Paul Peter Rhode
Encyclopedia
Paul Peter Rhode was a Polish
-born prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Green Bay
from 1915 until his death in 1945.
, in Prussian
Poland
, to Augustin and Krystina Rhode. His father died while Paul was quite young, and he came to the United States
with his mother at age 9, settling in Chicago
, Illinois
. He was educated at St. Mary's College
near Louisville
, Kentucky
, and at St. Ignatius College
in Chicago, where he completed his classical and philosophical studies. He completed his theological studies at St. Francis Seminary near Milwaukee, Wisconsin
.
Rhode was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop Frederick Katzer
on June 17, 1894. His first assignment was as a curate
at St. Adalbert Church
in Chicago, where he remained for two years. In 1896, he became the first pastor
of SS. Peter and Paul Church, a parish
for Polish Catholics in the McKinley Park
section of Chicago. He was named pastor of St. Michael Church
in South Chicago
in 1897.
On May 22, 1908, Rhode was appointed auxiliary bishop
of Chicago and titular bishop
of Barca by Pope Pius X
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following July 29 from Archbishop James Edward Quigley
, with Bishops Peter Muldoon
and Joseph Maria Koudelka
serving as co-consecrators
. He served as vicar general
of the Archdiocese of Chicago
from 1909 to 1915.
Following the resignation of Bishop Joseph J. Fox
, Rhode was appointed the sixth Bishop of Green Bay
, Wisconsin
, by Pope Benedict XV
on July 15, 1915. During his tenure, he established 10 parishes and 19 parochial schools, and organized the diocesan Catholic Charities
and a department of education. He died at Mercy Hospital in Oshkosh
, at age 73.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
-born 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 Green Bay
Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay was established on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX. It covers the city of Green Bay as well as Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Forest, Kewaunee, Langlade, Manitowoc, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, and Winnebago counties,...
from 1915 until his death in 1945.
Biography
Paul Rhode was born in WejherowoWejherowo
Wejherowo is a town in Gdańsk Pomerania, northern Poland, with 47,435 inhabitants . It has been the capital of Wejherowo County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999; previously, it was a town in Gdańsk Voivodeship .-History:...
, in Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, to Augustin and Krystina Rhode. His father died while Paul was quite young, and he came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with his mother at age 9, settling in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He was educated at St. Mary's College
St. Mary's College (Kentucky)
St. Mary's College was an institution established in 1821 by William Byrne.St. Mary's was still a functioning college in 1899.St. Mary's College closed in 1976.-Notable alumni:*Clement S. Hill, U.S. Congressman from Kentucky...
near Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, and at St. Ignatius College
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
in Chicago, where he completed his classical and philosophical studies. He completed his theological studies at St. Francis Seminary near Milwaukee, 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...
.
Rhode 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 Frederick Katzer
Frederick Katzer
Frederick Xavier Katzer was a Roman Catholic archbishop. Katzer was the third Bishop of Diocese of Green Bay and the third Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in Wisconsin....
on June 17, 1894. His first assignment was 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...
at St. Adalbert Church
St. Adalbert's in Chicago
St. Adalbert Church is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois.It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. The church is located on 17th Street between Paulina Street and...
in Chicago, where he remained for two years. In 1896, he became the first 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 SS. Peter and Paul Church, a parish
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
for Polish Catholics in the McKinley Park
McKinley Park, Chicago
McKinley Park, one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois, is located on the city's southwest side.- History :McKinley Park has been a working-class area throughout its long history. This tradition began around 1836 when Irish workers on the Illinois & Michigan Canal took...
section of Chicago. He was named pastor of St. Michael Church
St. Michael's in Chicago
St. Michael - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located at E. 83rd Street and S. South Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois....
in South Chicago
South Chicago, Chicago
South Chicago, formerly known as Ainsworth, is one of the 77 well-defined community areas of Chicago, Illinois.This chevron-shaped community is one of Chicago's 16 lakefront neighborhoods near the southern rim of Lake Michigan 10 miles south of downtown...
in 1897.
On May 22, 1908, Rhode was appointed auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Chicago and 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 Barca 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 July 29 from Archbishop James Edward Quigley
James Edward Quigley
James Edward Quigley was a Canadian-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Buffalo, New York and Archbishop of Chicago .-Biography:...
, with Bishops Peter Muldoon
Peter Muldoon
Peter J. Muldoon was born in Columbia, California to Irish immigrants John and Catherine Muldoon. He was educated at St. Mary's College in St. Mary, Kentucky and St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, Maryland and ordained a Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1886...
and Joseph Maria Koudelka
Joseph Maria Koudelka
Joseph Maria Koudelka was the second Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Superior, in Superior, Wisconsin....
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 served as vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the Archdiocese of Chicago
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
from 1909 to 1915.
Following the resignation of Bishop Joseph J. Fox
Joseph John Fox
Joseph John Fox was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Green Bay from 1904 to 1914.-Biography:...
, Rhode was appointed the sixth Bishop of Green Bay
Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay was established on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX. It covers the city of Green Bay as well as Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Forest, Kewaunee, Langlade, Manitowoc, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, and Winnebago counties,...
, 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...
, by Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
on July 15, 1915. During his tenure, he established 10 parishes and 19 parochial schools, and organized the diocesan 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...
and a department of education. He died at Mercy Hospital in Oshkosh
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile...
, at age 73.