Francis Joseph Tief (March 7, 1881 – September 22, 1965) 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 Diocese of Concordia in Kansas from 1921 to 1938.

Biography

Early life

Francis Tief was born on March 7, 1881, in

Port Chester, New York Port Chester is a village in the U.S. state of New York and the largest part of the town of Rye in Westchester County by population. At the 2010 U.S. census, the village of Port Chester had a population of 28,967 and was the fifth-most popu ...

, to John and Catherine (née Glynn) Tief, both from

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. After studying at Niagara University in Lewiston, New York for one year, he attended St. Bonaventure College in Allegany, New York, obtaining his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

degree in 1905. Tief 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 by Bishop Charles H. Colton on June 13, 1908. He briefly served as a curate at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

before becoming the first resident

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

of Sacred Heart Parish in Webb City,

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

. In 1910, he became rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City, and was named

vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop' ...

of the Diocese of Kansas City in 1916.

Bishop of Concordia

On December 16, 1920, Tief was appointed the third bishop of the Diocese of Concordia by

Pope Benedict XV Pope Benedict XV (Latin: ''Benedictus XV''; it, Benedetto XV), born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, name=, group= (; 21 November 185422 January 1922), was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his death in January 1922. His ...

. He received his

episcopal consecration A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

on March 30, 1921 from Bishop Thomas Lillis, with Bishops

Peter Muldoon Peter J. Muldoon (October 10, 1863 – October 8, 1927) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Rockford in Illinois from 1908 until his death in 1927. He previously served as a ...

and John Tihen serving as co-consecrators. He was installed at the Cathedral of

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Our Lady of Perpetual Help (also known as Our Lady of Perpetual Succour) is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a 15th-century Byzantine icon with an alleged Marian apparition. The icon is believed to have o ...

in Concordia on the following April 6. During his tenure, Tief built or renovated eight churches, eight rectories, six

schools A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsor ...

, two

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...

s, an elderly home, the Home of the Little Flower in Concordia (1924), St. Mary's Hospital in

Manhattan, Kansas Manhattan is a city and county seat of Riley County, Kansas, United States, although the city extends into Pottawatomie County. It is located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. As of the 2020 c ...

(1936), St. Joseph's College and Military Academy in Hays, Kansas (1931), and Marymount College in

Salina, Kansas Salina is a city in, and the county seat of, Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,889. In the early 1800s, the Kanza tribal land reached eastward from the middle of the Kansas Territory. In 1 ...

(1922). He ordained 28 priests, built a new episcopal residence and chancery in Concordia (1926–1927), and established the ''Northwestern Kansas Register'' as the diocesan

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...

in 1937. Tief also pioneered the religious vacation school movement which officially began in 1927.

Retirement and legacy

On June 11, 1938, Pope Pius XI accepted Tief's resignation due to poor health as bishop of Concordia and named him

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 Catholic, Eastern Orthodox ...

of ''Nisa in Lycia''. He retired to Port Chester, where he served as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish. Francis Tief died in Port Chester on September 22, 1965, at age 84.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tief, Francis Joseph 1881 births 1965 deaths Niagara University alumni St. Bonaventure University alumni People from Port Chester, New York American Roman Catholic clergy of Irish descent Roman Catholic bishops of Concordia 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States