Urban John Vehr
Encyclopedia
Urban John Vehr was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Archbishop of Denver
from 1931 to 1967.
section of Cincinnati
, Ohio
, to Anthony and Catharine (née Hamann) Vehr. His father was a mechanical engineer
. After graduating from St. Xavier College
, he studied theology
at Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West
. He was ordained
to the priesthood
by Archbishop Henry K. Moeller
on May 29, 1915. He then served as a curate
at Holy Trinity Church in Middletown
until 1923, when he became chaplain
at the College of Mount St. Joseph
.
In 1924 he earned a Master of Arts
degree in education from the Catholic University of America
, and was then named superintendent
of Catholic school
s in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
. He served as rector
of St. Gregory Minor Seminary from 1927 to 1930, and was raised to the rank of Monsignor
in 1927. He earned a Licentiate of Canon Law
from the Angelicum University at Rome
in 1928. From 1930 to 1931, he served as rector of Mount St. Mary's Seminary.
On April 17, 1931, Vehr was appointed the fourth Bishop of Denver
, Colorado
, by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following June 10 from Archbishop John T. McNicholas
, O.P.
, with Archbishop Francis Beckman
and Bishop Joseph H. Albers
serving as co-consecrators
. At age 40, he was the youngest Catholic bishop in the United States. Upon arriving at Denver, he was installed
at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
on July 16, 1931. He soon visited every parish
in the diocese, breaking the new Studebaker
automobile given to him by the clergy of Colorado in the process. However, the number of parishes fell from 111 in 1930 to 87 in 1940 due to the Great Depression
. Vehr greatly cooperated with the New Deal
programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
, including asking priests to offer weekly services at the two dozen Civilian Conservation Corps
camps established in Colorado. He also instituted a more organized system of diocesan affairs, and placed ownership of all parish properties in his person.
When the Diocese of Denver
was elevated to the rank of an archdiocese
by Pope Pius XII
, Vehr was named its first Archbishop
on November 15, 1941. The new archbishop was installed on January 6, 1942; one of the visiting dignitaries was Monsignor Giovanni Battista Montini
(the future Pope Paul VI), who stayed in Vehr's residence. Due to the conflict of World War II
, he did not receive the pallium
, a vestment worn by metropolitan bishop
s, until April 1946, when it was bestowed upon him by Cardinal Samuel Stritch. He became an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
in 1955. Vehr was committed to Catholic education and, under the slogan of "Every Catholic Child in a Catholic School," began a campaign to raise $3.5 million to acquire school sites and make additions to existing ones. In 1965 he launched the Archdiocesan Development Program to accommodate Colorado's Catholic population, which tripled in size since his arrival in 1931. He also erected forty-three new parishes and expanded St. Thomas Seminary, which reached its all-time peak of 274 seminarians during Vehr's tenure. Due to poor health, the aging Vehr did not attend the Second Vatican Council
(1962-1965) but instead sent his auxiliary bishop
, David Monas Maloney
, to represent him. After thirty-six years at the helm of the Archdiocese of Denver, he retired on February 18, 1967; he was appointed Titular Archbishop
of Masuccaba by Paul VI on the same date. He resigned his titular see
on December 31, 1970.
Vehr later died at Denver, aged 82. He is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery
in Wheat Ridge
.
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 Archbishop of Denver
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver
The Archdiocese of Denver is the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for Denver, Colorado and the Colorado counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan and Weld in the northern part of the state. The Archdiocese's home is at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate...
from 1931 to 1967.
Biography
The oldest of six children, Urban Vehr was born in the Price HillPrice Hill, Cincinnati
Price Hill is a neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, located north of Sedamsville and Riverside, south of Westwood and South Fairmount, and west of Queensgate. It is one of the oldest outlying settlements of Cincinnati, and includes parts of the zip codes 45205, 45238, and 45204.-Geography:Price Hill...
section of 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...
, 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 Anthony and Catharine (née Hamann) Vehr. His father was a mechanical engineer
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
. After graduating from St. Xavier College
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...
, he studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West
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...
