Caspar Henry Borgess
Encyclopedia
Caspar Henry Borgess was the second Roman Catholic bishop
of Detroit, Michigan
.
He was born in Hanover
, Germany
, and emigrated to the United States
as a child. He completed his classical and theological studies at St. Xavier's College in Cincinnati
and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
in Philadelphia. He was ordained as a priest
on December 8, 1847 at Cincinnati, after which he was stationed for ten years at Columbus
.
In 1859, he was made rector
of St. Peter's Cathedral
in Cincinnati, and remained there until he was consecrated titular Bishop of Calydon
and administrator of Detroit on April 24, 1870. The first bishop of Detroit, Frederick Rese
, became demented four years after his consecration and was called to Rome
. He never resigned his charge and lived until December 30, 1871. As a consequence, Detroit was ruled by an administrator for thirty years, and Borgess assumed the title of bishop in 1871. He resigned the see April 16, 1888, and spent his last days in retirement, having received the titular see of Phacusites. He died at Kalamazoo, Michigan
.
Kalamazoo, Michigan's Borgess Hospital, now Borgess Medical Center, was named for Caspar Henry Borgess by its founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph, in 1889.
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....
of Detroit, Michigan
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church covering the Michigan counties of Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne...
.
He was born in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a child. He completed his classical and theological studies at St. Xavier's College in Cincinnati
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...
and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary is the seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Named for Charles Borromeo, it is located in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania,...
in Philadelphia. He was ordained as a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
on December 8, 1847 at Cincinnati, after which he was stationed for ten years at Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
In 1859, he was made rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St. Peter's Cathedral
Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral
Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It is a Greek revival structure located at 8th and Plum Streets in downtown Cincinnati...
in Cincinnati, and remained there until he was consecrated titular Bishop of Calydon
Calydon
Calydon was an ancient Greek city in Aetolia, situated on the west bank of the river Evenus. According to Greek mythology, the city took its name from its founder Calydon, son of Aetolus. Close to the city stood Mount Zygos, the slopes of which provided the setting for the hunt of the Calydonian...
and administrator of Detroit on April 24, 1870. The first bishop of Detroit, Frederick Rese
Frederick Rese
Frederick Rese was an American Roman Catholic bishop who served as the first Catholic bishop of diocese of Detroit from 1833 to 1837....
, became demented four years after his consecration and was called to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He never resigned his charge and lived until December 30, 1871. As a consequence, Detroit was ruled by an administrator for thirty years, and Borgess assumed the title of bishop in 1871. He resigned the see April 16, 1888, and spent his last days in retirement, having received the titular see of Phacusites. He died at Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
.
Kalamazoo, Michigan's Borgess Hospital, now Borgess Medical Center, was named for Caspar Henry Borgess by its founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph, in 1889.