John Janssen

John Janssen (March 3, 1835 – July 2, 1913) was the first Roman Catholic bishop of Belleville, Illinois, serving from 1888 until his death in 1913.

The Rt. Rev. John Janssen
Bishop of Belleville
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Belleville
In office	April 25, 1888—July 2, 1913
Predecessor	none
Successor	Henry J. Althoff
Orders
Ordination	November 19, 1858
Consecration	April 25, 1888
Personal details
Born	(1835-03-03)March 3, 1835 Keppeln, Rheinish Prussia
Died	July 2, 1913(1913-07-02) (aged 78) Belleville, Illinois, United States

Janssen was born in Keppeln, Rheinish Prussia, and studied at the seminaries of Gaesdonck and Münster.[1] He accepted an invitation from Bishop Henry Damian Juncker in 1858 to join the Diocese of Alton in the United States. After arriving in Illinois, he was ordained to the priesthood on November 19, 1858.[2]

Janssen then served as pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Springfield until 1863, when he became secretary to Bishop Juncker and chancellor of the diocese.[1] He was vicar general of the diocese from 1870 to 1886, also serving as pastor of St. Boniface Church in Quincy from 1877 to 1879.[1]

Following the division of the Alton Diocese into the dioceses of Alton and Belleville, Janssen was appointed Bishop of the new Belleville Diocese on February 28, 1888.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on the following April 25 from Archbishop Patrick Feehan, with Bishops John Joseph Hogan and Louis Mary Fink, O.S.B., serving as co-consecrators.[2] By 1902 the diocese contained 104 churches, 94 priests, 64 parochial schools and 50,000 Catholics.[1]

Janssen later died at age 78.

References

1. "JANSSEN, John". The Nation Encyclopedia of American Biography, 1904.
2. "Bishop John Janssen". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by none	Bishop of Belleville 1888—1913	Succeeded by Henry J. Althoff