Emmanuel Boleslaus Ledvina
Encyclopedia
Emmanuel Boleslaus Ledvina (October 28, 1868—December 15, 1952) was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Corpus Christi
from 1921 to 1949.
, Indiana
, to George Emmanuel and Mary (née Kiefer) Ledvina. His father was a native of Bohemia
, and worked as an architect
and construction engineer
. After attending parochial school
s in Evansville and St. Louis
, Missouri
, he returned to Indiana and entered St. Meinrad's College
in 1883. He was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop Silas Chatard
on March 18, 1893. Ledvina then served as a curate
at Holy Trinity Church in Evansville and afterwards at St. John's Pro-Cathedral in Indianapolis
. From 1895 to 1907, he was pastor
of St. Joseph's Church in Princeton
. He became vice-president
and general secretary
of the Catholic Church Extension Society
in 1907. He was later named a Domestic Prelate
in 1918, and an honorary canon
of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
in 1919.
On April 30, 1921, Ledvina was appointed the second Bishop of Corpus Christi
, Texas
, by Pope Benedict XV
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following June 14 from Bishop Joseph Chartrand
, with Bishops Cornelius Van de Ven
and Joseph Patrick Lynch
serving as co-consecrators
. He was installed
at Corpus Christi on July 12, 1921. During his tenure, he increased the number of priests from 32 to 160, and erected over 50 churches, 53 mission chapel
s, and 47 rectories
. He was named an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
in 1931. He constructed Corpus Christi Cathedral in 1940, and a chancery
office in 1947. He invited the Benedictine
monks of Subiaco Abbey
to establish a community in the diocese and staff a new high school
. He also became known for his efforts among Mexican American
Catholics in South Texas
and for his opposition to the Ku Klux Klan
.
After twenty-seven years as bishop, Ledvina resigned due to poor health on March 15, 1949; he was appointed Titular Bishop
of Pitanae on the same date. He later died at age 84, and is buried in a crypt
under the main altar
of Corpus Christi Cathedral.
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 Corpus Christi
Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi is a Roman Catholic diocese in Texas. It was founded on March 23, 1912.The past bishops of the diocese are:*Dominic Manucy *Peter Verdaguer y Prat...
from 1921 to 1949.
Biography
Emmanuel Ledvina was born in EvansvilleEvansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, to George Emmanuel and Mary (née Kiefer) Ledvina. His father was a native of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, and worked as an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and construction engineer
Construction engineering
Construction engineering is a professional discipline that deals with the designing, planning, construction, and management of infrastructures such as highways, bridges, airports, railroads, buildings, dams, and utilities. Construction Engineers are unique such that they are a cross between civil...
. After attending parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
s in Evansville and St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, he returned to Indiana and entered St. Meinrad's College
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...
in 1883. 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....
by Bishop Silas Chatard
Silas Chatard
Silas Francis Marean Chatard was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Indianapolis in the United States.He was born Francis Chatard in Baltimore, Maryland on December 13, 1834...
on March 18, 1893. Ledvina then served as a curate
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...
at Holy Trinity Church in Evansville and afterwards at St. John's Pro-Cathedral in Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. From 1895 to 1907, he was pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of St. Joseph's Church in Princeton
Princeton, Indiana
The median income for a household in the city was $26,689, and the median income for a family was $37,308. Males had a median income of $28,076 versus $19,825 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,049...
. He became vice-president
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
and general secretary
General Secretary
The office of general secretary is staffed by the chief officer of:*The General Secretariat for Macedonia and Thrace, a government agency for the Greek regions of Macedonia and Thrace...
of the Catholic Church Extension Society
Catholic Church Extension Society
The Catholic Church Extension Society of the United States of America is a charitable organization affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church that seeks to support the Church's activities in under-resourced and isolated communities in the United States...
in 1907. He was later named a Domestic Prelate
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 1918, and an honorary canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a Roman Catholic church, minor basilica and National Shrine of Mexico in the north of Mexico City. The shrine was built nearby the place where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin...
in 1919.
On April 30, 1921, Ledvina was appointed the second Bishop of Corpus Christi
Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi is a Roman Catholic diocese in Texas. It was founded on March 23, 1912.The past bishops of the diocese are:*Dominic Manucy *Peter Verdaguer y Prat...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, by Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
. 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 June 14 from Bishop Joseph Chartrand
Joseph Chartrand
Joseph Chartrand was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Indianapolis from 1918 until his death.-Biography:...
, with Bishops Cornelius Van de Ven
Cornelius Van de Ven
Cornelius Van de Ven was the Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana, Louisiana....
and Joseph Patrick Lynch
Joseph Patrick Lynch
Joseph Patrick Lynch was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Dallas from 1911 until his death in 1954. He remains the longest-serving Catholic bishop in the United States....
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...
. 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...
at Corpus Christi on July 12, 1921. During his tenure, he increased the number of priests from 32 to 160, and erected over 50 churches, 53 mission chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s, and 47 rectories
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
. He was named an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
Assistant at the Pontifical Throne is an ecclesiastical title in the Roman Catholic Church. It signifies a prelate belonging to the papal chapel, who stands near the throne of the Pope at solemn functions....
in 1931. He constructed Corpus Christi Cathedral in 1940, and a 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....
office in 1947. He invited the 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...
monks of Subiaco Abbey
Subiaco Abbey and Academy
Subiaco Abbey is a Benedictine monastery located in Logan County, Arkansas, United States, in the Arkansas River valley. Subiaco Abbey and its associated academy are major features of the town of Subiaco, Arkansas. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock. It is named after...
to establish a community in the diocese and staff a new 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....
. He also became known for his efforts among Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
Catholics in South Texas
South Texas
South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of and including San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 3.7 million. The southern portion of this region is...
and for his opposition to the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
.
After twenty-seven years as bishop, Ledvina resigned due to poor health on March 15, 1949; he was appointed 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 Pitanae on the same date. He later died at age 84, and is buried in a crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
under the main altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
of Corpus Christi Cathedral.