Louis Joseph Reicher
Encyclopedia
Louis Joseph Reicher was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He was the first Bishop of Austin
, Texas
(1948-1971).
, Ohio
, to Jacob and Marie (née Krebsbach) Reicher. He attended St. James's College
in Ontario
, Canada
, from 1905 to 1911. After returning to Ohio, he studied at Mount St. Mary's Seminary
in Cincinnati
for a year before going into work for U.S. Steel
. In 1916, he was accepted as a seminarian
in the Diocese of Galveston
, Texas
, and entered St. Mary's Seminary in La Porte
. He was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop Christopher Edward Byrne
on December 6, 1918.
Reicher then served as chancellor
of the Diocese of Galveston from 1918 to 1947. During this period, he also served as chaplain
to Dominican Sisters
in Galveston, vicar for religious
, member of the Administrative Council, and fouding pastor
of St. Christopher's Church in Houston
from 1923 to 1941. He was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate
in March 1935 and a Protonotary Apostolic
in July 1940. Using an initial capital
of $3,000 saved from his career as a steelworker, he made several wise investments and eventually became a millionaire
. He used his personal assets to place the diocese on sound financial ground, and maintained those conditions throughout the Great Depression
.
On November 29, 1947, Reicher was appointed the first Bishop
of the Diocese of Austin
by Pope Pius XII
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on April 14, 1948 from Bishop Christopher Byrne, with Bishops Joseph H. Albers
and Mariano Simon Garriga
serving as co-consecrators
. On the following May 13, he was installed
by Archbishop Robert Emmet Lucey
at St. Mary's Church
in Austin
; in attendance were former Governor Dan Moody
, Governor Beauford H. Jester
, and Mayor Robert Thomas Miller
. During his tenure, he built or restored over 200 churches and facilities, including a chancery
office, Holy Cross Hospital, Newman Centre
s on five college campuses, and six church-sponsored, low-rent housing projects. Between 1962 and 1965, he attended the Second Vatican Council
, where he contributed to the conciliar document on religious freedom
, Dignitatis Humanae
. He was a strong opponent of communism
and supporter of civil rights.
After twenty-three years of service, Reicher resigned as bishop on November 15, 1971. He retired to his ranch
on Lake Austin
, where he later died at age 93.
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 was the first Bishop of Austin
Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin includes 125 parishes, or faith communities, in 25 counties in Central Texas. The diocese stretches from West, Texas, in the north to San Marcos in the south to the Bryan/College Station area in the east to Mason in the west...
, 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...
(1948-1971).
Biography
Louis Reicher was born in PiquaPiqua, Ohio
Piqua is a city in Miami County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,738 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.Piqua was one of the cities that experienced severe flooding during the Great Dayton Flood of 1913....
, 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 Jacob and Marie (née Krebsbach) Reicher. He attended St. James's College
St. Jerome's University
Saint Jerome's University is a public Roman Catholic university in Waterloo, Ontario. It is federated with the University of Waterloo.St. Jerome's, within the University of Waterloo, combines academics and a residence. Students may both reside at and take classes through St...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, from 1905 to 1911. After returning to Ohio, he studied at Mount St. Mary's Seminary
Athenaeum of Ohio
The Athenaeum of Ohio – Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West, originally St. Francis Xavier Seminary, is the third-oldest Roman Catholic seminary in the United States and is currently located at 6616 Beechmont Avenue in the Cincinnati, Ohio neighborhood of Mt. Washington, in the former Saint...
in Cincinnati
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...
for a year before going into work for U.S. Steel
U.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
. In 1916, he was accepted as a seminarian
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in the Diocese of Galveston
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston encompasses of ten counties in the southeastern area of Texas: Galveston; Harris; Austin; Brazoria; Fort Bend; Grimes; Montgomery; San Jacinto; Walker; and Waller.The chancery of the diocese is located in Downtown Houston. The Archdiocese's...
, 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...
, and entered St. Mary's Seminary in La Porte
La Porte, Texas
La Porte is a city in Harris County, Texas within the Bay Area of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 31,880...
. 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 Christopher Edward Byrne
Christopher Edward Byrne
Christopher Edward Byrne was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Galveston from 1918 until his death in 1950.-Biography:...
on December 6, 1918.
