Henry Rohlman
Encyclopedia
Henry Patrick Rohlman was a 20th century bishop
in the Catholic Church in the United States
. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Davenport
from 1927–1944 and as coadjutor archbishop
and archbishop
of the Archdiocese of Dubuque
from 1944-1954.
(present day Germany
) to Bernard and Bernadine (Hussman) Rohlman. When he was two years old his family immigrated to the United States
and settled in Carroll County, Iowa
. They moved to Arkansas
where both of his parents died. Henry was moved to Nebraska
where he finished elementary school and worked on a farm. Through the generosity of people from Carroll County he studied in the high school department at St. Lawrence Seminary, Mount Calvary, Wisconsin
, and graduated from Columbia College, now Loras College
, in Dubuque
. He studied for the priesthood at the Grand séminaire de Montréal
and was ordained a priest
by Archbishop Paul Bruchesi
in Montreal
for the Archdiocese of Dubuque on December 21, 1901.
Rohlman engaged in pastoral work in Dubuque before attending The Catholic University of America
in Washington, DC with a view to becoming a missionary. When he returned to Dubuque he was assigned to the Apostolate, which preached parish missions in the archdiocese, as well as the other dioceses in Iowa. He became pastor at St. Mary's Church in Waterloo
before serving as business manager at Columbia College. In the early 1920s, Rohlman was asked to form Nativity parish in Dubuque.
of Dubuque in St. Raphael's Cathedral on July 25, 1927. He was installed the next day as Bishop of Davenport in Sacred Heart Cathedral. The principal co-consecrators were Bishops Edmond Heelan
of Sioux City and Thomas W. Drumm
of Des Moines.
In 1928 Bishop Rohlman commissioned a study to assess the social problems in the diocese. The result of this study was the establishment of Catholic Charities
in 1929. He named the Rev. Martin Cone
as its first director. Its immediate focus was the welfare of the children at St. Vincent’s Home in Davenport.
Two colleges for women were started in the diocese during Bishop Rohlman’s episcopate. The Sisters of St. Francis in Clinton
established Mt. St. Clare College (now Ashford University
) in 1928. It was an extension of their academy, which had been established in the 1890s. St. Ambrose College
started a woman’s division in 1934 and continued to support it as it searched for a religious order of women to take it over. In 1937 property was secured for a woman’s college in Davenport on the westside of the city. The Congregation of the Humility of Mary at Rohlman’s urging established Marycrest College
in 1939 from the woman’s division of St. Ambrose.
The diocese celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1931. The next year Bishop Rohlman convoked the diocese’s third synod
. The synod was called to bring the diocese’s regulations in line with the Code of Canon Law, which had been promulgated in 1917. It also set the salary for pastors at $1,000 per year, plus household expenses, and associate pastors and chaplain’s salaries were set at $500. Catholic Charities had set up their offices in the Kahl Building
. They were joined in 1932 with the chancery
and the newly established superintendent of schools. All of these offices and the bishop’s office moved into a property on Church Square behind St. Anthony’s Church
downtown. It was renamed the Cosgrove Building after Davenport’s second bishop, Henry Cosgrove
.
Rohlman had the difficult task of leading the diocese through the Great Depression
and World War II
. The Catholic Messenger, an independent Catholic newspaper published in Davenport, was experiencing financial problems during the Depression and was purchased by the diocese for use as a diocesan newspaper in 1937. A national edition to the paper was still published in addition to a diocesan addition for a couple decades after its purchase. The Messenger moved its offices into the Cosgrove Building, until they moved across the street into the Democrat Building
.
