November 20, 2009
Special Report | Strategic Planning
Bishops in Indiana: Five in their 70s
Indianapolis Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein, 71
Length of service to archdiocese: 17 years
Archbishop Buechlein was born in Jasper to Carl and Rose Blessinger Buechlein, and made his solemn profession as a Benedictine monk on Aug. 15, 1963. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 3, 1964 at St. Meinrad Archabbey.
Archbishop Buechlein was appointed the third Bishop of Memphis in 1997. He returned to Indiana in 1992 as the fifth Archbishop of Indianapolis — appointed by Pope John Paul II on July 14, 1992, and installed the following Sep. 9.
In January 2008, Archbishop Buechlein was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease. In June 2008, he announced that his cancer was in remission and his regular routine would resume.
He will reach the age of 75 on April 20, 2013.
Lafayette Bishop William L. Higi, 76
Length of service as bishop: 25 years
Bishop Higi is the fifth Bish-op of Lafayette-in-Indiana. He was born in Anderson, Ind. He was ordained a priest in 1959.
Upon the death of his predecessor, Bishop George A. Ful-cher, he was elected Adminis-trator of the Diocese on January 26, 1984.
He was appointed Bishop of Lafayette-in-Indiana by Pope John Paul II, and ordained and installed as Bishop of the Diocese on June 6, 1984.
He reached the age of 75 on Aug. 29, 2008.
Gary Bishop Dale J. Melczek, 71
Length of service as Bishop of Gary: 14 years
Bishop Melczek is the third Bishop of Gary. He is a native of Detroit who was ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 1964.
In December 1982, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit by Pope John Paul II, and consecrated January 27, 1983.
He was installed as Coadjutor Bishop of Gary on October 28, 1995. He succeeded Bishop Nor-bert F. Gaughan on June 1, 1996.
He will reach the age of 75 on Nov. 9, 2013.
Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop John M. D’Arcy, 77
Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend: 24 years
Bishop D’Arcy, 77, was born Aug. 18, 1932, of Irish immigrant parents, in Brighton, Mass. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Boston in February 1975.
He was named Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Feb. 26, 1985, and was installed the following May 1.
Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, 51
Named Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend: Nov. 14, 2009
Bishop Rhoades will turn 52 Nov. 26. He was born in Maha-noy City, Pa., November 26, 1957, and was ordained a priest of the Harrisburg Diocese in July 1983. Pope John Paul II ap-pointed him Bishop of Harris-burg on Oct. 14, 2004, and he was ordained the following Dec. 9 by Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia.
Evansville Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger, 74
Years of service to diocese: 20
Bishop Gettelfinger was born Oct. 20, 1935, in Ramsey, Ind. He was the fourth of eight children of Gerald and Mary Gettelfin-ger. He was named Bishop of Evansville by Pope John Paul II in March 1989, then ordained and installed as the Fourth Bishop of Evansville on April 11, 1989.
The Church in Indiana
The Diocese of Vincennes was established by Pope Gregory XVI in 1834. Bishop Simon Bruté was the first bishop of the far-flung diocese which included all of Indiana and the eastern portion of Illinois — including Chicago. The original Diocese of Chicago was established in 1842.
The northern half of Indiana became the Diocese of Fort Wayne in 1857, while the southern half remained as the Diocese of Vincennes.
Bishop Francis Chatard, named Bishop of Vincennes in 1878, moved his residence to Indi-anapolis in 1878, and in 1898 the name of the diocese was changed to the Diocese of Indi-anapolis.
In 1944, the 12-county Diocese of Evansville was established; the territory includes Vincennes, the first see city in Indiana.
Also in 1944, a 24-county area of the Fort Wayne Diocese was established as the Diocese of La-fayette.
In 1957, the Diocese of Gary was established for four northwestern counties.
Path to the episcopacy
The path to hierarchical leadership in Indiana is slightly different in each of the dioceses.
Archbishop Daniel Buechlein and three others had already been appointed as bishops be-fore being named to sees in Indiana.
- Archbishop Buechlein had previously served as Bishop of Memphis.
- Bishop Dale Melczek was an auxiliary bishop in Detroit, who was first named administrator for the Diocese of Gary and co-adjutor for Bishop Gaughan, before being installed as the bishop of the diocese.
- Bishop John M. D’Arcy was an auxiliary bishop in Boston before his appointment to Fort Wayne-South Bend; and his successor, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, was Bishop of Harrisburg, Pa.
Two bishops held chancery positions before episcopal ap-pointments.
- Bishop William L. Higi held chancery positions in his own diocese before being named administrator and then Bishop of Lafayette.
- Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger served as vicar general and chancellor of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis before being appointed to the Diocese of Evansville.
Length of a bishop’s leadership in a diocese is not predictable.
The Diocese of Evansville has had four bishops since 1944. The Diocese of Owensboro, Ky., has had just three bishops since its founding in 1937. The Diocese of Belleville, Ill., had just three bishops over the first 89 years, then has seen five bishops since 1976.