John Joseph Leibrecht
Encyclopedia
John Joseph Leibrecht is an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
from 1984 to 2008.
, Missouri
, to John and Ellen (née Begley) Leibrecht. His parents were of German
and Irish
descent, and one brother also became a priest
. He attended the Cathedral Latin School, and excelled at athletics, particularly basketball
. He then studied at St. Louis Preparatory Seminary and Kenrick Seminary
. He was ordained
by Archbishop Joseph Ritter on March 17, 1956.
He then served as associate pastor
at St. Louis Cathedral
, and furthered his studies at the Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C.
, from where he earned a Ph.D.
in Education in 1961. He worked in Catholic education
in the Archdiocese of St. Louis for twenty years, including a nine-year period as Superintendent of Education. In 1981, he became pastor
of Sacred Heart Church in Florissant
.
by Pope John Paul II
. Succeeding Bernard Law (who was promoted to Archbishop of Boston
), he received his episcopal consecration
on the following December 12 from Archbishop John May
, with Archbishop Law and Bishop Glennon Flavin
serving as co-consecrators
.
In addition to his duties as diocesan bishop
, he chaired the USCCB
Committee on Education (1986-1989) and the Ex Corde Ecclesiae Committee on U.S. Catholic Colleges and Universities (1991-2000). He was a board member of the Catholic Health Association
from 1997 to 2003, and Chairman of the Board for the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University
(CARA). He was a close friend of the late J. Robert Ashcroft, President of Evangel University
and father of former Attorney General
John Ashcroft
.
Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Leibrecht submitted his letter of resignation to Pope Benedict XVI
in August 2005. Pope Benedict accepted his resignation on January 24, 2008, officially ending Leibrecht's 23-year-long tenure as Bishop with the installation of his successor on March 31st of that year.
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 Springfield-Cape Girardeau
Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau is a Roman Catholic diocese in Missouri. It was founded on August 24, 1956. The current bishop is the Most Reverend James Vann Johnston, Jr., appointed January 24, 2008, and installed March 31, 2008....
from 1984 to 2008.
Early life and ministry
John Leibrecht was born in OverlandOverland, Missouri
Overland is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 16,062 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Overland is located at ....
, 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 Ellen (née Begley) Leibrecht. His parents were of 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...
and Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
descent, and one 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....
. He attended the Cathedral Latin School, and excelled at athletics, particularly basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. He then studied at St. Louis Preparatory Seminary and 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....
by Archbishop Joseph Ritter on March 17, 1956.
He then served as associate pastor
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. Louis Cathedral
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral or the New Cathedral, was completed in 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri, as the archdiocesan replacement for the Cathedral of St. Louis, King of France...
, and furthered his studies 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....
, from where he earned a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Education in 1961. He worked in Catholic education
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
in the Archdiocese of St. Louis for twenty years, including a nine-year period as Superintendent of Education. In 1981, 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 Florissant
Florissant, Missouri
Florissant is a second-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in northern St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The city has a total population of 52,158 in 2010 census.-History:...
.
Episcopal career
On October 20, 1984, Leibrecht was appointed the fifth bishop of the Springfield-Cape GirardeauRoman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau is a Roman Catholic diocese in Missouri. It was founded on August 24, 1956. The current bishop is the Most Reverend James Vann Johnston, Jr., appointed January 24, 2008, and installed March 31, 2008....
by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. Succeeding Bernard Law (who was promoted to Archbishop of Boston
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It comprises several counties of the state of Massachusetts...
), he received his episcopal consecration
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....
on the following December 12 from Archbishop John May
John L. May
John Lawrence May was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Mobile and Archbishop of St. Louis .-Early life and education:...
, with Archbishop Law and Bishop Glennon Flavin
Glennon Patrick Flavin
Glennon Patrick Flavin was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Lincoln from 1967 to 1992.-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...
.
In addition to his duties as diocesan 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...
, he chaired the USCCB
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
Committee on Education (1986-1989) and the Ex Corde Ecclesiae Committee on U.S. Catholic Colleges and Universities (1991-2000). He was a board member of the Catholic Health Association
Catholic Health Association of the United States
The Catholic Health Association of the United States was founded in 1915 as the Catholic Hospital Association of the United States and Canada. The association has offices in Washington, D.C. and St. Louis, Missouri....
from 1997 to 2003, and Chairman of the Board for the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
(CARA). He was a close friend of the late J. Robert Ashcroft, President of Evangel University
Evangel University
Evangel University is the national university of arts, sciences and professions in Springfield, Missouri. Evangel College was renamed Evangel University on June 8, 1998. The campus sits on that were originally part of . The first President of Evangel was Klaude Kendrick who served from 1955-1958....
and father of former Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
.
Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Leibrecht submitted his letter of resignation to Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
in August 2005. Pope Benedict accepted his resignation on January 24, 2008, officially ending Leibrecht's 23-year-long tenure as Bishop with the installation of his successor on March 31st of that year.