Joseph Maria Koudelka

Joseph Maria Koudelka (December 7, 1852 – June 24, 1921) was a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the second Bishop of the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin (1913-1921).

Joseph Maria Koudelka
Bishop of Superior
Bishop Joseph Maria Koudelka, November, 1913
Church	Catholic Church
Diocese	Diocese of Superior
In office	November 5, 1913—June 24, 1921
Predecessor	Augustine Francis Schinner
Successor	Joseph Gabriel Pinten
Other posts	Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio (auxiliary bishop) 1907—1911 Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (auxiliary bishop) 1911—1913
Orders
Ordination	November 29, 1875
Consecration	November 9, 1907
Personal details
Birth name	Josephus Nutritius Koudelka
Born	(1852-12-07)December 7, 1852 Chlistov, Bohemia, Austrian Empire (now the Czech Republic)
Died	June 24, 1921(1921-06-24) (aged 68) Superior, Wisconsin
Buried	St. Mary Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio
Denomination	Catholic Church
Parents	Marek Koudelka Anna Janoušková
Occupation	Catholic Bishop
Previous post	Auxiliary bishop, Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Alma mater	St. Francis Seminary

Biography

Koudelka was born on 7 December 1852 at Chlistov house 59, Bohemia, Austrian Empire. He was baptized Catholic on the same day at the village church as "Josephus Nutritius Koudelka".[1] He attended college at the nearby town of Klatovy and emigrated to America in 1868 to attend St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee.[2]

Early years in Cleveland and Milwaukee

Koudelka was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood November 29, 1875, for the Diocese of Cleveland by Tobias Mullen, bishop of Erie, Pennsylvania.[3]

On November 29, 1907, Pope Pius X appointed him auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland and he was ordained on February 25, 1908 with a special ministry to the Slavic community.[4]

On June 24, 1911 Pope Pius X appointed him auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. He was ordained as the first auxiliary bishop of Milwaukee on September 4, 1911.[5]

Bishop of Superior, Wisconsin

On August 6, 1913, Pope Pius X appointed Koudelka the second bishop of the Diocese of Superior.[3] He was installed at the pro-cathedral of Sacred Heart in Superior, Wisconsin by Archbishop Sebastian Messmer of Milwaukee.[2]

Fluent in eight languages, Koudelka authored books in Bohemian, German and English.[6] At Superior he added the Ojibwe language to his vocabulary. He commissioned works of art for several church properties.

His greatest accomplishment was forming a social service agency today known as the Catholic Charities Bureau.[7] On September 12, 1917 he dedicated St. Joseph's Children's Home in Superior, an orphanage that housed up to 200 children. He conducted over 100 parish missions around the country and contributed donations to help finance the orphanage.

He died on June 24, 1921 at his residence.[8] The funeral Mass was celebrated at the chapel of St. Joseph's Children's Home by his nephew Fr. Charles Koudelka of Cleveland. The next day, a solemn burial Mass was held at Sacred Heart pro-cathedral. Final services were at St. Michael Church in Cleveland where he was pastor with burial at St. Mary Cemetery.

See also

• Catholic Church hierarchy
• Catholic Church in the United States
• Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
• List of Catholic bishops of the United States
• Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops

References

1. "Chlístov 05 | Porta fontium". www.portafontium.eu. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
2. Our Journey through Faith; A History of the Diocese of Superior. Ireland: Booklink, 2005, p. 26.
3. Bishop Joseph M. Koudelka biography at catholic-hierarchy.org
4. Catholic Encyclopedia, Cleveland Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland
5. Milwaukee Archdiocese, affiliated Bishops at catholic-hierarchy.org
6. 1920 published book 'Forty Hours Adoration, Diederich-Schaefer Co. Milwaukee
7. History of Diocese of Superior, Bishop Koudelka at www.catholicdos.org
8. Our Journey, p. 28.

External links

• GCatholic Reference, Diocese of Cleveland, former prelates ^{[self-published]}
• GCatholic Reference, Diocese of Superior, list of Bishops ^{[self-published]}

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Augustine Francis Schinner	Bishop of Superior 1913–1921	Succeeded by Joseph G. Pinten
Preceded by None	Auxiliary Bishop of Milwaukee 1911–1913	Succeeded by –
Preceded by –	Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland 1907–1911	Succeeded by –