Henry Joseph Grimmelsmann
Encyclopedia
Henry Joseph Grimmelsmann (December 22, 1890—June 26, 1972) was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He was the first Bishop of Evansville
(1944-1965).
, Ohio
, to G.H. and Frances Grimmelsman. Raised in the Price Hill
neighborhood of Cincinnati, he was one of ten children; three of his sisters became nun
s and another brother also became a priest
. As a child he attended Holy Family School, where one of his classmates was Urban John Vehr. He studied at St. Gregory Preparatory Seminary in Cincinnati (1904-1907) and at St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer
, Indiana
(1907-1909). He then entered the University of Innsbruck in Austria
, but was forced to return to Cincinnati following the outbreak of World War I
. He was ordained
to the priesthood
on August 15, 1915.
After his ordination, he studied at the Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C.
and later returned to the University of Innsbruck, from where he earned a doctorate
in Sacred Scripture
. He returned to Cincinnati and then served as a curate
at St. Lawrence Church
. From 1920 to 1932, he became vice-rector
and professor
of Sacred Scripture and Hebrew at Mount St. Mary's Seminary
. Pope Pius XI
named him rector of Pontifical College Josephinum
at Worthington
in 1932.
On November 11, 1944, Grimmelsmann was appointed the first Bishop
of the newly-erected Diocese of Evansville
, Indiana
, by Pope Pius XII
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following December 21 from Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, with Bishops Urban Vehr and George John Rehring
serving as co-consecrators
. Between 1962 and 1965, he attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council
in Rome
. He resigned as bishop on October 18, 1965; he was named Titular Bishop
of Tabla by Pope Paul VI
on the same date. He later died at age 81, and was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Evansville.
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 was the first Bishop of Evansville
Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville is a Roman Catholic diocese in Southwestern Indiana. It was founded on October 21, 1944.The diocese includes the entirety of the eleven southwestern Indiana counties of Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Pike, Posey, Sullivan, Vanderburgh, and...
(1944-1965).
Biography
Henry Grimmelsmann was born in CincinnatiCincinnati, 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 G.H. and Frances Grimmelsman. Raised in the Price Hill
Price 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...
neighborhood of Cincinnati, he was one of ten children; three of his sisters became nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s and another brother also became a priest
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....
. As a child he attended Holy Family School, where one of his classmates was Urban John Vehr. He studied at St. Gregory Preparatory Seminary in Cincinnati (1904-1907) and at St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer
Rensselaer, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 5,294 people, 2,158 households, and 1,404 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,824.8 people per square mile . There were 2,296 housing units at an average density of 791.4 per square mile...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
(1907-1909). He then entered the University of Innsbruck in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, but was forced to return to Cincinnati following the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. 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 August 15, 1915.
After his ordination, he studied at 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...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and later returned to the University of Innsbruck, from where he earned a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in Sacred Scripture
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. He returned to Cincinnati and 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 St. Lawrence Church
St. Lawrence Church (Cincinnati)
St. Lawrence Church is a Roman Catholic church located at 3680 Warsaw Avenue, in Price Hill, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The church was built on one of the highest hilltops in Cincinnati. The mother parish was St. Michael's in lower Price Hill....
. From 1920 to 1932, he became vice-rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
and professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Sacred Scripture and Hebrew at Mount St. Mary's Seminary
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...
. 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...
named him rector of Pontifical College Josephinum
Pontifical College Josephinum
The Pontifical College Josephinum is a four-year, Roman Catholic liberal arts college and graduate school of theology founded by Monsignor Joseph Jessing in 1888 and located in Columbus, Ohio, USA. The seminary prepares its students to become priests in the Roman Catholic Church. Students come...
at Worthington
Worthington, Ohio
-Dissolution of the Company:By August 11, 1804 the plat maps were completed, payments or notes promising payments collected and deeds prepared for all sixteen thousand acres of the Scioto Company's purchase...
in 1932.
On November 11, 1944, Grimmelsmann 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-erected Diocese of Evansville
Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville is a Roman Catholic diocese in Southwestern Indiana. It was founded on October 21, 1944.The diocese includes the entirety of the eleven southwestern Indiana counties of Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Pike, Posey, Sullivan, Vanderburgh, and...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, 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 the following December 21 from Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, with Bishops Urban Vehr and George John Rehring
George John Rehring
George John Rehring was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Toledo from 1950 to 1967.-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...
. Between 1962 and 1965, he attended all four sessions of 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...
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...
. He resigned as bishop on October 18, 1965; he was named 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 Tabla by Pope Paul VI
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...
on the same date. He later died at age 81, and was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Evansville.