Christian Herman Winkelmann
Encyclopedia
Christian Herman Winkelmann (September 12, 1883—November 19, 1946) was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Wichita
from 1940 to 1946.
, Missouri
, to John and Anna (née Becker) Winkelmann. He attended St. Francis Solanus College
in Quincy
, Illinois
, before returning to Missouri and studying at Kenrick Seminary
. He was ordained
to the priesthood
on June 11, 1907. He then served as curate
at St. Peter's Church in St. Charles
until 1922, when he became pastor
of Sacred Heart Church in Rich Fountain
. He was pastor of St. Francis de Sales Church
in St. Louis from 1929 to 1939.
On September 13, 1933, Winkelmann was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of St. Louis and Titular Bishop
of Sita by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following November 30 from Archbishop John J. Glennon
, with Bishops Thomas Francis Lillis
and Francis Johannes
serving as co-consecrators
. Following the death of Bishop Augustus John Schwertner
, Winkelmann was named the third Bishop of Wichita
, Kansas
, by Pope Pius XII
on December 27, 1939. He was later installed
at Wichita on March 5, 1940. He remained as bishop for the next six years, until his death at age 63.
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 Wichita
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita is a Roman Catholic diocese in Kansas. It was founded on August 2, 1887, and covers Allen, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Crawford, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Labette, Marion, McPherson, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Reno,...
from 1940 to 1946.
Biography
Christian Winkelmann was born in St. LouisSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, to John and Anna (née Becker) Winkelmann. He attended St. Francis Solanus College
Quincy University
Quincy University a private liberal arts Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition. It is located in Quincy, Illinois and currently enrolls around 1,300 students.-History:...
in Quincy
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
, 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,...
, before returning to Missouri and studying at Kenrick Seminary
Kenrick-Glennon Seminary
Kenrick–Glennon Seminary is a private not-for-profit Roman Catholic Seminary located in Shrewsbury, Missouri in St. Louis County. The Seminary is named after Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick and Cardinal John J. Glennon, former Archbishops of Saint Louis. The Seminary traces its origins to the...
. 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 11, 1907. He then served as 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. Peter's Church in St. Charles
Saint Charles, Missouri
St. Charles is a city in, and the county seat of, St. Charles County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 65,794, making St. Charles the 2nd largest city in St. Charles County. It lies just to the northwest of St. Louis, Missouri on the Missouri River, and, for a time,...
until 1922, when he became 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 Sacred Heart Church in Rich Fountain
Rich Fountain, Missouri
Rich Fountain is an unincorporated community in Osage County, Missouri, USA. It is located off U.S. Route 63 by three miles and is fifteen miles southeast of Jefferson City. Its post office has closed and mail now comes from Freeburg. Town was founded by the Struempf Family....
. He was pastor of St. Francis de Sales Church
St. Francis de Sales Church (St. Louis, Missouri)
St. Francis de Sales Church is a Roman Catholic Oratory located on the South Side of St. Louis, Missouri. It is the second largest church in the Archdiocese of St. Louis after the cathedral-basilica. The church is popularly known as the "Cathedral of South St. Louis."The historic main church was...
in St. Louis from 1929 to 1939.
On September 13, 1933, Winkelmann 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 St. Louis 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 Sita 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 November 30 from Archbishop John J. Glennon
John J. Glennon
John Joseph Glennon was an Irish American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of St. Louis from 1903 until his death in 1946, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1946.-Early life and ministry:...
, with Bishops Thomas Francis Lillis
Thomas Francis Lillis
Thomas Francis Lillis was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Leavenworth, Kansas and Bishop of Kansas City, Missouri .-Biography:...
and Francis Johannes
Francis Johannes
Francis Johannes was a German-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Leavenworth from 1929 until his death in 1937.-Biography:...
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...
. Following the death of Bishop Augustus John Schwertner
Augustus John Schwertner
Augustus John Schwertner was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wichita from 1921 until his death in 1939.-Biography:...
, Winkelmann was named the third Bishop of Wichita
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wichita is a Roman Catholic diocese in Kansas. It was founded on August 2, 1887, and covers Allen, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Crawford, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Labette, Marion, McPherson, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Reno,...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, 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....
on December 27, 1939. He was later 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 Wichita on March 5, 1940. He remained as bishop for the next six years, until his death at age 63.