John George Bennett (January 20, 1891—November 20, 1957) 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 Lafayette in Indiana from 1945 until his death in 1957.
Biography
Early life
John Bennett was born in
Dunnington
Dunnington is a village and civil parish in the City of York and ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. The population of the civil parish was 3,230 at the 2011 Census. The village is approximately east from York city centre.
The vi ...
,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, and studied at
St. Joseph's College and
St. Meinrad Seminary.
He 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
Herman Joseph Alerding
Herman Joseph Alerding (April 13, 1845 – December 6, 1924) was a German-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne in Indiana from 1900 until his death in 1924.
Biography
Early life
...
for the
Diocese of Fort Wayne on June 27, 1914.
After his ordination, Bennett 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. Peter Parish in
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
(1914-1927), as
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 St. Joseph Parish in
Garrett, Indiaian (1927-1944), and ''
defensor vinculi'' of the diocese (1929-1944).
Bishop of Lafayette
On November 11, 1944, Bennett was appointed as the first
bishop
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 ...
of the newly erected Diocese of Lafayette 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 ...
.
He received his
episcopal 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 January 10, 1945, from Bishop
John F. Noll, with Bishops
Francis Cotton and
John O'Hara, serving as
co-consecrators.
John Bennett died on November 20, 1957, at age 66.
References
External links
Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette, IndianaOfficial website
Episcopal succession
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, John George
1891 births
1957 deaths
People from Benton County, Indiana
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend
20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
Roman Catholic bishops of Lafayette in Indiana