John Bernard Kevenhoerster
Encyclopedia
John Bernard Kevenhoerster, O.S.B.
(November 1, 1869—December 9, 1949) was a German
-born prelate
of the Catholic Church. He served as the first Prefect Apostolic
(1931-41) and Vicar Apostolic
(1941-49) of the Bahama Islands
.
in North Rhine-Westphalia
. At age 11, he immigrated with his family to the United States
, where they settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota
. After receiving his early education at public and parochial schools, he studied at St. John's College and the University of Minnesota
. He entered the Order of Saint Benedict
, more commonly known as the Benedictines, at St. John's Abbey
in Collegeville, and made his profession on July 25, 1892. He then served as the assistant to the master of novices
at St. John's.
Kevenhoerster was ordained
to the priesthood
on June 24, 1896. He then served as a professor, as well as a chaplain
and moderator of the Alexian Literary Society, at St. John's College. He later became rector
of the college and prior
of the abbey. From 1907 to 1929, he was pastor
of St. Anselm's Church
in the Bronx
borough of New York City
. He then served as vicar forane
of the Bahama Islands
, as well as superior
of the Benedictines there, from 1929 to 1931. During this time, he worked as a chaplain at prisons and hospitals, and taught classes to Catholic converts.
On May 22, 1931, Kevenhoerster was appointed the first Prefect Apostolic
of the newly-created Prefecture Apostolic of the Bahama Islands
by Pope Pius XI
. Each year he made a begging trip to the United States to collect funds to be used in the building of parochial schools. On October 27, 1933, he was named to succeed the late Bishop John Dunn
as titular bishop
of Camuliana. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following December 21 from Cardinal Patrick Hayes, with Archbishop John Murray and Bishop Joseph Busch
serving as co-consecrators
, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.
Kevenhoerster was formally enthroned by Cardinal Hayes in Nassau
on February 4, 1934. At the ceremony, Hayes commented, "New York's loss is the Bahamas' gain." Later that same year, he returned to New York to ask for financial aid for the Bahamas to complete the rebuilding of two churches destroyed by a hurricane. In 1940, he attended the annual Catholic Mission Sunday at St. Patrick's Cathedral, where he occupied the seat of honor opposite the Archbishop's throne.
On January 15, 1941, the Prefecture Apostolic was elevated to the Vicariate Apostolic of the Bahama Islands
, with Kevenhoerster becoming its first Vicar Apostolic. He spent a total of twenty years in the Bahamas and, during his tenure, the islands' Catholic population rose from 3,200 (1929) to 13,054 (1954). He also established several convent
s and a congregation of nun
s, founded St. Augustine's Monastery and College in Nassau, and encouraged the creation of Boy Scouts and Clubs in churches. In June 1946, he was named an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
by Pope Pius XII
on the occasion of the golden jubilee of his priestly ordination.
Kevenhoerster experienced fragile health and suffered several stroke
s in his final years. He died in Nassau at age 80.
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
(November 1, 1869—December 9, 1949) was a German
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 Prefect Apostolic
Apostolic prefect
An apostolic prefect is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a missionary area where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese....
(1931-41) and Vicar Apostolic
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
(1941-49) of the Bahama Islands
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
.
Biography
John Kevenhoerster was born at EssenEssen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
. At age 11, he immigrated with his family to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where they settled in Minneapolis, 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...
. After receiving his early education at public and parochial schools, he studied at St. John's College and the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. He entered the Order of Saint Benedict
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
, more commonly known as the Benedictines, at St. John's Abbey
Saint John's Abbey
Saint John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota is a Benedictine monastery affiliated with the American Cassinese Congregation. The Abbey was established following the arrival in the area of monks from Saint Vincent Abbey of Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1856. Saint John's is the second-largest...
in Collegeville, and made his profession on July 25, 1892. He then served as the assistant to the master of novices
Master of novices
The master of novices or novice master is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to refer those religious to whom is committed the training of the novices and the government of the novitiate of a religious order or congregation...
at St. John's.
Kevenhoerster 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 24, 1896. He then served as a professor, as well as a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
and moderator of the Alexian Literary Society, at St. John's College. He later became 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 the college and prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of the abbey. From 1907 to 1929, he was 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. Anselm's Church
St. Anselm's Church (Bronx, New York)
The Church of St. Anselm is a Roman Catholic parish church under the authority of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 151st Street at Robbins Avenue , in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City. It was established in 1891 and is staffed by the Order of...
in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
borough of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He then served as vicar forane
Archpriest
An archpriest is a priest with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholic Churches, although it may be used in the Latin rite of the Roman Catholic Church instead of dean or vicar forane.In the 16th and 17th centuries, during...
of the Bahama Islands
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
, as well as superior
Provincial superior
A Provincial Superior is a major superior of a religious order acting under the order's Superior General and exercising a general supervision over all the members of that order in a territorial division of the order called a province--similar to but not to be confused with an ecclesiastical...
of the Benedictines there, from 1929 to 1931. During this time, he worked as a chaplain at prisons and hospitals, and taught classes to Catholic converts.
On May 22, 1931, Kevenhoerster was appointed the first Prefect Apostolic
Apostolic prefect
An apostolic prefect is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a missionary area where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese....
of the newly-created Prefecture Apostolic of the Bahama Islands
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Caribbean. The diocese encompasses the islands of the former British dependency of the Bahamas...
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...
. Each year he made a begging trip to the United States to collect funds to be used in the building of parochial schools. On October 27, 1933, he was named to succeed the late Bishop John Dunn
John Joseph Dunn
John Joseph Dunn was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York from 1921 until his death in 1933.-Biography:...
as 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 Camuliana. 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 Cardinal Patrick Hayes, with Archbishop John Murray and Bishop Joseph Busch
Joseph Francis Busch
Joseph Francis Busch was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Lead and Bishop of Saint Cloud .-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...
, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.
Kevenhoerster was formally enthroned by Cardinal Hayes in Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
on February 4, 1934. At the ceremony, Hayes commented, "New York's loss is the Bahamas' gain." Later that same year, he returned to New York to ask for financial aid for the Bahamas to complete the rebuilding of two churches destroyed by a hurricane. In 1940, he attended the annual Catholic Mission Sunday at St. Patrick's Cathedral, where he occupied the seat of honor opposite the Archbishop's throne.
On January 15, 1941, the Prefecture Apostolic was elevated to the Vicariate Apostolic of the Bahama Islands
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Caribbean. The diocese encompasses the islands of the former British dependency of the Bahamas...
, with Kevenhoerster becoming its first Vicar Apostolic. He spent a total of twenty years in the Bahamas and, during his tenure, the islands' Catholic population rose from 3,200 (1929) to 13,054 (1954). He also established several convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
s and a congregation of 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, founded St. Augustine's Monastery and College in Nassau, and encouraged the creation of Boy Scouts and Clubs in churches. In June 1946, he was named an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
Assistant at the Pontifical Throne is an ecclesiastical title in the Roman Catholic Church. It signifies a prelate belonging to the papal chapel, who stands near the throne of the Pope at solemn functions....
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 the occasion of the golden jubilee of his priestly ordination.
Kevenhoerster experienced fragile health and suffered several stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
s in his final years. He died in Nassau at age 80.