William Henry Bullock (April 13, 1927 – April 3, 2011) 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 'pref ...

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 ...

who served as bishop of the Diocese of Madison in Wisconsin from 1993 to 2003. Bullock previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the

Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

in Minnesota from 1980 to 1987 and as bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines in Iowa from 1987 to 1993.

Biography

Early life and education

William Bullock was born on April 13, 1927, in

Maple Lake, Minnesota Maple Lake is a city in Wright County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,159 at the 2020 census. Minnesota State Highway 55 serves as a main route in the city. History Maple Lake was laid out in 1886, and named for its location i ...

. He attended

Saint Paul Seminary The Saint Paul Seminary (SPS) is a Roman Catholic major seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. A part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, SPS prepares men to enter the priesthood and permanent diaconate, and educates lay men and women o ...

in St. Paul, Minnesota, in preparation for the priesthood. Bullock was ordained a priest by Archbishop John Murray on June 7, 1952, for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul. He taught religion for several years and served as headmaster at Saint Thomas Military Academy, an archdiocesan high school in

Mendota Heights, Minnesota Mendota Heights is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. It is a first ring southern suburb of the Twin Cities. The population was 11,744 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a tot ...

. He held a pastoral position at Saint John the Baptist Parish in

Excelsior, Minnesota Excelsior is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. Excelsior's historic commercial district along Water Street is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the town has many Victorian-era houses. On Lake Minnetonka's ...

from 1971 to 1980.

Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Bullock was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and

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 an ...

of Natchesium on June 3, 1980, by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

. He was consecrated in St. Paul, Minnesota, on August 12, 1980, by Archbishop John Roach.

Bishop of Des Moines

On February 10, 1987, Bullock was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines by John Paul II, succeeding Maurice John Dingman. He was installed on April 2, 1987.

Bishop of Madison, Wisconsin

On April 13, 1993, John Paul II appointed Bullock as the third bishop of the Diocese of Madison; he was installed on June 14, 1993. In 1995, Bullock made the controversial decision to close

Holy Name Seminary Holy Name Seminary was a Roman Catholic seminary staffed by the Society of Jesus established in New Zealand for the training of priests. It was first opened in 1947 in Christchurch and closed at the end of 1978. Establishment With Holy Cross Co ...

, a private boys high school in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

. On May 23, 2003, John Paul II accepted Bullock's resignation as bishop of Madison. William Bullock died on April 3, 2011, of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

in Madison.

References

External links

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines

Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bullock, William Henry 1927 births 2011 deaths Deaths from lung cancer Deaths from cancer in Wisconsin 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) alumni People from Maple Lake, Minnesota Catholic Church in Minnesota Religious leaders from Minnesota Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Roman Catholic bishops of Des Moines Roman Catholic bishops of Madison Catholics from Minnesota