Canada
, before returning to the United States and entering the Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C.
He there earned a Master's degree
in Education
in 1927.
to the priesthood
in Helena on June 7, 1927. Furthering his studies, he then earned his Master's degree in Mathematics
from Harvard University
and afterwards his doctorate
from the University of Notre Dame
. From 1934 to 1937, he served at the missions
in Toston
and Wolf Creek
. He then returned to the University of Notre Dame, where he taught mathematics for two years before returning to Montana. He joined the faculty
of Mount St. Charles College, there serving as professor
of mathematics and physics
. He also served as vocations director for the Diocese of Helena
.
of Spokane
, Washington, and Titular Bishop
of Binda by Pope Pius XII
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following September 21 from Bishop Joseph Michael Gilmore
, with Bishops Joseph Patrick Dougherty
and Joseph Clement Willging
serving as co-consecrators
, at the Cathedral of St. Helena
. Upon the death of Bishop Charles Daniel White
four days later, Topel succeeded him as the third Bishop of Spokane
on September 25, 1955. He was installed
on the following October 12 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes.
In 1958 he led a pilgrimage
of Spokane Catholics to the shrine
s of Europe
, including the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
in France
on the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes
. He began a mission program in Guatemala
with the Maryknoll Fathers
in 1960. He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council
between 1962 and 1965. During his 22-year-long tenure, he established several parishes
and schools
, Mater Cleri Seminary, Bishop White Seminary on the Gonzaga University
campus, Immaculate Heart Retreat House, homes for unwed mothers, and housing for the elderly.
Topel was nationally known for his austere lifestyle and devotion to the poor. He maintained a modest residence with neither heating nor a telephone. He received most of his food from his vegetable garden. He donated the profits from the sale of his crosier
and pectoral cross
to charity, and admitted that wearing an episcopal ring
made him feel "a bit out of kilter." He once declared, "I have come to the realization that the most important thing I can do in the church, and that applies to Christians in general, is to live simply in order to give money to the poor."
of the diocese until the appointment of his successor, Lawrence Harold Welsh
. He later died at St. Joseph Care Center, aged 83.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Bishop of Spokane
Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane
The Diocese of Spokane is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of Washington. Headquartered in Spokane, the diocese encompasses Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Spokane, Adams, Whitman, Franklin, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin Counties...
from 1955 to 1978.
Early life and education
Bernard Topel was born in BozemanBozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, the fourth son of Henry Albert and Mary Pauline (née Hagen) Topel. His father was an East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
n tailor who had come to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1878, and his mother had immigrated from Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
at age nine. He attended grade school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
in Bozeman and, after graduating from St. Charles High School in Helena
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
, studied at Mount St. Charles College
Carroll College (Montana)
Carroll College is a private Catholic liberal arts college in Helena, Montana, USA. Carroll College has earned national and regional awards for its academic programs. Carroll's colors are purple and gold...
. He then studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at the Grand Seminary of Montreal
Grand séminaire de Montréal
The Grand séminaire de Montréal is the sacerdotal school of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal. The institution was founded by the sulpicians in 1840 on the demands of Ignace Bourget. A branch of Université Laval's faculty of theology was installed in the seminar in 1878...
in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, before returning to the United States and entering the Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He there earned a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
in 1927.
Priesthood
Topel was ordainedHoly Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
in Helena on June 7, 1927. Furthering his studies, he then earned his Master's degree in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and afterwards his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
from the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. From 1934 to 1937, he served at the missions
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
in Toston
Toston, Montana
Toston is a census-designated place in Broadwater County, Montana, United States. The population was 105 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Toston is located at ....
and Wolf Creek
Wolf Creek, Montana
Wolf Creek is an unincorporated community in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, United States. Wolf Creek is located along Interstate 15 north of Helena. Wolf Creek has a post office with ZIP code 59648.- In popular culture :...
. He then returned to the University of Notre Dame, where he taught mathematics for two years before returning to Montana. He joined the faculty
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
of Mount St. Charles College, there serving as professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of mathematics and physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
. He also served as vocations director for the Diocese of Helena
Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena
The Diocese of Helena is the Catholic diocese for western Montana. It was erected from the year-old Vicarate of Montana on March 7, 1884, while Montana was still a territory. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Portland, which encompasses Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.For its first...
.
Episcopal ministry
On August 9, 1955, Topel was appointed Coadjutor BishopCoadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of Spokane
Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane
The Diocese of Spokane is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of Washington. Headquartered in Spokane, the diocese encompasses Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Spokane, Adams, Whitman, Franklin, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin Counties...