Until Bishop Rohlman came to the diocese only five priests had been recognized for their contributions to the church by being given a papal honor, all of them from Bishop Davis
. Rohlman named monsignor
s every two years. By the time he returned to Dubuque, twenty-four priests had been honored and five were recognized twice. Bishop Rohlman served as Bishop of Davenport for 17 years until September 8, 1944, when he was named to the See of Dubuque.
of Dubuque had involved the archdiocese in a dubious financial scheme. Beckman had been talked into investing borrowed money in gold mines with the idea that the profits could be used to further an art collection he had established at Columbia College. However, the scheme was soon revealed to be a fraud, and the man behind the scheme was arrested. Because Beckman had signed loans in the archdiocese's name, it led to financial difficulties for the archdiocese when the holders of the notes began demanding repayment. Because of the financial problems surrounding Beckman, Bishop Rohlman was transferred to Dubuque by Pope Pius XII and named Titular Archbishop of Macra and Coadjutor Archbishop of Dubuque. It was made clear to Beckman that while he retained the title "Archbishop", Rohlman was now the leader of the archdiocese. On November 11, 1946, Archbishop Beckman retired from office and left Dubuque. Rohlman automatically became the seventh bishop and fifth archbishop of Dubuque.
While Rohlman was archbishop, Christ the King Chapel was constructed at Loras College, St. Mary's Home for Children was built in Dubuque, and the number of priests in the archdiocese rose from 290 to 345. Rohlman, along with the other bishops in Iowa, re-established Mt. St Bernard's Seminary for the education of new priests in the province. A new $2.5 million building was constructed to house the seminary in Dubuque.
On August 10, 1945, the Diocese of Omaha
was elevated to the status of an archdiocese. At that time the Province of Dubuque was reduced in size to the four dioceses in the state of Iowa
.
On August 3, 1946, Pope Pius XII appointed a Dubuque priest, Edward Fitzgerald
, as the first auxiliary bishop in the archdiocese. He assisted Rohlman until he was appointed Bishop of Winona
on October 20, 1949.
of Winona was transferred to Dubuque, and Rohlman continued to serve as archbishop until his resignation was accepted by Pope Pius XII on December 2, 1954. He was named the Titular Archbishop of Cotrada and Archbishop Emeritus. Rohlman is buried in the mortuary chapel at St. Raphael's Cathedral.
, was named in his honor. The former Marycrest College
in Davenport also named a building in his honor.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
in the Catholic Church in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Davenport
Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport is a diocese of the Catholic Church for the southeastern quarter of the state of Iowa. There are within the diocese...
from 1927–1944 and as coadjutor archbishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
and 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...
of the Archdiocese of Dubuque
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northeastern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States. It includes all the Iowa counties north of Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, and Clinton counties. ...
from 1944-1954.
Early Life & Ministry
Rohlman was born in Appelhuelsen, WestphaliaWestphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
(present day 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...
) to Bernard and Bernadine (Hussman) Rohlman. When he was two years old his family immigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and settled in Carroll County, Iowa
Carroll County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 20,816 in the county, with a population density of . There were 9,376 housing units, of which 8,683 were occupied.-2000 census:...
. They moved to Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
where both of his parents died. Henry was moved to Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
where he finished elementary school and worked on a farm. Through the generosity of people from Carroll County he studied in the high school department at St. Lawrence Seminary, Mount Calvary, Wisconsin
Mount Calvary, Wisconsin
Mount Calvary is a village in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 956 at the 2000 census, up from 558 residents from the 1990 census.-Holyland:...
, and graduated from Columbia College, now Loras College
Loras College
Loras College is a four-year Catholic college located in Dubuque, Iowa, with a general attendance of approximately 1,700 students. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs...
, in Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
. He studied for the priesthood at the Grand séminaire de Montréal
Grand séminaire de Montréal
The Grand séminaire de Montréal is the sacerdotal school of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal. The institution was founded by the sulpicians in 1840 on the demands of Ignace Bourget. A branch of Université Laval's faculty of theology was installed in the seminar in 1878...
and was ordained a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
by Archbishop Paul Bruchesi
Paul Bruchési
Louis Joseph Napoléon Paul Bruchési, was a Canadian prelate.Ordained as a priest in 1878, he was appointed Archbishop in 1897. Both these appointments were in the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Montréal...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
for the Archdiocese of Dubuque on December 21, 1901.