. 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 Archbishop Henry K. Moeller
Henry K. Moeller
Henry K. Moeller was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Columbus and Archbishop of Cincinnati .-Early life and education:...
on May 29, 1915. He then 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...
at Holy Trinity Church in Middletown
Middletown, Ohio
Middletown is an All-America City located in Butler and Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Formerly in Lemon, Turtlecreek, and Franklin townships, Middletown was incorporated by the Ohio General Assembly on February 11, 1833, and became a city in 1886...
until 1923, when he became 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 College of Mount St. Joseph
College of Mount St. Joseph
The College of Mount St. Joseph is a private, Catholic, co-educational college located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Also known as “the Mount,” the College was founded in 1920 by the Sisters of Charity and educates students through interdisciplinary liberal arts and professional curricula emphasizing...
.
In 1924 he earned a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree in education from 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...
, and was then named superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of Catholic school
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...
s in the Archdiocese 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...
. He served as rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St. Gregory Minor Seminary from 1927 to 1930, and was raised to the rank of Monsignor
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 1927. He earned a Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law...
from the Angelicum University at 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...
in 1928. From 1930 to 1931, he served as rector of Mount St. Mary's Seminary.
On April 17, 1931, Vehr was appointed the fourth Bishop of Denver
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver
The Archdiocese of Denver is the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for Denver, Colorado and the Colorado counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan and Weld in the northern part of the state. The Archdiocese's home is at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, 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
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 June 10 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:...
, O.P.
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...
, with Archbishop Francis Beckman
Francis Beckman
-External links:*...
and Bishop 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...
. At age 40, he was the youngest Catholic bishop in the United States. Upon arriving at Denver, 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...
at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Denver
The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Denver of Roman Catholic Church. It is located at the corner of Logan St. and Colfax Avenue in the North Capitol Hill neighborhood of central Denver. The cathedral has a capacity of 800 persons and hosts...
on July 16, 1931. He soon visited every 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...
in the diocese, breaking the new Studebaker
Studebaker
Studebaker Corporation was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners, and the...
automobile given to him by the clergy of Colorado in the process. However, the number of parishes fell from 111 in 1930 to 87 in 1940 due to 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...
. Vehr greatly cooperated with the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, including asking priests to offer weekly services at the two dozen Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
camps established in Colorado. He also instituted a more organized system of diocesan affairs, and placed ownership of all parish properties in his person.
When the Diocese of Denver
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver
The Archdiocese of Denver is the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for Denver, Colorado and the Colorado counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan and Weld in the northern part of the state. The Archdiocese's home is at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate...
was elevated to the rank of an archdiocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
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....
, Vehr was named its first Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
on November 15, 1941. The new archbishop was installed on January 6, 1942; one of the visiting dignitaries was Monsignor Giovanni Battista Montini
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
(the future Pope Paul VI), who stayed in Vehr's residence. Due to the conflict of 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 did not receive the pallium
Pallium
The pallium is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries bestowed by him on metropolitans and primates as a symbol of the jurisdiction delegated to them by the Holy See. In that context it has always remained unambiguously...
, a vestment worn by metropolitan bishop
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
s, until April 1946, when it was bestowed upon him by Cardinal Samuel Stritch. He became 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....
in 1955. Vehr was committed to Catholic education and, under the slogan of "Every Catholic Child in a Catholic School," began a campaign to raise $3.5 million to acquire school sites and make additions to existing ones. In 1965 he launched the Archdiocesan Development Program to accommodate Colorado's Catholic population, which tripled in size since his arrival in 1931. He also erected forty-three new parishes and expanded St. Thomas Seminary, which reached its all-time peak of 274 seminarians during Vehr's tenure. Due to poor health, the aging Vehr did not attend 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...
(1962-1965) but instead sent his 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...
, David Monas Maloney
David Monas Maloney
David Monas Maloney was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wichita from 1967 to 1982.-Biography:...
, to represent him. After thirty-six years at the helm of the Archdiocese of Denver, he retired on February 18, 1967; he 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 Masuccaba by Paul VI on the same date. He resigned his titular see
Titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular bishop", "titular metropolitan", or "titular archbishop"....
on December 31, 1970.
Vehr later died at Denver, aged 82. He is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery
Mount Olivet Cemetery
Mount Olivet Cemetery may refer to:In Canada:* Mount Olivet Cemetery-Halifax, Nova ScotiaIn the United States:* Mount Olivet Cemetery , California* Mount Olivet Cemetery , Colorado* Mount Olivet Cemetery , Connecticut...
in Wheat Ridge
Wheat Ridge, Colorado
The City of Wheat Ridge is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Wheat Ridge is a western suburb of Denver. The Wheat Ridge Municipal Center is approximately west-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver...
.