Francis Joseph Schenk
Encyclopedia
Francis Joseph Schenk was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Crookston
(1945–60) and Bishop of Duluth
(1960–69).
, Wisconsin
, to Nicholas and Frances Mary (née Fischer) Schenk. He attended St. Thomas Academy
in Mendota Heights
, Minnesota
, from 1915 to 1918, and earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the College of St. Thomas
in St. Paul
in 1922. He then studied for the priesthood
at St. Paul Seminary
, receiving a Bachelor of Sacred Theology
degree in 1926.
Schenk was ordained
a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
on June 13, 1926. He continued his studies at the Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C.
, where he earned a doctorate in canon law
in 1928. Following his return to Minnesota, he served as secretary to Archbishop Austin Dowling
from 1928 to 1930. He served as vice-chancellor
of the archdiocese (1930–34) and a professor at St. Paul Seminary (1934–42). From 1942 to 1945, he served as vicar general
of the archdiocese and rector
of the Cathedral of St. Paul.
On March 10, 1945, Schenk was appointed the third Bishop of Crookston
by Pope Pius XII
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following May 24 from Archbishop John Murray
, with Bishops Thomas Anthony Welch
and Aloisius Joseph Muench
serving as co-consecrators
. During his tenure in Crookston, he established over 30 new churches, founded Our Northland Diocese newspaper, and organized diocesan offices of the Catholic Social Service Agency and the Catholic Youth Organization
. He also founded summer boarding schools for children of the thousands of Mexican
migrant worker
s who worked in the diocese.
Following the death of Bishop Welch, Schenk was appointed the fourth Bishop of Duluth
by Pope John XXIII
on January 27, 1960. Between 1962 and 1965, he attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council
in Rome. He retired on April 30, 1969, and died six months later at age 68.
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 Crookston
Roman Catholic Diocese of Crookston
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Crookston is a Roman Catholic diocese in Minnesota. It was founded on December 31, 1909. It covers the northwest section of Minnesota.The bishops of the diocese are:*Timothy J...
(1945–60) and Bishop of Duluth
Roman Catholic Diocese of Duluth
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Duluth is a Roman Catholic diocese in Minnesota. The episcopal see is in Duluth, Minnesota. It was established on October 3, 1889 by Pope Leo XIII. The diocese includes Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Cook, Crow Wing, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Pine and St...
(1960–69).
Biography
Francis Schenk was born in SuperiorSuperior, Wisconsin
Superior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 26,960 at the 2010 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 53, it is north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is at the western...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, to Nicholas and Frances Mary (née Fischer) Schenk. He attended St. Thomas Academy
Saint Thomas Academy
Saint Thomas Academy , originally known as Saint Thomas Aquinas Seminary, and formerly known as Saint Thomas Military Academy is the only all male, Roman Catholic, college-preparatory, military high school in Minnesota. It is located in Mendota Heights near Saint Paul...
in Mendota Heights
Mendota Heights, Minnesota
At the 2000 census, there were 11,434 people, 4,178 households and 3,237 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,222.2 per square mile . There were 4,252 housing units at an average density of 454.5 per square mile...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, from 1915 to 1918, and earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the College of St. Thomas
University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
The University of St. Thomas is a private, Catholic, liberal arts, and archdiocesan university located in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States...
in St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
in 1922. He then studied 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....
at St. Paul Seminary
Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity
The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity, located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, was founded by Archbishop John Ireland in 1894, to provide ordained priests for the ever-increasing Catholic population of the Upper Midwest. The seminary now sits on the south campus of the University of St. Thomas,...
, receiving a Bachelor of Sacred Theology
Bachelor of Sacred Theology
The Bachelor of Sacred Theology is a graduate-level academic degree in theology.The Bachelor of Sacred Theology is offered by a number of Pontifical Universities. It is sometimes offered as a graduate degree, for students who have already completed a B.A. or other first degree...
degree in 1926.
Schenk 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 for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is led by the prelature of an archbishop which administers the archdiocese from the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis...
on June 13, 1926. He continued his studies at 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....
, where he earned a doctorate in canon law
Doctor of Canon Law
Doctor of Canon Law is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.It may also be abbreviated I.C.D. or dr.iur.can. , ICDr., D.C.L., D.Cnl., D.D.C., or D.Can.L. . Doctor of both laws are J.U.D...
in 1928. Following his return to Minnesota, he served as secretary to Archbishop Austin Dowling
Austin Dowling
Austin Dowling was the second Archbishop and fourth bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. He was appointed on January 31, 1919 and held the office to his death...
from 1928 to 1930. He served as vice-chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
of the archdiocese (1930–34) and a professor at St. Paul Seminary (1934–42). From 1942 to 1945, he served as vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the archdiocese and 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 Cathedral of St. Paul.
On March 10, 1945, Schenk was appointed the third Bishop of Crookston
Roman Catholic Diocese of Crookston
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Crookston is a Roman Catholic diocese in Minnesota. It was founded on December 31, 1909. It covers the northwest section of Minnesota.The bishops of the diocese are:*Timothy J...
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 May 24 from Archbishop John Murray
John Murray (archbishop)
John Gregory Murray was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Saint Paul from 1931 until his death in 1956, having previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford and Bishop of Portland .-Early life and education:John Murray was born in Waterbury,...
, with Bishops Thomas Anthony Welch
Thomas Anthony Welch
Thomas Anthony Welch was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Duluth from 1926 until his death in 1959.-Biography:...
and Aloisius Joseph Muench
Aloisius Joseph Muench
Aloisius Joseph Muench was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Fargo from 1935 to 1959, and as Apostolic Nuncio to Germany from 1951 to 1959...
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...
. During his tenure in Crookston, he established over 30 new churches, founded Our Northland Diocese newspaper, and organized diocesan offices of the Catholic Social Service Agency and the Catholic Youth Organization
Catholic Youth Organization
A Catholic Youth Organization is an organization for young Catholics. Usually each group uses the church for meeting and gathering, although some have their own premises. It was initiated by Bishop Bernard J...
. He also founded summer boarding schools for children of the thousands of Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
migrant worker
Migrant worker
The term migrant worker has different official meanings and connotations in different parts of the world. The United Nations' definition is broad, including any people working outside of their home country...
s who worked in the diocese.
Following the death of Bishop Welch, Schenk was appointed the fourth Bishop of Duluth
Roman Catholic Diocese of Duluth
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Duluth is a Roman Catholic diocese in Minnesota. The episcopal see is in Duluth, Minnesota. It was established on October 3, 1889 by Pope Leo XIII. The diocese includes Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Cook, Crow Wing, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Pine and St...
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...
on January 27, 1960. Between 1962 and 1965, 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...
in Rome. He retired on April 30, 1969, and died six months later at age 68.