Peter William Bartholome
Encyclopedia
Peter William Bartholome (April 2, 1893—June 17, 1982) was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Saint Cloud
from 1953 to 1968.
, Minnesota
, the youngest son of Nicholas and Catherine (née Jacobs) Bartholome, who were Luxembourg
ian immigrants. His mother, who died at age 103, was the first woman named Catholic Mother of the Year by the National Catholic Conference on Family Life in 1942 and received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
medal in 1952. He received his early education at St. Mary's Grade School in Bellechester (1898-1905) before attending public school in Goodhue
from 1906 to 1908. He studied at Campion College
in Prairie du Chien
, Wisconsin
, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1914. He then returned to Minnesota and continued his studies at St. Paul Seminary
in St. Paul.
Bartholome was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop Patrick Heffron
on June 17, 1917. His first assignment was as a curate
at St. John the Evangelist Church in Rochester
, where he remained for two years. In 1919, he was appointed to the faculty of St. Mary's College
in Winona
, where he taught Latin
, Greek
, and philosophy
. From 1928 to 1930, he studied canon law
at the Apollinare University
in Rome
.
Returning to Minnesota, Bartholome served as chaplain
at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Saint Francis
in Rochester for three years. He was pastor
of St. John the Baptist Church in Caledonia
from 1933 to 1936. He was then named diocesan director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith
and of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
. In 1939, he returned to St. John the Evangelist Church in Rochester, serving as its pastor until 1942.
On December 6, 1941, Bartholome was appointed Coadjutor Bishop
of Saint Cloud
and Titular Bishop
of Lete by Pope Pius XII
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on March 3, 1942 from Archbishop Amleto Cicognani, with Bishops Joseph Busch
and John Peschges
serving as co-consecrators
, at St. Mary's Hospital Chapel in Rochester. Upon the death of Bishop Joseph Busch, Bartholome succeeded him to become the fifth Bishop of Saint Cloud
on May 31, 1953. He was named an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
the following year.
Born and raised in a rural area, and spending his entire ministry there as well, Bartholome once said that "the dignity, independence, and freedom of men can reach its fullest stature on the farm, not in the industrial world." Between 1962 and 1965, he attended the Second Vatican Council
. He also served as episcopal moderator of the Family Life Bureau and of the National Catholic Conference on Family Life.
After 14 years as Bishop of Saint Cloud, Bartholome retired on January 31, 1968. He was appointed Titular Bishop
of Tanaramusa on the same date; he later resigned on January 13, 1971. He died at age 89, and is buried at Assumption Cemetery in St. Cloud.
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 Saint Cloud
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud is a Roman Catholic diocese in Minnesota. It was founded on September 22, 1889, out of territory that had been evangelized by the missionary priest Father Francis Xavier Pierz...
from 1953 to 1968.
Biography
Peter Bartholome was born in BellechesterBellechester, Minnesota
Bellechester is a city in Goodhue and Wabasha counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 175 at the 2010 census. Most of Bellchester is in Goodhue County, with only a small part extending into Wabasha County.-Geography:...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, the youngest son of Nicholas and Catherine (née Jacobs) Bartholome, who were Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
ian immigrants. His mother, who died at age 103, was the first woman named Catholic Mother of the Year by the National Catholic Conference on Family Life in 1942 and received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
The Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal is an award of the Roman Catholic Church. It is also known as the "Cross of Honour". The medal was established by Leo XIII on July 17, 1888, to commemorate his golden sacerdotal jubilee and was originally bestowed on those women and men who had aided and...
medal in 1952. He received his early education at St. Mary's Grade School in Bellechester (1898-1905) before attending public school in Goodhue
Goodhue, Minnesota
Goodhue is a city in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,176 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
from 1906 to 1908. He studied at Campion College
Campion High School
Campion Jesuit High School was a Jesuit-run boarding school for boys in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin named for the Jesuit martyr Edmund Campion. The school operated from its founding in 1880 until closing in 1975, and educated several notable figures during its existence. The former school's campus...
in Prairie du Chien
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Prairie du Chien is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,911 at the 2010 census. Its Zip Code is 53821....
