Clarence Edward Elwell
Encyclopedia
Clarence Edward Elwell was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Columbus
from 1968 until his death in 1973.
section of Cleveland
, Ohio
. After graduating from Holy Name High School
, he studied medicine
at St. Ignatius College for two years before switching to St. Mary Seminary in Lakeside
, where he began his studies for the priesthood
. He furthered his studies at the University of Innsbruck in Austria
, and was ordained
a priest there by Bishop Sigismund Waitz on March 17, 1929.
Upon his return to the United States
, Elwell served as an assistant priest
, teacher
, and assistant superintendent
of schools
in the Diocese of Cleveland
. He earned a Master's degree
in Education
from Case Western Reserve University
in 1934, and later his doctorate
from Harvard University
in 1938. Elwell was then named director of Catholic high school
s in Cleveland, becoming superintendent in 1946. He was raised to the rank of a monsignor
in 1949.
On November 5, 1962, Elwell was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Cleveland and Titular Bishop
of Cone by Pope John XXIII
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following December 21 from Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi
, with Bishops Floyd Lawrence Begin
and John Francis Whealon serving as co-consecrators
, at St. John's Cathedral
. He was later named the eighth Bishop of Columbus
on May 29, 1968, and installed
at St. Joseph's Cathedral on the following August 22.
During his tenure as Bishop, Elwell continued the implementation of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council
, initiated under his predecessor, John Carberry. An advocate of Catholic education
, he opened Tuscarawas Central Catholic High School
, William V. Fisher Catholic High School
, and Bishop Rosecrans High School
, as well as converting the seminary
into St. Charles College Preparatory School
. He also established Resurrection Cemetery in Columbus
, St. Peter Parish in Worthington
, Diocesan Sisters' Council, and Diocesan Pastoral Council, and significantly expanded the Diocesan Development Office, the Parish Aid Fund, and the diocesan self-insurance
program.
Elwell died at his residence in the chancery
, aged 69. He is buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Columbus.
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 Columbus
Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Ecclesiastical Province of Cincinnati covering 23 counties in Ohio. The episcopal see of the diocese is situated at Columbus, Ohio. The diocese was erected on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX out of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati...
from 1968 until his death in 1973.
Biography
Clarence Elwell was born in the Newburgh HeightsNewburgh Heights, Ohio
Newburgh Heights is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,167 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Newburgh Heights is located at ....
section of Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. After graduating from Holy Name High School
Holy Name High School
Holy Name High School is a private, Catholic, coeducational high school in Parma Heights, Ohio. It is a part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.-History:...
, he studied medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
at St. Ignatius College for two years before switching to St. Mary Seminary in Lakeside
Lakeside, Ohio
Lakeside is a private community and census-designated place in northern Ohio, United States, on the shores of Lake Erie. It was formed in 1873 by members of the Methodist Church and remains a church-affiliated vacation resort. It is one of only a few continuously operating Independent Chautauquas...
, where he began his studies for 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....
. He furthered his studies at the University of Innsbruck in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, and was ordained
Holy 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....
a priest there by Bishop Sigismund Waitz on March 17, 1929.
Upon his return to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Elwell served as an assistant priest
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
, teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, and assistant superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of 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...
in the Diocese of Cleveland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ohio. It was erected on April 23, 1847 by Pope Pius IX. The diocese lost territory in 1910 when the Diocese of Toledo was erected by Pope Pius X, and in 1943 when the Diocese of Youngstown was erected by Pope Pius XII...
. He 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
Master of Education
The Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...
from Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
in 1934, and later his doctorate
Doctor of Education
The Doctor of Education or Doctor in Education degree , in Latin, Doctor Educationis, is a research-oriented professional doctorate that prepares the student for academic, administrative, clinical, or research positions in educational, civil, and private organizations.-Differences between an Ed.D...
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...
in 1938. Elwell was then named director of Catholic high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s in Cleveland, becoming superintendent in 1946. He was raised to the rank of a monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 1949.
On November 5, 1962, Elwell was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Cleveland 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 Cone by Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
. He received his episcopal consecration
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....
on the following December 21 from Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi
Egidio Vagnozzi
Edigio Vagnozzi was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as the second president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See from 1968 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1967.-Biography:Egidio Vagnozzi was born in Rome to Francesco and Pasqua ...
, with Bishops Floyd Lawrence Begin
Floyd Lawrence Begin
Floyd Lawrence Begin was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Oakland from 1962 until his death in 1977.-Early life and education:...
and John Francis Whealon 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 St. John's Cathedral
St. John's Cathedral, Cleveland
In the 1830s, Catholics started to arrive in the Western Reserve region of Ohio, United States, so the Archdiocese of Cincinnati sent priests up to the Northeast Ohio area to serve. The first parish in Cleveland was St. Mary's of the Flats. In 1847, Pope Pius IX established the Catholic Diocese of...
. He was later named the eighth Bishop of Columbus
Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Ecclesiastical Province of Cincinnati covering 23 counties in Ohio. The episcopal see of the diocese is situated at Columbus, Ohio. The diocese was erected on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX out of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati...
on May 29, 1968, and 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...
at St. Joseph's Cathedral on the following August 22.
During his tenure as Bishop, Elwell continued the implementation of the reforms 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...
, initiated under his predecessor, John Carberry. An advocate of Catholic education
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...
, he opened Tuscarawas Central Catholic High School
Tuscarawas Central Catholic High School
Tuscarawas Central Catholic High School is a private, Catholic high school in New Philadelphia, Ohio. It is owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus. Their nickname is the Saints. Their school colors are black and gold.-History:...
, William V. Fisher Catholic High School
William V. Fisher Catholic High School
William V. Fisher Catholic High School is a private, Catholic high school in Lancaster, Ohio, USA. Its nickname is The Irish.-History:St. Mary High School was founded in 1891 in Lancaster, Ohio. It was renamed Bishop Fenwick High School in 1961. Fisher Catholic was built in 1971 at a new...
, and Bishop Rosecrans High School
Bishop Rosecrans High School
Bishop Rosecrans High School is a private, Catholic high school, operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus, located in Zanesville, Ohio. The school's athletic teams are known as the Bishops.-School history:...
, as well as converting the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
into St. Charles College Preparatory School
Saint Charles Preparatory School
Saint Charles Preparatory School is a four-year college preparatory school in Columbus, Ohio. It was founded in 1923 by the fourth Bishop of Columbus, James J. Hartley, as a Roman Catholic college seminary...
. He also established Resurrection Cemetery in 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...
, St. Peter Parish in Worthington
Worthington, Ohio
-Dissolution of the Company:By August 11, 1804 the plat maps were completed, payments or notes promising payments collected and deeds prepared for all sixteen thousand acres of the Scioto Company's purchase...
, Diocesan Sisters' Council, and Diocesan Pastoral Council, and significantly expanded the Diocesan Development Office, the Parish Aid Fund, and the diocesan self-insurance
Self insurance
Self insurance is a risk management method in which a calculated amount of money is set aside to compensate for the potential future loss.If self insurance is approached as a serious risk management technique, money is set aside using actuarial and insurance information and the law of large numbers...
program.
Elwell died at his residence in the chancery
Diocesan chancery
A diocesan chancery is the branch of administration which handles all written documents used in the official government of a Roman Catholic or Anglican diocese....
, aged 69. He is buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Columbus.