Karl Joseph Alter
Encyclopedia
Karl Joseph Alter was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Toledo
(1931–50) and Archbishop of Cincinnati
(1950–69).
, Ohio
, to John P. and Elizabeth (née Kuttner) Alter. His father was a cigar manufacturer and liquor dealer. He attended St. John's High School
, and was a member of the first graduating class of St. John's College
in 1905. He made his theological studies at St. Mary's Seminary in Cleveland.
to the priesthood
. He then served as administrator of St. Mary's Church in Leipsic
until 1912, when he became a curate
at St. John's Church in Lima
. In 1914, he was appointed the first diocesan director of Catholic Charities
, coordinating various charitable organizations in the diocese into one agency. During this period, he also served as vice-president of the Toledo Social Service Foundation, a trustee of the Toledo Red Cross
and of the Toledo Society for the Blind, and a member of the children's division of the state department of public welfare.
He was a lecturer in sociology
at St. John's College and at Mary Manse College
from 1914 to 1930. He earned a Master's degree
from St. John's in 1923 and a doctorate
in 1929. In 1929, he was named director of the School of Social Service at the Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C.
While in Washington, he also served as chairman of the speakers' committee for the Catholic Hour radio program.
by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following June 17 from Archbishop John T. McNicholas
, with Bishops Augustus John Schwertner
and Joseph H. Albers
serving as co-consecrators
. He was the first native son of the diocese to become its bishop. He founded the Catholic Chronicle in 1934. In 1938, he deplored religious persecution in Germany
and unrest in the Holy Land
. Along with fellow American bishops, Alter publicly criticized the Moscow Agreement
of 1943. In 1944, he drafted a proposal for a joint declaration on world peace by Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant leaders.
Following World War II
, he offered a 10-point program for economic security; among his points were such contemporary ideas as wage equalization on the basis of cost of living, representation of laborers on a firm's board of trustees, profit-sharing, and special consideration for persons living on fixed incomes. During his tenure as bishop, the construction of Rosary Cathedral
was completed and an addition to Central Catholic High School
was built. He established DeSales College in 1942 and donated a 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) parcel of land in East Toledo for the construction of St. Charles Hospital.
on June 14, 1950. During his administration, he established 98 churches, 94 elementary schools, 14 high schools, 79 rectories, and 55 convents. He also instituted a priests' senate and an archdiocesan school board composed of lay members, and encouraged the formation of parish councils. He undertook a restoration of Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral
.
Within the National Catholic Welfare Conference
, he served two terms as vice- chairman (1950–52, 1956–58), two terms as chairman (1952–55, 1958–62), and one term as secretary (1962–66). As chairman of the NCWC, he issued a protest against religious and racial discrimination in June 1960. Between 1962 to 1965, Alter attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council
, having previously served on the Central Preparatory Commission
. At the Council, he sat on the Commissions for Bishops and for the Government of Dioceses. He discontinued first grade
s in Cincinnati parochial schools
in 1964 because of high costs and overcrowded classrooms. However, Alter did not believe that this would greatly interfere with children's religious education
He resigned as Cincinnati's archbishop on July 19, 1969, after nineteen years of service. At the same time Alter was appointed Titular Archbishop
of Minora, a post from which he stepped down on December 31, 1970.
Alter died in Cincinnati at age 92. Archbishop Alter High School
in Dayton
is named in his honor, as was the former Alter Elementary (now All Saints Catholic School) in Rossford, Ohio
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
clergyman 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 Toledo
Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo is a Roman Catholic diocese covering nineteen counties in Ohio. It was established April 15, 1910. Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral is the mother church of the diocese.-Bishops:...
(1931–50) and Archbishop of Cincinnati
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas. The Archbishop of Cincinnati is Most Rev...
(1950–69).
Early life
Karl Alter was born in ToledoToledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, to John P. and Elizabeth (née Kuttner) Alter. His father was a cigar manufacturer and liquor dealer. He attended St. John's High School
St. John's High School (Delphos, Ohio)
St. John's High School is a Catholic private high school located in Delphos, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo.-Ohio High School Athletic Association state championships:* Football - 1997,1998,1999,2005,2008,2010...
, and was a member of the first graduating class of St. John's College
St. John's Jesuit High School and Academy
St. John's Jesuit High School and Academy comprises two schools on the same campus: St. John's Jesuit High School and St. John's Jesuit Academy. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo. Both are private, all-male Jesuit schools in Toledo, Ohio.-History:St. John's was founded...
in 1905. He made his theological studies at St. Mary's Seminary in Cleveland.
Priesthood
On June 4, 1910, Alter was ordainedHoly 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....
. He then served as administrator of St. Mary's Church in Leipsic
Leipsic, Ohio
Leipsic is a village in Putnam County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,236 at the 2000 census.-History:Leipsic was platted in 1857....
until 1912, when he became 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 St. John's Church in Lima
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
. In 1914, he was appointed the first diocesan director of Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities is a network of charities whose aim is "to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same." It is one of the largest charities in the United States...
, coordinating various charitable organizations in the diocese into one agency. During this period, he also served as vice-president of the Toledo Social Service Foundation, a trustee of the Toledo Red Cross
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
and of the Toledo Society for the Blind, and a member of the children's division of the state department of public welfare.