, 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...
, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1914. He then returned to Minnesota and continued his studies at St. Paul Seminary
Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity
The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity, located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, was founded by Archbishop John Ireland in 1894, to provide ordained priests for the ever-increasing Catholic population of the Upper Midwest. The seminary now sits on the south campus of the University of St. Thomas,...
in St. Paul.
Bartholome 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 Patrick Heffron
Patrick Richard Heffron
Patrick Richard Heffron was the second Roman Catholic Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona, in Winona, Minnesota....
on June 17, 1917. 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. John the Evangelist Church in Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
, where he remained for two years. In 1919, he was appointed to the faculty of St. Mary's College
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private, comprehensive, coeducational university with an undergraduate campus in the city of Winona, Minnesota, United States...
in Winona
Winona, Minnesota
Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the U.S. State of Minnesota. Located in picturesque bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf....
, where he taught Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. From 1928 to 1930, he studied canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
at the Apollinare University
Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare
Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare was a university named after Saint Apollinaris. Notable people who have attended include:*Alfredo Ottaviani*Amleto Giovanni Cicognani*Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Tisserant*Benedetto Aloisi Masella*Gustavo Testa...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Returning to Minnesota, Bartholome 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...
at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Saint Francis
Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota
The Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota is a Roman Catholic religious congregation for women. The congregation was founded in 1877 by Mother Mary Alfred Moes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona...
in Rochester for three years. He was 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. John the Baptist Church in Caledonia
Caledonia, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,965 people, 1,223 households, and 754 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,037.1 people per square mile . There were 1,286 housing units at an average density of 449.8 per square mile...
from 1933 to 1936. He was then named diocesan director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith
Society for the Propagation of the Faith
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith is an international association for the assistance by prayers and alms of Catholic missionary priests, brothers, and nuns engaged in preaching the Gospel in non-Catholic countries...
and of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine was an association established at Rome in 1562 for the purpose of giving religious education. Its modern usage, often abbreviated CCD or C.C.D., is a religious education program of the Catholic Church, normally designed for children.-History:Until the...
. In 1939, he returned to St. John the Evangelist Church in Rochester, serving as its pastor until 1942.
On December 6, 1941, Bartholome was appointed Coadjutor Bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of Saint Cloud
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud is a Roman Catholic diocese in Minnesota. It was founded on September 22, 1889, out of territory that had been evangelized by the missionary priest Father Francis Xavier Pierz...
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 Lete 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 March 3, 1942 from Archbishop Amleto Cicognani, with Bishops Joseph Busch
Joseph Francis Busch
Joseph Francis Busch was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Lead and Bishop of Saint Cloud .-Biography:...
and John Peschges
John Hubert Peschges
John Hubert Peschges was the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Crookston in Crookston, Minnesota....
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...
, at St. Mary's Hospital Chapel in Rochester. Upon the death of Bishop Joseph Busch, Bartholome succeeded him to become the fifth Bishop of Saint Cloud
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud is a Roman Catholic diocese in Minnesota. It was founded on September 22, 1889, out of territory that had been evangelized by the missionary priest Father Francis Xavier Pierz...
on May 31, 1953. He was named an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
Assistant at the Pontifical Throne is an ecclesiastical title in the Roman Catholic Church. It signifies a prelate belonging to the papal chapel, who stands near the throne of the Pope at solemn functions....
the following year.
Born and raised in a rural area, and spending his entire ministry there as well, Bartholome once said that "the dignity, independence, and freedom of men can reach its fullest stature on the farm, not in the industrial world." 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...
. He also served as episcopal moderator of the Family Life Bureau and of the National Catholic Conference on Family Life.
After 14 years as Bishop of Saint Cloud, Bartholome retired on January 31, 1968. He was appointed 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 Tanaramusa on the same date; he later resigned on January 13, 1971. He died at age 89, and is buried at Assumption Cemetery in St. Cloud.