John Henry Luers
Encyclopedia
Appointment of Catholic bishops
The appointment of bishops in the Catholic Church is a complicated process. Outgoing bishops, neighbouring bishops, the faithful, the apostolic nuncio, various members of the Roman Curia, and the pope all have a role in the selection...
first bishop
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....
of Fort Wayne, Indiana
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is a Roman Catholic diocese in north-central and northeastern Indiana. The Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades was appointed diocesan bishop by Pope Benedict XVI on November 14, 2009, and was installed on January 13, 2010...
, and consecrated in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, 10 January 1858.
Luers was born near Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
and emigrated to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1831. He was ordained a priest
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....
in Cincinnati on November 11, 1846. Entering upon the administration of the new diocese, he devoted himself zealously to the founding of new parishes and missions, provided a home for the orphans, and built a cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
. His endeavours were substantially assisted by his dioecesan priest Eduard König. Via his connections to German priests, especially Heinrich Spaller of Gelsenkirchen, he negotiated since 1866 for members of a German religious congregation, namely the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ
Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ
The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ is a religious order of Catholic women. The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ American Province has its motherhouse in Donaldson, Indiana.-Ministries:...
(PHJC) of Dernbach / Westerwald to come to the USA. The members of this community were widely known for their thorough training in nursing and schooling. In Germany they were among the very first nursing sisters who received training from a university trained medic instead, as it was thence usual, only from fellow nurses. On August 24, 1868 the first sisters of this congregation settled in Hessen Kasssel, in his diocese. Bishop Luers was very impressed by their work. In due course he encouraged the congregation to send more sisters. This happened in 1869, 1872, 1873, 1875 and 1885. Already in the second year of their arrival (1869) locals joined the congregation, being impressed by their example of work, attitude and charism. With these undertakings, Bishop Luers lay ground for a regional system of schools and a medical system. He fostered their endeavours throughout his lifetime. This positive supportive attitude was continued by his successor in office Joseph Gregory Dwenger
Joseph Gregory Dwenger
Joseph Gregory Dwenger was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Fort Wayne .Dwenger was born near Minster, Ohio, in 1837. Orphaned at an early age, he was educated by the Fathers of the Precious Blood, entered their community, and was ordained priest 4 September 1859...
.
In June, 1871, during a vacancy of the see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
of 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 was called to that city to confer ordination on a number of seminarians. After the function, on his way to the train, he suffered an apoplectic stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
and fell dead. At the time of Bishop Luers' death, there were, in the Diocese of Fort Wayne, 69 priests, 75 churches, 10 chapels, one hospital, one orphan asylum
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
, one college, 11 academies for girls, 40 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, and a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
population estimated at 50,000.
The Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
order founded Bishop Luers High School
Bishop Luers High School
Bishop Luers High School is a Catholic high school located on the south side of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Bishop Luers is owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. The school was founded in 1958 by the Franciscan Fathers of the Saint John the Baptist Province in...
in 1958 in Fort Wayne which currently enrolls approximately 550 students.