Philip George Scher
Encyclopedia
Philip George Scher was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Monterey-Fresno
from 1933 until his death in 1953.
, Illinois
, to Philip Joseph and Catherine (née Wagner) Scher, who were German
immigrants. He received his early education at the parochial school
of St. Peter's Church in his native city. He then attended the Pontifical College Josephinum
in Columbus
, Ohio
, from 1893 to 1896. He continued his studies at the Propaganda College
in Rome
, where he was ordained
to the priesthood
by Cardinal Pietro Respighi
on June 6, 1903. Upon his return to the United States in 1903, he served as a teacher at the Josephinum for a year.
Scher then went to California
due to ill health and was incardinated into the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles
in October 1904. He served as a curate
at St. Vibiana's Cathedral
in Los Angeles
(1904-05) and at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Santa Barbara
(1905-08) before receiving his first pastor
ate at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Montecito
in 1908. He then served at St. Brigid Church in Hanford
(1911-18) and St. Francis Church in Bakersfield
(1918-24), and was transferred to St. Joseph Church in Capitola
after requesting a small parish due to a return to ill health. In 1930, he became a pastor in Monterey
and vicar general
of the diocese.
On April 28, 1933, Scher was appointed Bishop of Monterey-Fresno
by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following June 29 from Archbishop Edward Joseph Hanna
, with Bishops John Joseph Cantwell
and Thomas Kiely Gorman
serving as co-consecrators
. After suffering a stroke in 1946, he was confined to a hospital in Fresno, and received Aloysius Joseph Willinger
as his coadjutor bishop
. He later died at age 72.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
clergyman 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 Monterey-Fresno
Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey-Fresno
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey-Fresno was formerly a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in California, United States. The diocese was composed of the present dioceses of Monterey and Fresno The diocese was erected in 1922—split off from the former Diocese of Monterey-Los...
from 1933 until his death in 1953.
Biography
Philip Scher was born in BellevilleBelleville, Illinois
Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 44,478. It is the eighth-most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and the most populated city south of Springfield in the state of Illinois. It is the county...
, 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,...
, to Philip Joseph and Catherine (née Wagner) Scher, who were 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...
immigrants. He received his early education at the parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
of St. Peter's Church in his native city. He then attended the 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...
in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, 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...
, from 1893 to 1896. He continued his studies at the Propaganda College
Pontifical Urbaniana University
The Pontifical Urbaniana University or Pontifical Urban University is a pontifical university under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.-History:...
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...
, where 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....
by Cardinal Pietro Respighi
Pietro Respighi
Pietro Respighi S.T.D. JUD was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archpriest of the Basilica of St. John Lateran.He was born in Bologna and received the sacrament of confirmation in November 1850...
on June 6, 1903. Upon his return to the United States in 1903, he served as a teacher at the Josephinum for a year.
Scher then went to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
due to ill health and was incardinated into the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the archdiocese comprises the California counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the...
in October 1904. He 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. Vibiana's Cathedral
Cathedral of Saint Vibiana
The Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, often called St. Vibiana's, is a former cathedral church building and parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(1904-05) and at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
(1905-08) before receiving his first 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"....
ate at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Montecito
Montecito, California
Montecito is an unincorporated community in Santa Barbara County, California. As a census-designated place, it had a population of 8,965 in 2010. This does not include areas such as Coast Village Road, that, while usually considered part of Montecito, are actually within the city limits of Santa...
in 1908. He then served at St. Brigid Church in Hanford
Hanford, California
Hanford is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the principal city of the Hanford-Corcoran, California Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities...
(1911-18) and St. Francis Church in Bakersfield
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
(1918-24), and was transferred to St. Joseph Church in Capitola
Capitola, California
Capitola is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, on the coast of Monterey Bay. The population was 9,918 at the 2010 census.-History:...
after requesting a small parish due to a return to ill health. In 1930, he became a pastor in Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
and vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the diocese.
On April 28, 1933, Scher was appointed Bishop of Monterey-Fresno
Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey-Fresno
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey-Fresno was formerly a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in California, United States. The diocese was composed of the present dioceses of Monterey and Fresno The diocese was erected in 1922—split off from the former Diocese of Monterey-Los...
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 June 29 from Archbishop Edward Joseph Hanna
Edward Joseph Hanna
Edward Joseph Hanna was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of San Francisco from 1915 to 1935.-Early life and education:...
, with Bishops John Joseph Cantwell
John Joseph Cantwell
John Joseph Cantwell was the first archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.Archbishop Cantwell was born in Limerick, Ireland. He was ordained priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco on June 18, 1899 and was initially assigned as curate of Berkeley's St. Joseph The Worker...
and Thomas Kiely Gorman
Thomas Kiely Gorman
Thomas Kiely Gorman was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Reno from 1931 to 1952, and Bishop of Dallas from 1954 to 1969.-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...
. After suffering a stroke in 1946, he was confined to a hospital in Fresno, and received Aloysius Joseph Willinger
Aloysius Joseph Willinger
Aloysius Joseph Willinger, C.Ss.R. was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Ponce from 1929 to 1946, and Bishop of Monterey-Fresno from 1953 to 1967.-Biography:...
as his coadjutor bishop
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...
. He later died at age 72.