Reicher then served as 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 Diocese of Galveston from 1918 to 1947. During this period, he also served as chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
to Dominican Sisters
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
in Galveston, vicar for religious
Consecrated life (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, the term "consecrated life" denotes a stable form of Christian living by those faithful who feel called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way recognized by the Church...
, member of the Administrative Council, and fouding 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. Christopher's Church in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
from 1923 to 1941. He was raised to the rank of 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 March 1935 and a Protonotary Apostolic
Protonotary apostolic
In the Roman Catholic Church, protonotary apostolic is the title for a member of the highest non-episcopal college of prelates in the Roman Curia or, outside of Rome, an honorary prelate on whom the pope has conferred this title and its special privileges.-History:In later antiquity there were in...
in July 1940. Using an initial capital
Financial capital
Financial capital can refer to money used by entrepreneurs and businesses to buy what they need to make their products or provide their services or to that sector of the economy based on its operation, i.e. retail, corporate, investment banking, etc....
of $3,000 saved from his career as a steelworker, he made several wise investments and eventually became a millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
. He used his personal assets to place the diocese on sound financial ground, and maintained those conditions throughout the Great Depression
Great Depression in the United States
The Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. The market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement...
.
On November 29, 1947, Reicher was appointed the first Bishop
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
of the Diocese of Austin
Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin includes 125 parishes, or faith communities, in 25 counties in Central Texas. The diocese stretches from West, Texas, in the north to San Marcos in the south to the Bryan/College Station area in the east to Mason in the west...
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 April 14, 1948 from Bishop Christopher Byrne, with Bishops 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...
and Mariano Simon Garriga
Mariano Simon Garriga
Mariano Simon Garriga was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Corpus Christi from 1949 until his death in 1965.-Biography:...
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...
. On the following May 13, 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...
by Archbishop Robert Emmet Lucey
Robert Emmet Lucey
Archbishop Robert Emmet Lucey was the second Bishop of Amarillo and the second Archbishop of San Antonio.-Early years:...
at St. Mary's Church
Cathedral of Saint Mary in Austin
Saint Mary's Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin, located in Austin, Texas, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, as St...
in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
; in attendance were former Governor Dan Moody
Dan Moody
Daniel James Moody, Jr. , was a Democratic political figure, originally from Taylor, Texas, USA. He served as the 30th Governor of Texas between 1927 and 1931, and is best remembered as a reformer and an opponent of the Ku Klux Klan...
, Governor Beauford H. Jester
Beauford H. Jester
Beauford Halbert Jester was a U.S. political figure, the son of George Taylor Jester and his second wife, Frances Gordon Jester. He served as the 36th Governor of Texas from 1947 until 1949, when he died of a heart attack...
, and Mayor Robert Thomas Miller
Robert Thomas Miller
Robert Thomas "Tom" Miller was mayor of Austin, Texas for 22 years, from 1933 to 1949 and again from 1955 to 1961. The Tom Miller Dam is named after him....
. During his tenure, he built or restored over 200 churches and facilities, including 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, Holy Cross Hospital, Newman Centre
Newman Centre
Named in honour of Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman, the Newman Centers are residence and Catholic ministry centers at non-Catholic universities throughout the world. They were inspired by Newman's writings encouraging societies for Catholic students attending secular universities.In 1888 the...
s on five college campuses, and six church-sponsored, low-rent housing projects. Between 1962 and 1965, he attended 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...
, where he contributed to the conciliar document on religious freedom
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
, Dignitatis Humanae
Dignitatis Humanae
Dignitatis Humanae is the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on Religious Freedom. In the context of the Council's stated intention “to develop the doctrine of recent popes on the inviolable rights of the human person and the constitutional order of society”, Dignitatis Humanae spells out the...
. He was a strong opponent of communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and supporter of civil rights.
After twenty-three years of service, Reicher resigned as bishop on November 15, 1971. He retired to his ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
on Lake Austin
Lake Austin
Lake Austin is a reservoir on the Colorado River in Austin, Texas in the United States. The reservoir was formed in 1939 by the construction of Tom Miller Dam by the Lower Colorado River Authority....
, where he later died at age 93.