Karl Joseph Alter (August 18, 1885 – August 23, 1977) was an 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 Toledo in Ohio (1931–1950) and as archbishop of the
Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati ( la, Archidiœcesis Cincinnatensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese that covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan ...
in Ohio (1950–1969).
Biography
Early life
Karl Alter was born on August 18, 1885, in
Toledo,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, to John P. and Elizabeth (née Kuttner) Alter.
His father was a cigar manufacturer and liquor dealer. Karl Alter attended
St. John's High School in Delphos, Ohio, and was a member of the first graduating class of
St. John's College in Toledo in 1905.
He made his theological studies at St. Mary's Seminary in
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
.
Priesthood
On June 4, 1910, Alter 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 priesthood by Bishop
John Farrelly for the Diocese of Toledo.
He then served as administrator of St. Mary's Parish in
Leipsic, Ohio
Leipsic is a village in Putnam County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,093 at the 2010 census.
History
Leipsic was platted in 1857. The name is a variant spelling of Leipzig, one of the largest cities in eastern Germany.
Two buildin ...
, until 1912, when he became 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. John's Parish in
Lima, Ohio
Lima ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwest Ohio along Interstate 75 in Ohio, Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton, Ohio, Dayton, southwest of Toledo, Ohio, T ...
.
In 1914, Alter was appointed the first diocesan director of
Catholic Charities
The Catholic Church operates numerous charitable organizations.
Catholic spiritual teaching includes spreading the Gospel, while Catholic social teaching emphasises support for the sick, the poor and the afflicted through the corporal and spir ...
, coordinating various charitable organizations in the diocese into one agency.
During this period, Alter also served as vice-president of the Toledo Social Service Foundation, a trustee of the Toledo
Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
and of the Toledo Society for the Blind, and a member of the children's division of the state department of public welfare.
Alter served as a lecturer in
sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...
at St. John's College and at
Mary Manse College Mary Manse College was a Catholic institution of higher education located in Toledo, Ohio from 1922 until 1975. The college was founded in 1922 at the request of the Bishop of Toledo, Samuel Stritch.
Operated by the Ursuline Order of nuns, Ma ...
in Toledo from 1914 to 1930.
He earned a
Master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. from St. John's in 1923 and a
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
in 1929.
In 1929, Alter was named director of the School of Social Service at the
Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...
in Washington, D.C.
While in Washington, he also served as chairman of the speakers' committee for the ''Catholic Hour'' radio program.
Bishop of Toledo
On April 17, 1931, Alter was appointed the third bishop of the Diocese of Toledo 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 consecration
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...
on June 17, 1931, from Archbishop
John T. McNicholas, with Bishops
Augustus Schwertner and
Joseph H. Albers
Joseph H. Albers D.D. (March 18, 1891 – December 1, 1965) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Albers served as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Lansing in Michigan in from 1937 until his death in 1964. He served a ...
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 the first priest from the Diocese of Toledo to become its bishop.
He founded the ''Catholic Chronicle'' in 1934.
In 1938, Alter condemned religious persecution in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and unrest in
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
.
Along with fellow American bishops, Alter publicly criticized the
Moscow Agreement of 1943, fearful that the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
would not fulfill its promises on religious and personal freedoms.
[TIME Magazine]
Moscow: Catholic View
November 22, 1943 In 1944, he drafted a proposal for a joint declaration on world peace by Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant leaders.
Following
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Alter offered a 10-point program for economic security; among his points were such contemporary ideas as wage equalization on the basis of cost of living, representation of laborers on a firm's board of trustees, profit-sharing, and special consideration for persons living on fixed incomes.
During Alter's tenure as bishop, the construction of
Rosary Cathedral in Toledo was completed and an addition to
Central Catholic High School in Toledo was built.
He established DeSales College in Toledo in 1942 and donated a parcel of land in East Toledo for the construction of
St. Charles Hospital.
Archbishop of Cincinnati
Following the death of Archbishop McNicholas, Alter was appointed by
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
as the fifth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati on June 14, 1950.
During his administration, he established 98 churches, 94 elementary schools, 14 high schools, 79 rectories, and 55 convents.
He also instituted a priests' senate and an archdiocesan school board composed of lay members, and encouraged the formation of parish councils. He undertook a restoration of
Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral.
Within the
National Catholic Welfare Conference The National Catholic Welfare Council (NCWC) was the annual meeting of the American Catholic hierarchy and its standing secretariat; it was established in 1919 as the successor to the emergency organization, the National Catholic War Council.
It co ...
(NCWC), Alter served two terms as vice- chairman (1950–52, 1956–58), two terms as chairman (1952–1955, 1958–1962), and one term as secretary (1962–1966).
As chairman of the NCWC, he issued a protest against religious and
racial discrimination
Racial discrimination is any discrimination against any individual on the basis of their skin color, race or ethnic origin.Individuals can discriminate by refusing to do business with, socialize with, or share resources with people of a certain g ...
in June 1960. Between 1962 and 1965, Alter attended all four sessions of the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
in Rome, having previously served on the
Central Preparatory Commission The Central Preparatory Commission was the body that co-ordinated the preparation of the schemas for the Second Vatican Council. It was established by Pope John XXIII on June 5, 1960. It had 120 members, including cardinals and bishops, amongst the ...
. At the Council, he sat on the Commissions for Bishops and for the Government of Dioceses. He discontinued
first grade
First grade (also called Grade One, called ''Year 2'' in England or Primary 2 in Scotland) is the first grade in elementary school and the first school year after kindergarten. Children are usually 6–7 years old in this grade.
Examples by r ...
s in Cincinnati
parochial schools
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 wo ...
in 1964 because of high costs and overcrowded classrooms.
[TIME Magazine]
Schools Under Strain
March 20, 1964 However, Alter did not believe that this would greatly interfere with children's
religious education
In secular usage, religious education is the teaching of a particular religion (although in the United Kingdom the term ''religious instruction'' would refer to the teaching of a particular religion, with ''religious education'' referring to te ...
.
Retirement and legacy
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
accepted Alter's resignation as archbishop of Cincinnati on July 19, 1969 and appointed him as
titular archbishop
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 an ...
of ''Minora.'' Alter held that post until December 31, 1970.
Karl Alter died on August 23, 1977, in Cincinnati at age 92.
Archbishop Alter High School
Archbishop Alter High School, also known as Alter High School, is a Catholic high school in Kettering, Ohio, United States. It is operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati and is named after Archbishop Karl Joseph Alter.
History
...
in
Kettering, Ohio
Kettering is a city in Montgomery county in the U.S. state of Ohio. Almost entirely in Montgomery County, it is an inner suburb of Dayton, Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 57,862 (down slightly from 58,453 in 2010), maki ...
, is named in his honor, as was the former Alter Elementary School in
Rossford, Ohio
Rossford is a city in Wood County, Ohio, Wood County, Ohio, United States, located along the Maumee River in the Toledo metropolitan area. The population was 6,293 at the United States Census 2010, 2010 census. The town includes the intersection o ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alter, Karl Joseph
1885 births
1977 deaths
People from Toledo, Ohio
Roman Catholic bishops of Toledo
20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the United States
Roman Catholic archbishops of Cincinnati
Participants in the Second Vatican Council
Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
National Catholic School of Social Service faculty