Herman Joseph Alerding (April 13, 1845 – December 6, 1924) was a German-born American prelate of the

Roman 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 Fort Wayne in Indiana from 1900 until his death in 1924.

Biography

Early life

Herman Alerding was born on April 13, 1845, in Kingdom of Westphalia (in what is today Germany). After his birth, the family immigrated to the United States, settling in

Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

. He attended the

parochial school A parochial school is a private primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathematics and language arts. The ...

of Corpus Christi Parish. Alerding decided to become a priest, but Bishop George Carrell, the prelate for the local

Diocese of Covington The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington ( la, Dioecesis Covingtonensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Kentucky, covering 3,359 square miles (8,700 km2) that includes the city of Covington and the Kentucky counties of Boone, Kento ...

, refused to send him to seminary. Carrell did not want to pay Alerding's seminary tuition. However, in 1858, Bishop Jacques-Maurice De Saint Palais of the nearby

Diocese of Vincennes The Diocese of Vincennes (in Latin, Vincennapolis), the first Roman Catholic diocese in Indiana, was erected 6 May 1834 by Pope Gregory XVI. Its initial ecclesiastical jurisdiction encompassed Indiana as well as the eastern third of Illinois. In 18 ...

sponsored Alerding at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary near Vincennes. When St. Charles closed in 1859, Alerding transferred to St. Thomas Seminary in

Bardstown Bardstown is a home rule-class city in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 11,700 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Nelson County. Bardstown is named for the pioneering Bard brothers. David Bard obtained a l ...

. He returned to Indiana in 1860 and entering St. Meinrad Seminary in St. Meinrad, Indiana. At the seminary, he mentored

Paul Dresser Paul Dresser (born Johann Paul Dreiser Jr.; April 22, 1857 – January 30, 1906) was an American singer, songwriter, and comedic actor of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Dresser performed in traveling minstrel and medicine-wa ...

and taught him to play several musical instruments. Dresser later became a popular composer and authored "

On the Banks of the Wabash "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away" was among the best-selling songs of the 19th century, earning over $100,000 from sheet-music revenues. Written and composed by American songwriter Paul Dresser, it was published by the Tin Pan Alley f ...

", the state song of Indiana. After receiving the

tonsure Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice in ...

and minor orders in September 1865, Alerding 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 va ...

to the

subdiaconate Subdeacon (or sub-deacon) is a minor order or ministry for men in various branches of Christianity. The subdeacon has a specific liturgical role and is placed between the acolyte (or reader) and the deacon in the order of precedence. Subdeacons in ...

on June 18, 1867, and to the

diaconate A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

on June 21.

Priesthood

Alerding was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Vincennes by Bishop Saint Palais on September 22, 1869. After his ordination, Alerding 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. Joseph Parish in

Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...

, while also attending several

missions Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion * Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

throughout Parke and Sullivan Counties in Indiana He was appointed

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 ...

in 1871 of St. Elizabeth Parish in Cambridge City, Indiana. While at Cambridge City, Alerding calmed a turbulent congregation which had been under interdict for several months, liquidated the parish debt, and purchased a site for a new church. Alerding was transferred to St. Joseph Parish in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

in 1874, there overseeing the construction of a church,

rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically ow ...

, and parochial school. He briefly served as procurator of the adjoining St. Joseph Seminary until it was closed the following year. In 1883, Alerding published ''A History of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Vincennes''. Alerding was stricken by

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...

and took a trip to

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to recover in 1884.

Bishop of Fort Wayne

On August 30, 1900, Alerding was appointed the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

. 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 November 30, 1900, from Archbishop William Elder, with Bishops

Denis O'Donaghue Denis O'Donaghue (November 30, 1848 – November 7, 1925) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Louisville from 1910 to 1924. Biography Early life O'Donaghue was born on a farm in Daviess County, Indiana, to ...

and Henry K. Moeller 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, ...

, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne. He presided over a diocesan

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...

in November 1903. His pew-rent policy was expressly opposed by Archbishop

Diomede Falconio Diomede Angelo Raffaele Gennaro Falconio, O.F.M. (20 September 1842 – 8 February 1917) was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Congregation for Religious from 1916 until his death, and was elevated to ...

, the apostolic delegate to the United States. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Alerding established the Fort Wayne Diocesan War Council. In a pastoral letter issued in December 1918, Alerding declared, "We deserved the infliction of this terrible war and its awful consequences." Under Alerding's administration, the number of diocesan priests nearly doubled from 109 in 1900 to 210 in 1925. In 1900, the diocese had 102 churches with resident pastors, 39 mission churches, and 73 parochial schools; in 1924, there were 148 churches with resident pastors, 31 mission churches, and 106 parochial schools.

Death and legacy

On November 29, 1924, Alerding suffered three broken ribs when his car collided with a streetcar in Fort Wayne. Already weakened by

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, he never recovered from the accident. Herman Alerding died in Fort Wayne on December 6, 1924, at age 79. He was buried at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alerding, Herman Joseph 1845 births 1924 deaths People from the Province of Westphalia German emigrants to the United States People from Fort Wayne, Indiana Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic bishops of Fort Wayne