Paul Joseph Nussbaum
Encyclopedia
Paul Joseph Nussbaum, C.P.
(September 7, 1870—June 24, 1935) was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Corpus Christi
, Texas
(1913-1920) and Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie-Marquette
, Michigan
(1922-1935). He was the first Passionist
bishop in the United States.
, Pennsylvania
, to Bernard and Louise (née Erne) Nussbaum. He was orphaned at a young age and was subsequently raised by his relatives. He made his profession
as a member of the Congregation of the Passion
(more commonly known as the Passionists) on July 24, 1887, taking the religious name
of Paul Joseph. Later that year he was sent to do missionary
work in Argentina
, where he was ordained
to the priesthood
on May 20, 1894. He remained in Argentina until 1904, when he was recalled to the United States
. He served as a curate
in West Hoboken
, New Jersey
, and Dunkirk, New York
. From 1908 to 1913, he served as a consultor
for St. Paul of the Cross Province.
On April 4, 1913, Nussbaum was appointed the first Bishop
of the newly-erected Diocese of Corpus Christi
, Texas
, by Pope Pius X
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following May 20 from Archbishop Giovanni Bonzano
, with Bishops John Joseph O'Connor
and Charles Edward McDonnell
serving as co-consecrators
. He was the first member of his order to become a bishop in the United States.. He was later installed
at Corpus Christi Cathedral on June 8, 1913. He founded St. Ann's Society for married women, and promoted the Forty Hours' Devotion
and daily Communion. He also emphasized Catholic education
and doubled the number of parochial school
s in the diocese. In 1918 he was seriously injured in a train accident and never fully recovered. After six years as bishop, he resigned on March 26, 1920; he was named Titular Bishop
of Gerasa on the same date. He then returned to St. Michael's Monastery in West Hoboken as a professor
of seminary
students.
Following the resignation of Bishop Frederick Eis
, Nussbaum was appointed the fifth Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie-Marquette
, Michigan
, on November 14, 1922. He remained at Marquette until his death at age 64. He was buried in West Hoboken before his remains were transferred to Corpus Christi Cathedral.
Passionist
The Passionists are a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Paul of the Cross . Professed members use the initials C.P. after their names.-History:St...
(September 7, 1870—June 24, 1935) was an American
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 Corpus Christi
Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi is a Roman Catholic diocese in Texas. It was founded on March 23, 1912.The past bishops of the diocese are:*Dominic Manucy *Peter Verdaguer y Prat...
, 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...
(1913-1920) and Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie-Marquette
Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette is a suffragan diocese of the Roman rite, encompassing all of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, in the ecclesiastical province of the Archbishop of Detroit. It encompasses an area of 16,281 square miles .Its cathedral is St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette,...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
(1922-1935). He was the first Passionist
Passionist
The Passionists are a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Paul of the Cross . Professed members use the initials C.P. after their names.-History:St...
bishop in the United States.
Biography
Henry Nussbaum was born in PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, to Bernard and Louise (née Erne) Nussbaum. He was orphaned at a young age and was subsequently raised by his relatives. He made his profession
Profession (religious)
The term religious profession is defined in the 1983 Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church in relation to members of religious institutes as follows:By religious profession members make a public vow to observe the three evangelical counsels...
as a member of the Congregation of the Passion
Passionist
The Passionists are a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Paul of the Cross . Professed members use the initials C.P. after their names.-History:St...
(more commonly known as the Passionists) on July 24, 1887, taking the religious name
Religious Name
A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purpose, and which is generally used in religious contexts. Different types of religious names may be in use among the clergy of a religion, as well in some cases among the laity....
of Paul Joseph. Later that year he was sent to do missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
work in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, where 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....
on May 20, 1894. He remained in Argentina until 1904, when he was recalled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He served as 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...
in West Hoboken
West Hoboken, New Jersey
West Hoboken was a municipality that existed in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, from 1861 to 1925.West Hoboken was originally incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 28, 1861, from portions of North Bergen Township. The township was reincorporated on...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and Dunkirk, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. From 1908 to 1913, he served as a consultor
Consultor
A consultor is one who gives counsel, i.e. a counselor.In the Catholic Church, it is a specific title for various advisory positions:*in the Roman Curia, a consultor is a specially appointed expert who may be called upon for advice desired by a department...
for St. Paul of the Cross Province.
On April 4, 1913, Nussbaum 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 newly-erected Diocese of Corpus Christi
Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi is a Roman Catholic diocese in Texas. It was founded on March 23, 1912.The past bishops of the diocese are:*Dominic Manucy *Peter Verdaguer y Prat...
, 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...
, by Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
. 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 20 from Archbishop Giovanni Bonzano
Giovanni Bonzano
Giovanni Vincenzo Cardinal Bonzano PIME was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Apostolic Delegate to United States from 1912 to 1922, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1922.-Biography:...
, with Bishops John Joseph O'Connor
John Joseph O'Connor (Bishop of Newark)
John Joseph O'Connor was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Newark from 1901 until his death in 1927.-Early life and education:...
and Charles Edward McDonnell
Charles Edward McDonnell
Charles Edward McDonnell was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Brooklyn from 1892 until his death in 1921.-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...
. He was the first member of his order to become a bishop in the United States.. He was later 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...
at Corpus Christi Cathedral on June 8, 1913. He founded St. Ann's Society for married women, and promoted the Forty Hours' Devotion
Forty Hours' Devotion
Forty Hours' Devotion, called Quarant' Ore or written in one word Quarantore, is a Roman Catholic exercise of devotion in which continuous prayer is made for forty hours before the Blessed Sacrament exposed...
and daily Communion. He also emphasized Catholic education
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...
and doubled the number of 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 in the diocese. In 1918 he was seriously injured in a train accident and never fully recovered. After six years as bishop, he resigned on March 26, 1920; he was named Titular Bishop
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 Gerasa on the same date. He then returned to St. Michael's Monastery in West Hoboken as a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of seminary
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...
students.
Following the resignation of Bishop Frederick Eis
Frederick Eis
Frederick Eis was a German-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie-Marquette from 1899 to 1922.-Biography:...
, Nussbaum was appointed the fifth Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie-Marquette
Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette is a suffragan diocese of the Roman rite, encompassing all of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, in the ecclesiastical province of the Archbishop of Detroit. It encompasses an area of 16,281 square miles .Its cathedral is St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette,...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, on November 14, 1922. He remained at Marquette until his death at age 64. He was buried in West Hoboken before his remains were transferred to Corpus Christi Cathedral.