Charles Daniel White (January 5, 1879 – September 25, 1955) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Spokane in Washington State from 1927 until his death in 1955.

Biography

Early life

Charles White was born in

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

, Michigan, to Patrick and Catherine (née Bolger) White. He attended St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, before completing his studies at the Urban College of Propaganda in Rome. He earned a Ph.D. (1907) and Doctor of Sacred Theology degree (1911).

Priesthood

White was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Grand Rapids in Rome by Cardinal Pietro Respighi on September 24, 1910. Returning to Michigan, he served as a professor (1911–1919) and

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

(1919–1927) at St. Joseph Preparatory Seminary in

. White also served as a

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Grand Rapids (1911–1918) and was named a

domestic prelate Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...

in 1925.

Bishop of Spokane

On December 20, 1926, White was appointed the second bishop of the Diocese of Spokane by

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...

. He received his

episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

consecration Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

on February 24, 1927, from Bishop

Joseph G. Pinten Joseph Gabriel Pinten (October 3, 1867 – November 6, 1945) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the third bishop of the Diocese of Superior in Wisconsin (1922–1926), and as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of ...

, with Bishops Samuel Stritch and Alphonse John Smith serving as

co-consecrators A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...

. He was installed on March 10, 1927, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes. During his 28-year tenure, he built St. Anthony School and convent, Sacred Heart School and convent, Sisters of the Good Shepherd Home in Spokane, Marycliff High School for Girls in Spokane, St. Charles Parish, St. Joseph Parish in Trentwood, Washington, and St. John Vianney Parish in Spokane. In other areas of the diocese, White built the Grand Coulee Dam Parish in Grand Coulee, Washington, the nurses' home and school in Colfax, Washington and Tonasket Hospital in Tonasket, Washington. For Native Americans, he established St. Gertrude Parish in Monse and St. Jude in Usk, Washington. He also established the

Confraternity of Christian Doctrine Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) is a catechesis program of the Catholic Church, normally for children. It is also the name of an association that traditionally organises Catholic catechesis, which was established in Rome in 1562. Reli ...

and the National Catholic Rural Life Conference in the diocese. Charles White died in Spokane on September 25, 1955, at age 76.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Charles Daniel 1879 births 1955 deaths People from Grand Rapids, Michigan Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids Roman Catholic bishops of Spokane 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States St. Francis Seminary (Wisconsin) alumni Pontifical Urban University alumni Religious leaders from Michigan Catholics from Michigan