William Stang
Encyclopedia
William Stang was a German
-born prelate
of the Catholic Church. He served as the first Bishop of Fall River
from 1904 until his death in 1907.
in the Grand Duchy of Baden
, Germany
. He received his early education at the local gymnasium and then attended the minor seminary of Saint-Nicolas
in Belgium
. He entered the American College of Louvain in 1875, where he completed his theological studies. He was ordained
to the priesthood
on June 15, 1878.
Stang briefly taught at the Catholic University of Leuven
before coming to the United States
in September 1878 to work in the Diocese of Providence
, Rhode Island
. He primarily ministered to the local German Catholic community while also serving as a curate
at the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul
in Providence
. He was named pastor
of St. Anne's Church in Cranston
in 1884. He then served as rector
of Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral until 1895, when he returned to the Catholic University of Leuven to serve as vice-rector and professor of moral theology
. He returned to Providence in 1899, becoming head of the diocesan mission band. He was named pastor of St. Edward's Church in 1901 and also served as chancellor
of the diocese.
On March 12, 1904, Stang was appointed the first Bishop
of the newly-created Diocese of Fall River
, Massachusetts
, by Pope Pius X
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following May 1 from Bishop Matthew Harkins
, with Bishops Michael Tierney
and John Brady serving as co-consecrators
, at Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral. During his tenure, he established eleven parishes and founded St. Anne's Hospital. He once described divorce
as a "pernicious practice...contrary to the moral order and the law of Christ," and condemned Saturday dances as "a source of scandal [that] must be stopped at once."
Stang died at St. Mary's Hospital
in Rochester
, Minnesota
, at age 52.
, located in North Dartmouth
, is named in his honor.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-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 Catholic Church. He served as the first Bishop of Fall River
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It is led by the prelature of a bishop administering the diocese from the mother church St...
from 1904 until his death in 1907.
Biography
William Stang was born at LangenbrückenBad Schönborn
Bad Schönborn is a municipality in northern Karlsruhe district in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the Bertha Benz Memorial Route....
in the Grand Duchy of Baden
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden was a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.-History:...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He received his early education at the local gymnasium and then attended the minor seminary of Saint-Nicolas
Saint-Nicolas, Belgium
Saint-Nicolas is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liege. It is effectively a part of the greater Liège conurbation stretching west from Liège city centre towards Liège airport. As of January 1, 2006 Saint-Nicolas had a total population of 22,666....
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. He entered the American College of Louvain in 1875, where he completed his theological studies. 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 June 15, 1878.
Stang briefly taught at the Catholic University of Leuven
Catholic University of Leuven
The Catholic University of Leuven, or of Louvain, was the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium. The university was founded in 1425 as the University of Leuven by John IV, Duke of Brabant and approved by a Papal bull by Pope Martin V.During France's occupation of Belgium in the...
before coming to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in September 1878 to work in the Diocese of Providence
Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The diocese was erected by Pope Pius IX on February 17, 1872 and originally comprised the entire state of Rhode Island and the counties of Bristol, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket in the state...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. He primarily ministered to the local German Catholic community while also serving 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 the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul
Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Providence
The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul is a Roman Catholic cathedral at 30 Fenner Street in the Cathedral Square neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Providence...
in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. He was named 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. Anne's Church in Cranston
Cranston, Rhode Island
Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. With a population of 80,387 at the 2010 census, it is the third largest city in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Cranston...
in 1884. He then 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 Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral until 1895, when he returned to the Catholic University of Leuven to serve as vice-rector and professor of moral theology
Ethics in religion
Most religions have an ethical component, often derived from purported supernatural revelation or guidance. "For many people, ethics is not only tied up with religion, but is completely settled by it...
. He returned to Providence in 1899, becoming head of the diocesan mission band. He was named pastor of St. Edward's Church in 1901 and also 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.
On March 12, 1904, Stang 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-created Diocese of Fall River
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It is led by the prelature of a bishop administering the diocese from the mother church St...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, 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 1 from Bishop Matthew Harkins
Matthew Harkins
Matthew Harkins was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Providence from 1887 until his death in 1921.-Biography:...
, with Bishops Michael Tierney
Michael Tierney (bishop)
Michael Tierney was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hartford, Connecticut from 1894 until his death in 1908.-Biography:...
and John Brady 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 Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral. During his tenure, he established eleven parishes and founded St. Anne's Hospital. He once described divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
as a "pernicious practice...contrary to the moral order and the law of Christ," and condemned Saturday dances as "a source of scandal [that] must be stopped at once."
Stang died at St. Mary's Hospital
Saint Marys Hospital (Rochester)
Saint Marys Hospital is one of two hospitals in Rochester, Minnesota operated by the Mayo Clinic, the other being Rochester Methodist Hospital. St Marys has a 61-bed emergency department but no obstetrics department, while Rochester Methodist lacks an emergency department but contains an obstetrics...
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...
, 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...
, at age 52.
Legacy
Bishop Stang High SchoolBishop Stang High School
Mission Statement: Bishop Stang High School is a private Catholic secondary school located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, in the New England region of the United States. It was the first diocesan secondary school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River, which includes most of Southeastern...
, located in North Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Dartmouth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States established in 1664. The population was 30,665 at the 2000 census. It is the location of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth....
, is named in his honor.
Publications
- Pastoral theology (New York 1897)
- Historiographia Ecclesiastica quam historiae seriam solidamque operam navantibus (Freiburg 1897)
- Business Guide for Priests (New York 1899)
- The Devil, Who He Is and What He Does (Providence 1900)
- Sozialismus und Christentum [mit Rudolf Amberg] (Einsiedeln 1907)
- The Holy Hour of Adoration (New York 1907)
- Medulla fundamentalis theologiae moralis quam seminaristis et presbyteris (Neo-Eboraci, Cincinnati 1907)