Rohlman engaged in pastoral work in Dubuque before attending 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, DC with a view to becoming a missionary. When he returned to Dubuque he was assigned to the Apostolate, which preached parish missions in the archdiocese, as well as the other dioceses in Iowa. He became pastor at St. Mary's Church in Waterloo
Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...
before serving as business manager at Columbia College. In the early 1920s, Rohlman was asked to form Nativity parish in Dubuque.
Bishop of Davenport
On May 20, 1927, Pope Pius XI named Rohlman the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Davenport. Rohlman was consecrated by Archbishop James KeaneJames Keane (Archbishop)
- External links :...
of Dubuque in St. Raphael's Cathedral on July 25, 1927. He was installed the next day as Bishop of Davenport in Sacred Heart Cathedral. The principal co-consecrators were Bishops Edmond Heelan
Edmond Heelan
Edmond Heelan was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Sioux City from 1920 until his death in 1948.-Biography:...
of Sioux City and Thomas W. Drumm
Thomas William Drumm
Thomas William Drumm was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Des Moines from 1919 until his death in 1933.-Biography:...
of Des Moines.
In 1928 Bishop Rohlman commissioned a study to assess the social problems in the diocese. The result of this study was the establishment of Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities is a network of charities whose aim is "to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same." It is one of the largest charities in the United States...
in 1929. He named the Rev. Martin Cone
Martin Cone
Martin Cone was a Catholic priest in the United States and served as the 6th president of St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa from 1930-1937.-Biography:...
as its first director. Its immediate focus was the welfare of the children at St. Vincent’s Home in Davenport.
Clinton, Iowa
Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26231as of 2010. Clinton, along with DeWitt, Iowa , was named in honor of the seventh governor of New York, DeWitt Clinton. Clinton is the principal city of the Clinton Micropolitan Statistical...
established Mt. St. Clare College (now Ashford University
Ashford University
Ashford University is a private, for-profit university located in Clinton, Iowa. It is the largest educational holding of Bridgepoint Education...
) in 1928. It was an extension of their academy, which had been established in the 1890s. St. Ambrose College
Saint Ambrose University
St. Ambrose University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport. It is located in a residential area of Davenport, Iowa.-History:...
started a woman’s division in 1934 and continued to support it as it searched for a religious order of women to take it over. In 1937 property was secured for a woman’s college in Davenport on the westside of the city. The Congregation of the Humility of Mary at Rohlman’s urging established Marycrest College
Marycrest International University
Marycrest College Historic District is located on a bluff overlooking the West End of Davenport, Iowa, United States. The district encompasses the campus of Marycrest International University, which was a small, private collegiate institution...
in 1939 from the woman’s division of St. Ambrose.
The diocese celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1931. The next year Bishop Rohlman convoked the diocese’s third synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
. The synod was called to bring the diocese’s regulations in line with the Code of Canon Law, which had been promulgated in 1917. It also set the salary for pastors at $1,000 per year, plus household expenses, and associate pastors and chaplain’s salaries were set at $500. Catholic Charities had set up their offices in the Kahl Building
Kahl Building
The Kahl Building, also known as Kahl Building and Capitol Theatre is a building located in Downtown Davenport, Iowa, USA, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is ten-stories tall and constructed with a steel frame. Louis Sullivan’s Wainwright Building, in St. Louis,...
. They were joined in 1932 with the chancery
Diocesan chancery
A diocesan chancery is the branch of administration which handles all written documents used in the official government of a Roman Catholic or Anglican diocese....
and the newly established superintendent of schools. All of these offices and the bishop’s office moved into a property on Church Square behind St. Anthony’s Church
St. Anthony's Catholic Church (Davenport, Iowa)
Saint Anthony's Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport. The church is located in Davenport, Iowa, United States, at the corner of 4th and Main Streets. It is the first church congregation organized in the city of Davenport and the second, after St. Raphael's...
downtown. It was renamed the Cosgrove Building after Davenport’s second bishop, Henry Cosgrove
Henry Cosgrove
Henry Cosgrove was a late 19th century and early 20th century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the second bishop of Diocese of Davenport, in the state of Iowa from 1884-1906....
.
Rohlman had the difficult task of leading the diocese through the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and 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...