He was a lecturer in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at St. John's College and at Mary Manse College
Mary Manse College
Mary Manse College was a Catholic institution of higher education located in Toledo, Ohio from 1922 until 1975. The college was founded in 1922 at the request of the Bishop of Toledo, Samuel Stritch. Operated by the Ursuline Order of nuns, Mary Manse opened in September 1922 with thirty students...
from 1914 to 1930. He earned a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from St. John's in 1923 and a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in 1929. In 1929, he was named director of the School of Social Service 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....
While in Washington, he also served as chairman of the speakers' committee for the Catholic Hour radio program.
Toledo
On April 17, 1931, Alter was appointed the third Bishop of ToledoRoman Catholic Diocese of Toledo
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo is a Roman Catholic diocese covering nineteen counties in Ohio. It was established April 15, 1910. Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral is the mother church of the diocese.-Bishops:...
by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. 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 following June 17 from Archbishop John T. McNicholas
John T. McNicholas
John Timothy McNicholas, O.P. was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. A Dominican, he served as Bishop of Duluth and Archbishop of Cincinnati .-Early life and education:...
, with Bishops Augustus John Schwertner
Augustus John Schwertner
Augustus John Schwertner was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wichita from 1921 until his death in 1939.-Biography:...
and Joseph H. Albers
Joseph H. Albers
Joseph H. Albers D.D. was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1929 at the age of 38, he was consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati, making him one of the youngest Roman Catholic bishops in the country. He continued in this role until he was assigned to establish the new Diocese of Lansing, Michigan...
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 the first native son of the diocese to become its bishop. He founded the Catholic Chronicle in 1934. In 1938, he deplored religious persecution in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and unrest in the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
. Along with fellow American bishops, Alter publicly criticized the Moscow Agreement
Moscow Declaration
The Moscow Declaration was signed during the Moscow Conference on October 30, 1943. The formal name of the declaration was "Declaration of the Four Nations on General Security". It was signed by the foreign secretaries of the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union...
of 1943. In 1944, he drafted a proposal for a joint declaration on world peace by Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant leaders.
Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he offered a 10-point program for economic security; among his points were such contemporary ideas as wage equalization on the basis of cost of living, representation of laborers on a firm's board of trustees, profit-sharing, and special consideration for persons living on fixed incomes. During his tenure as bishop, the construction of Rosary Cathedral
Rosary Cathedral (Toledo, Ohio)
Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located at 2535 Collingwood Boulevard in the Old West End of Toledo, Ohio. The cathedral is the mother church of the 163 parishes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo. This cathedral is unique architecturally in that...
was completed and an addition to Central Catholic High School
Central Catholic High School (Toledo, Ohio)
Central Catholic High School , is a Catholic, co-educational, college prep secondary school in Toledo, Ohio. It is operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo and is the largest Catholic high school in the area. CCHS was founded as Cathedral High School in 1919, with its name change in 1920...
was built. He established DeSales College in 1942 and donated a 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) parcel of land in East Toledo for the construction of St. Charles Hospital.
Cincinnati
Following the death of Archbishop McNicholas, Alter was appointed the fifth Archbishop of CincinnatiRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas. The Archbishop of Cincinnati is Most Rev...
on June 14, 1950. During his administration, he established 98 churches, 94 elementary schools, 14 high schools, 79 rectories, and 55 convents. He also instituted a priests' senate and an archdiocesan school board composed of lay members, and encouraged the formation of parish councils. He undertook a restoration of Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral
Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral
Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It is a Greek revival structure located at 8th and Plum Streets in downtown Cincinnati...
.
Within the National Catholic Welfare Conference
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
, he served two terms as vice- chairman (1950–52, 1956–58), two terms as chairman (1952–55, 1958–62), and one term as secretary (1962–66). As chairman of the NCWC, he issued a protest against religious and racial discrimination in June 1960. Between 1962 to 1965, Alter 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...
, having previously served on the Central Preparatory Commission
Central Preparatory Commission
The Central Preparatory Commission was the body that co-ordinated the preparation of the schemas for the Second Vatican Council. It was established by Pope John XXIII on June 5, 1960...
. At the Council, he sat on the Commissions for Bishops and for the Government of Dioceses. He discontinued first grade
First grade
First grade is a year of primary education in schools in the United States and English-speaking provinces of Canada. It is the first school year after kindergarten...
s in Cincinnati parochial schools
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
in 1964 because of high costs and overcrowded classrooms. However, Alter did not believe that this would greatly interfere with children's religious education
Religious education
In secular usage, religious education is the teaching of a particular religion and its varied aspects —its beliefs, doctrines, rituals, customs, rites, and personal roles...
He resigned as Cincinnati's archbishop on July 19, 1969, after nineteen years of service. At the same time Alter was appointed Titular Archbishop
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 Minora, a post from which he stepped down on December 31, 1970.
Alter died in Cincinnati at age 92. Archbishop Alter High School
Archbishop Alter High School
Archbishop Alter High School, also known as Alter High School, is a Catholic high school in Kettering, Ohio, United States. It is operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati and is named after Archbishop Karl Joseph Alter.-History:...
in Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
is named in his honor, as was the former Alter Elementary (now All Saints Catholic School) in Rossford, Ohio
Rossford, Ohio
Rossford is a city in Wood County, Ohio, United States, along the Maumee River. The population was 6,406 at the 2000 census. The town includes the intersection of Interstate 75 and the Ohio Turnpike.- History :...
.