Daniel M. Buechlein
Encyclopedia
Daniel Mark Buechlein, OSB
(born April 20, 1938) is an American prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as the fifth Archbishop of Indianapolis
until his resignation in September 2011; his replacement has not been named by Pope Benedict XVI, so the Archdiocese is a vacant see (sede vacante
).
, to Carl and Rose (née Blessinger) Buechlein, and made his solemn profession
as a Benedictine
monk
on August 15, 1963. He was ordained
to the priesthood
on May 3, 1964 at St. Meinrad Archabbey
. In August 1971 he was named President-Rector
of the Saint Meinrad School of Theology
. He assumed the post of President-Rector of Saint Meinrad College, in addition to his other duties, in 1982.
On January 20, 1987, Buechlein was appointed the third Bishop of Memphis, Tennessee
, by Pope John Paul II
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the March 2, 1987 from Archbishop Thomas Cajetan Kelly, OP
, with Archbishops James Stafford and Edward O'Meara serving as co-consecrators
. Buechlein was installed as the Memphis
ordinary
on the same day.
He later returned to Indiana upon being named the fifth Archbishop of Indianapolis
on July 14, 1992; Buechlein was installed as such by Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan on September 9, 1992. In 1995 he was appointed Co-moderator of the Disciples of Christ-Roman Catholic International Dialogue and as a consultor
to the Congregation for the Clergy
in the Roman Curia
in 2003.
Archbishop Buechlein wrote a weekly column entitled Seeking the Face of the Lord for the official archdiocesan newspaper.
, more commonly known as Hodgkin's disease, having experienced heavy fatigue and a swelling under his right arm and then undergoing medical tests on the previous January 13. He had expected that although his ministry would be slightly curtailed that the Archdiocese will continue to operate as usual. On June 20, 2008, Buechlein announced that his cancer was in remission and his regular routine would resume in August. In 2009, he had a shoulder replacement; in 2010, he had surgery to remove a benign tumor from his stomach, and in March 2011 he suffered a small stroke and was admitted to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis.
OnS eptember 21, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation for the reasons of health. Buechlein announced his plan to retire to the St. Meinrad Archabbey near his birthplace in southern Indiana.
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
(born April 20, 1938) is an American 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 the fifth Archbishop of Indianapolis
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis is a division of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It was originally erected as the Diocese of Vincennes, Indiana on May 6, 1834, and encompassed all of Indiana as well as the eastern third of Illinois...
until his resignation in September 2011; his replacement has not been named by Pope Benedict XVI, so the Archdiocese is a vacant see (sede vacante
Sede vacante
Sede vacante is an expression, used in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, that refers to the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church...
).
Biography
Daniel Buechlein was born in Jasper, IndianaJasper, Indiana
- Strassenfest :The Jasper Strassenfest is a four-day event held annually during the first weekend in August. The "Fest" is a celebration between Jasper and its German sister-city Pfaffenweiler, a small village in southwest Germany. Many citizens of Pfaffenweiler travel to Jasper around this time...
, to Carl and Rose (née Blessinger) Buechlein, and made his solemn profession
Profession (religious)
The term religious profession is defined in the 1983 Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church in relation to members of religious institutes as follows:By religious profession members make a public vow to observe the three evangelical counsels...
as a Benedictine
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
on August 15, 1963. He 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....
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....
on May 3, 1964 at St. Meinrad Archabbey
St. Meinrad Archabbey
Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Spencer County, Indiana, USA, was founded by monks from Einsiedeln Abbey on March 21, 1854, and is home to approximately 98 monks. It is one of only two archabbeys in the United States and one of 11 in the world....
. In August 1971 he was named President-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 the Saint Meinrad School of Theology
Saint Meinrad School of Theology
The Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology is located in Saint Meinrad in southern Indiana and is affiliated with the St. Meinrad Archabbey, which itself is affiliated with Einsiedeln Abbey in Switzerland...
. He assumed the post of President-Rector of Saint Meinrad College, in addition to his other duties, in 1982.
On January 20, 1987, Buechlein was appointed the third Bishop of Memphis, Tennessee
Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis is a Roman Catholic diocese in Tennessee. It was founded on June 20, 1970, when Pope Paul VI removed the counties in the state west of the Tennessee River from the Diocese of Nashville, which, prior to that time, encompassed the entire state.The diocese is...
, by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. 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 March 2, 1987 from Archbishop Thomas Cajetan Kelly, OP
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
, with Archbishops James Stafford and Edward O'Meara 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...
. Buechlein was installed as the Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
ordinary
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
on the same day.
He later returned to Indiana upon being named the fifth Archbishop of Indianapolis
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis is a division of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It was originally erected as the Diocese of Vincennes, Indiana on May 6, 1834, and encompassed all of Indiana as well as the eastern third of Illinois...
on July 14, 1992; Buechlein was installed as such by Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan on September 9, 1992. In 1995 he was appointed Co-moderator of the Disciples of Christ-Roman Catholic International Dialogue and as a consultor
Consultor
A consultor is one who gives counsel, i.e. a counselor.In the Catholic Church, it is a specific title for various advisory positions:*in the Roman Curia, a consultor is a specially appointed expert who may be called upon for advice desired by a department...
to the Congregation for the Clergy
Congregation for the Clergy
The Sacred Congregation for the Clergy is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for overseeing matters regarding priests and deacons not belonging to religious orders...
in the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
in 2003.
Archbishop Buechlein wrote a weekly column entitled Seeking the Face of the Lord for the official archdiocesan newspaper.
Health
On January 18, 2008, Buechlein was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphomaHodgkin's lymphoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma, previously known as Hodgkin's disease, is a type of lymphoma, which is a cancer originating from white blood cells called lymphocytes...
, more commonly known as Hodgkin's disease, having experienced heavy fatigue and a swelling under his right arm and then undergoing medical tests on the previous January 13. He had expected that although his ministry would be slightly curtailed that the Archdiocese will continue to operate as usual. On June 20, 2008, Buechlein announced that his cancer was in remission and his regular routine would resume in August. In 2009, he had a shoulder replacement; in 2010, he had surgery to remove a benign tumor from his stomach, and in March 2011 he suffered a small stroke and was admitted to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis.
OnS eptember 21, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation for the reasons of health. Buechlein announced his plan to retire to the St. Meinrad Archabbey near his birthplace in southern Indiana.