. The Catholic Messenger, an independent Catholic newspaper published in Davenport, was experiencing financial problems during the Depression and was purchased by the diocese for use as a diocesan newspaper in 1937. A national edition to the paper was still published in addition to a diocesan addition for a couple decades after its purchase. The Messenger moved its offices into the Cosgrove Building, until they moved across the street into the Democrat Building
Democrat Building
Democrat Building is located at 407-411 Brady Street, Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-History:...
.
Until Bishop Rohlman came to the diocese only five priests had been recognized for their contributions to the church by being given a papal honor, all of them from Bishop Davis
James J. Davis (Catholic bishop)
James J. Davis was a 20th-century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the third bishop of the Diocese of Davenport in the state of Iowa from 1906 to 1926.-Early life and ministry:...
. Rohlman named 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"...
s every two years. By the time he returned to Dubuque, twenty-four priests had been honored and five were recognized twice. Bishop Rohlman served as Bishop of Davenport for 17 years until September 8, 1944, when he was named to the See of Dubuque.
Archbishop of Dubuque
During the early 1940s, Archbishop Francis BeckmanFrancis Beckman
-External links:*...
of Dubuque had involved the archdiocese in a dubious financial scheme. Beckman had been talked into investing borrowed money in gold mines with the idea that the profits could be used to further an art collection he had established at Columbia College. However, the scheme was soon revealed to be a fraud, and the man behind the scheme was arrested. Because Beckman had signed loans in the archdiocese's name, it led to financial difficulties for the archdiocese when the holders of the notes began demanding repayment. Because of the financial problems surrounding Beckman, Bishop Rohlman was transferred to Dubuque by Pope Pius XII and named Titular Archbishop of Macra and Coadjutor Archbishop of Dubuque. It was made clear to Beckman that while he retained the title "Archbishop", Rohlman was now the leader of the archdiocese. On November 11, 1946, Archbishop Beckman retired from office and left Dubuque. Rohlman automatically became the seventh bishop and fifth archbishop of Dubuque.
While Rohlman was archbishop, Christ the King Chapel was constructed at Loras College, St. Mary's Home for Children was built in Dubuque, and the number of priests in the archdiocese rose from 290 to 345. Rohlman, along with the other bishops in Iowa, re-established Mt. St Bernard's Seminary for the education of new priests in the province. A new $2.5 million building was constructed to house the seminary in Dubuque.
On August 10, 1945, the Diocese of Omaha
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the midwestern region of the United States. Archbishop Elden Francis Curtiss...
was elevated to the status of an archdiocese. At that time the Province of Dubuque was reduced in size to the four dioceses in the state of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
.
On August 3, 1946, Pope Pius XII appointed a Dubuque priest, Edward Fitzgerald
Edward Aloysius Fitzgerald
Edward Aloysius Fitzgerald was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Winona from 1949 to 1969.- Biography :...
, as the first auxiliary bishop in the archdiocese. He assisted Rohlman until he was appointed Bishop of Winona
Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona
The Diocese of Winona is the Roman Catholic diocese which ministers to the people of southern Minnesota. The diocese includes Blue Earth, Cottonwood, Dodge, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Jackson, Martin, Mower, Murray, Nobles, Olmsted, Pipestone, Rock, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Watonowan,...
on October 20, 1949.
Later life & Death
In 1949, Rohlman requested a coadjutor archbishop. Bishop Leo BinzLeo Binz
-External links:*...
of Winona was transferred to Dubuque, and Rohlman continued to serve as archbishop until his resignation was accepted by Pope Pius XII on December 2, 1954. He was named the Titular Archbishop of Cotrada and Archbishop Emeritus. Rohlman is buried in the mortuary chapel at St. Raphael's Cathedral.
Legacy
Rohlman Hall, a resident hall at St. Ambrose University in DavenportDavenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, was named in his honor. The former Marycrest College
Marycrest International University
Marycrest College Historic District is located on a bluff overlooking the West End of Davenport, Iowa, United States. The district encompasses the campus of Marycrest International University, which was a small, private collegiate institution...
in Davenport also named a building in his honor.