Bernard Joseph Topel (March 31, 1903 – October 22, 1986) was an American

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. He served as bishop of the Diopcese of Spokane in Washington State from 1955 to 1978.

Biography

Early life

Bernard Topel was born on March 31, 1903, in Bozeman,

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

, the fourth son of Henry Albert and Mary Pauline (née Hagen) Topel. Henry Topel was a tailor who had immigrated from Germany in 1878. Mary Topel immigrated from Switzerland at age nine. Bernard Topel attended grade school in Bozeman and, after graduating from St. Charles High School in Helena, studied at

Mount St. Charles College Carroll College is a private Catholic college in Helena, Montana. The college has 21 buildings on a 63-acre campus, has over 35 academic majors, participates in 15 NAIA athletic sports, and is home to All Saints Chapel. The college motto, in La ...

in Helena, Montana. He then studied

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

at the Grand Seminary of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec. Topel then went to Washington D.C. to enter the Catholic University of America. He earned a

Master of Education The Master of Education (MEd or M.Ed. or Ed.M.; Latin ''Magister Educationis'' or ''Educationis Magister'') is a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum a ...

there in 1927.

Priesthood

Topel was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

to the priesthood for the

Diocese of Helena The Diocese of Helena ( la, Dioecesis Helenensis) is the Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in western Montana with its cathedral located in Helena. The diocese was created from the year-old Apostolic Vicariate ...

on June 7, 1927. After his ordination, he went to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to earn a master's degree in mathematics from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. Topel then went to the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...

, where he earned a doctorate. Returning to Helena in 1934, he served at the missions in Toston, Montana, and

Wolf Creek, Montana Wolf Creek is an unincorporated community in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, United States, along Interstate 15, north of Helena. Its ZIP code is 59648. In 1887, the Montana Central Railway built its line through the narrow Prickly Pear Can ...

. In 1937, Topel served as a faculty member teaching mathematics at the University of Notre Dame. He came back to Montana in 1939, becoming a faculty member of Mount St. Charles College, teaching mathematics and

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

. He also served as vocations director for the diocese.

Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Spokane

On August 9, 1955, Topel was appointed coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Spokane, and titular bishop of Binda by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on September 21, 1955, from Bishop Joseph Gilmore, with Bishops

Joseph Dougherty Joseph Dougherty is an American television producer, writer, and director. He has written for such television series as ''Thirtysomething'', for which he won an Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for ...

and Joseph Willging serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of St. Helena. Upon the death of Bishop Charles White four days later, Topel succeeded him as the third Bishop of Spokane on September 25, 1955. He was installed on October 12, 1955 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes. On being selected as a bishop, Topel remarked:

"I became a bishop without ever having been a pastor or working in the chancery, the common way to become a bishop. I thought I was the least prepared man to become bishop ever. But then I decided afterward I wasn't".

In 1958, Topel led a

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

of Spokane Catholics to the

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ...

s of Europe, including the

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes () is a Catholic Marian shrine and pilgrimage site dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes in the town of Lourdes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France. The sanctuary includes several religious buildings and monuments around ...

in Lourdes, France, on the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of

Our Lady of Lourdes Our Lady of Lourdes (french: Notre-Dame de Lourdes) is a title of the Virgin Mary. She is venerated under this title by the Roman Catholic church due to her apparitions that occurred in Lourdes, France. The first apparition of 11 February 1858, ...

. He began a mission program in Guatemala with the

Maryknoll Fathers Maryknoll is a name shared by a number of related Catholic organizations, including the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (also known as the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America or the Maryknoll Society), the Maryknoll Sisters, and the Mary ...

in 1960. Topel attended all four sessions of the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

in Rome between 1962 and 1965. During his 22-year tenure, Topel established several parishes and schools, the Mater Cleri Seminary in

Colbert, Washington Colbert () is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Spokane County, Washington, Spokane County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The town is on U.S. Route 2 in Washington, U.S. Route 2, north of the city of Spokane, Wash ...

, the Bishop White Seminary on the

Gonzaga University Gonzaga University (GU) () is a private Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Founded in 1887 by Joseph Cataldo, an Italian-born priest and Jesuit missionary, the ...

campus in Spokane, the Immaculate Heart Retreat House, homes for unwed mothers, and housing for the elderly.

Austerity of life

Topel received national media coverage for his austere lifestyle. He maintained a modest residence with neither heating nor a telephone. He received most of his food from his vegetable garden. Topel donated the profits from the sale of his

crosier A crosier or crozier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot and is carried by high-ranking prelates of Roman Catholic, Eastern Cathol ...

and

pectoral cross A pectoral cross or pectorale (from the Latin ''pectoralis'', "of the chest") is a cross that is worn on the chest, usually suspended from the neck by a cord or chain. In ancient and medieval times pectoral crosses were worn by both clergy and ...

to charity, and admitted that wearing an

episcopal ring An ecclesiastical ring is a finger ring worn by clergy, such as a bishop's ring. As pontifical accoutrements In Western Christianity, rings are worn by bishops as well as other clerics who are given the privilege of wearing pontifical vestment ...

made him feel "a bit out of kilter". He once declared,

"I have come to the realization that the most important thing I can do in the church, and that applies to Christians in general, is to live simply in order to give money to the poor."

Retirement and legacy

Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Topel retired as Bishop of Spokane on April 11, 1978. He served as

apostolic administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic adm ...

of the diocese until the appointment of his successor, Lawrence Harold Welsh. He died at St. Joseph Care Center, aged 83. In 2004, the diocese was sued by several plaintiffs over its handling of sexual abuse allegations against Patrick G. O'Donnell, a diocese priest. Before his ordination, clergy had voiced concerns about O'Donnell's sexual attraction to boys, yet he was accepted into the diocese. In 1974, Walter Abel was O'Donnell's supervising priest. Abel believed that O'Donnell was a

pedophile Pedophilia ( alternatively spelt paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty a ...

and told the Diocesan Personnel Board it was essential that O'Donnell be moved quickly. At that time, Topel sent O'Donnell away for therapy.Inlander, January 22, 2004 Upon his return, Topel reassigned him to a new parish where he abused more boys. Topel did not notify authorities or parishioners about O'Donnell. He would not be exposed and suspended from the priesthood until 1986, by which time he had been assigned to several parishes.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Topel, Bernard Joseph 1903 births 1986 deaths Carroll College (Montana) alumni Catholic University of America alumni Harvard University alumni University of Notre Dame alumni People from Bozeman, Montana Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena Roman Catholic bishops of Spokane 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Participants in the Second Vatican Council Religious leaders from Montana Catholics from Montana