, Washington, and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Binda by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on the following September 21 from Bishop Joseph Michael Gilmore
Joseph Michael Gilmore
Joseph Michael Gilmore was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Helena from 1936 until his death in 1962.-Biography:...
, with Bishops Joseph Patrick Dougherty
Joseph Patrick Dougherty
Joseph Patrick Dougherty was an American Roman Catholic clergyman.Born in Kansas City, Kansas, Dougherty was educated at the University of Portland in Oregon and St. Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park, California. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 14, 1930. He served as a professor at St...
and Joseph Clement Willging
Joseph Clement Willging
Joseph Clement Willging was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Pueblo .-Biography:...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, at the Cathedral of St. Helena
Cathedral of Saint Helena
The Cathedral of Saint Helena is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena, Montana.-Construction:The site for the building of the Cathedral was purchased in 1905. Mr. A. O. Von Herbulis of Washington, D.C., was commissioned to be the architect. Von Herbulis was trained abroad and was...
. Upon the death of Bishop Charles Daniel White
Charles Daniel White
Charles Daniel White was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Spokane from 1927 until his death in 1955.-Biography:...
four days later, Topel succeeded him as the third Bishop of Spokane
Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane
The Diocese of Spokane is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of Washington. Headquartered in Spokane, the diocese encompasses Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Spokane, Adams, Whitman, Franklin, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin Counties...
on September 25, 1955. He was installed
Enthronement
An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. This ritual is generally distinguished from a coronation because there is no crown or other regalia that is physically...
on the following October 12 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes.
In 1958 he led a pilgrimage
Christian pilgrimage
Christian pilgrimage was first made to sites connected with the ministry of Jesus. Surviving descriptions of Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land and Jerusalem date from the 4th century, when pilgrimage was encouraged by church fathers like Saint Jerome and established by Helena, the mother of...
of Spokane Catholics to the shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
s of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, including the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes or the Domain is an area of ground surrounding the shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes in the town of Lourdes, France...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes is the name used to refer to the Marian apparition said to have appeared before various individuals on separate occasions around Lourdes, France...
. He began a mission program in Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
with the Maryknoll Fathers
Maryknoll
Maryknoll is a name shared by three organizations that are part of the Roman Catholic Church and whose joint focus is on the overseas mission activity of the Catholic Church in the United States...
in 1960. He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
between 1962 and 1965. During his 22-year-long tenure, he established several parishes
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
and schools
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
, Mater Cleri Seminary, Bishop White Seminary on the Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
campus, Immaculate Heart Retreat House, homes for unwed mothers, and housing for the elderly.
Handling of Sex Abuse allegations
In 1974 Walter Abel was the supervising priest over Patrick O'Donnell. Even before his ordination concerns had been voiced about O'Donnell's sexual attraction to boys. Abel felt that O'Donnell was a pedophile and told the Diocesan Personnel Board it was essential that O'Donnell be moved quickly. Topel reassigned O'Donnell to a new parish where he abused more boys.Topel was nationally known for his austere lifestyle and devotion to the poor. He maintained a modest residence with neither heating nor a telephone. He received most of his food from his vegetable garden. He donated the profits from the sale of his crosier
Crosier
A crosier is the stylized staff of office carried by high-ranking Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheran and Pentecostal prelates...
and pectoral cross
Pectoral cross
A pectoral cross or pectorale is a cross, usually relatively large, suspended from the neck by a cord or chain that reaches well down the chest. It is worn by the clergy as an indication of their position, and is different from the small crosses worn on necklaces by many Christians, which have no...
to charity, and admitted that wearing an episcopal ring
Ecclesiastical ring
An ecclesiastical ring is a finger ring worn by a clergyman, such as a Bishop's ring.-Historical antecedents:St. Clement of Alexandria says that a man might lawfully wear a ring on his little finger, and that it should bear some religious emblem—a dove for the Holy Spirit, a fish for Christ or an...
made him feel "a bit out of kilter." He once declared, "I have come to the realization that the most important thing I can do in the church, and that applies to Christians in general, is to live simply in order to give money to the poor."
Later life and death
Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Topel retired as Bishop of Spokane on April 11, 1978. He served as Apostolic AdministratorApostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
of the diocese until the appointment of his successor, Lawrence Harold Welsh
Lawrence Harold Welsh
Lawrence Harold Welsh was the fourth Roman Catholic Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane from 1978-1989.-Life:Born in Winton, Wyoming, Welsh was ordained a priest on March 26, 1962...
. He later died at St. Joseph Care Center, aged 83.