George Albert Hammes
Encyclopedia
George Albert Hammes was the eighth Roman Catholic
Bishop
of the Diocese of Superior
, Wisconsin
from 1960 to 1985. Bishop Hammes was born in St. Joseph, Wisconsin
in the town
of Greenfield
, in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. He was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood on May 22, 1937 for the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse
. Father Hammes was
chancellor
under Bishop John Patrick Treacy
and taught at Aquinas High School
in La Crosse, Wisconsin
.
On March 28, 1960, Pope John XXIII
appointed him to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Superior and he was consecrated Bishop on May 24, 1960. Bishop Hammes retired on
June 27, 1985 and died in La Crosse, Wisconsin; he was buried in Superior, Wisconsin
.
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...
Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Diocese of Superior
Roman Catholic Diocese of Superior
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Superior is in northern Wisconsin. It comprises the city of Superior and the counties of Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Lincoln, Oneida, Price, Polk, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Vilas, and Washburn in Wisconsin, with an area of...
, 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...
from 1960 to 1985. Bishop Hammes was born in St. Joseph, Wisconsin
St. Joseph, Wisconsin
St. Joseph is a town in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,436 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Burkhardt, and Houlton are located in the town.-Geography:...
in the town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
of Greenfield
Greenfield, La Crosse County, Wisconsin
Greenfield is a town in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the La Crosse, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,538 at the 2000 census. The census-designated place of St...
, in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. He was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood on May 22, 1937 for the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse
Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse
The Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse covers an area of west-central Wisconsin, including the city of La Crosse and 19 counties: Adams, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Crawford, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Marathon, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Portage, Richland, Trempealeau, Vernon, and...
. Father Hammes was
chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
under Bishop John Patrick Treacy
John Patrick Treacy
John Patrick Treacy was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of La Crosse from 1948 until his death in 1964.-Biography:...
and taught at Aquinas High School
Aquinas High School (La Crosse, Wisconsin)
Aquinas High School is a Roman Catholic high school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin.-History:The high school was dedicated on September 2, 1928 in honor of Thomas Aquinas by Bishop Alexander Joseph McGavick of the Diocese of La Crosse. The first graduating class of 1929 consisted of four girls...
in La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
.
On March 28, 1960, 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...
appointed him to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Superior and he was consecrated Bishop on May 24, 1960. Bishop Hammes retired on
June 27, 1985 and died in La Crosse, Wisconsin; he was buried in Superior, Wisconsin
Superior, 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...
.
Sources
- Fisher, Father Gerald Edward, Dusk is My Dawn:The First Hundred Years of the Diocese of La Crosse, 1969, pg.160. Paragraph about Bishop Hammes.
- Aquinas News, Aquinas High School, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 'Msgr. Hammes Bishop-Elect of Superior', April 29, 1960, vol. 29, no. 8, pg.1. Article about Monsignor Hammes appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Superior. Monsignor Hammes taught religion and Latin at Aquinas High School from 1938 until 1942.