Michael Heiss (April 12, 1818 – March 26, 1890) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

-born

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

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 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 c ...

of the

Diocese of La Crosse The Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse ( la, Dioecesis Crossensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese (Roman Rite) of the Catholic Church encompassing the city of La Crosse and 19 counties: Adams, Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Crawford, Dunn, Eau Cl ...

in Wisconsin (1868–1880) and the second archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in Wisconsin (1881–1890).

Biography

Early years

Michael Heiss was born on April 12, 1818, in Pfahldorf in the

Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German ...

(now part of present-day Kipfenberg, Germany), to Joseph and Gertrude (née Frei) Heiss. He received confirmation when he was only two years old because his parents feared they would be without a

for a prolonged period of time due to tension between church and state. Heiss entered a

Latin school The Latin school was the grammar school of 14th- to 19th-century Europe, though the latter term was much more common in England. Emphasis was placed, as the name indicates, on learning to use Latin. The education given at Latin schools gave gre ...

at age 9, and later graduated from the '' gymnasium'' of Neuburg, Bavaria, in 1835. Heiss then entered the

University of Munich The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich or LMU; german: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) is a public research university in Munich, Germany. It is Germany's sixth-oldest university in continuous operatio ...

, where he originally studied

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

but switched to

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

after deciding to join the priesthood. He completed his studies at the ecclesiastical seminary in Eichstätt, Bavaria.

Ordination and ministry

Heiss 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 ...

a priest for the

Diocese of Louisville The Archdiocese of Louisville is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church that consists of twenty-four counties in the central American state of Kentucky, covering . As of 2018, the archdiocese contains app ...

by Bishop Karl-August von Reisach on October 18, 1840. Because, at age 22, he was younger than the age requirement for ordination, he was granted a dispensation by

Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He ...

. Heiss briefly served as a curate in Raitenbuch, Bavaria and afterwards in Pleinfeld, Bavaria. In December 1842, Heiss emigrated to the United States, where he became

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 Mother of God Parish in Covington, Kentucky. He remained in Covington until 1844, when he went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to serve as secretary to Archbishop

John Henni John Martin Henni (June 15, 1805 – September 7, 1881) was a Swiss-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the first Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1843 until his death in 1881. Biography Early life a ...

in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Heiss erected St. Mary's Parish in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

, and served as its first pastor with his charge extending over an area of 52 square miles. In 1856, he was named the first

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of St. Francis Seminary, serving for 12 years.

Bishop of La Crosse

The Diocese of La Crosse was erected in 1868 as suffragan diocese to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Heiss was appointed its first bishop on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX. Heiss was consecrated on September 6, 1868 by Archbishop

John Martin Henni John Martin Henni (June 15, 1805 – September 7, 1881) was a Swiss-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the first Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1843 until his death in 1881. Biography Early lif ...

. After his consecration, Heiss hired architect Charles I. Ross to design St. Joseph Cathedral. The new parish had already been planned to serve the German speaking Catholics of La Crosse and ease over-crowding at St. Mary's. In 1870, Heiss traveled to Rome to attend the First Vatican Council. In 1871, at Heiss' request, the

Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA) is a Roman Catholic religious congregation for women whose motherhouse, St. Rose of Viterbo Convent, is in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in the Diocese of La Crosse. The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetua ...

relocated their motherhouse, St. Rose of Viterbo Convent, to La Crosse. The sisters had previously worked with Heiss, managing the household responsibilities at

Saint Francis de Sales Seminary Saint Francis de Sales Seminary is a seminary for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee, located in the Milwaukee suburb of St. Francis, Wisconsin. Its main building, called Henni Hall, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places ...

. The convent was initially built both as the administrative center of the congregation and also as a secondary school for girls. During his twelve years as bishop, he built several churches, including the cathedral, and the episcopal residence.Meehan, Thomas. "La Crosse." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 6 September 2021

Coadjutor Archbishop and Archbishop of Milwaukee

On March 14, 1880, Heiss was appointed

coadjutor archbishop The term coadjutor (or coadiutor, literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence. These include: * Coad ...

of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee 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 ...

. On September 7, 1881, he succeeded Archbishop

on his death as archbishop of Milwaukee. Heiss was an opponent of the Americanist heresy. Michael Heiss died in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on March 26, 1890, at age 71. He was buried in

St. Francis, Wisconsin St. Francis is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,161 at the 2020 census. History St. Francis Seminary was established in what is now the city in 1845. The Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi establishe ...

, in a chapel at St. Francis de Sales Seminary.

References

External links

Archbishop Michael Heiss
at the Archdiocese of Milwaukee * {{DEFAULTSORT:Heiss, Michael 1818 births 1890 deaths 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic archbishops of Milwaukee Burials in Wisconsin German emigrants to the United States German Roman Catholic bishops in North America Roman Catholic bishops of La Crosse Religious leaders from Wisconsin