Rudolph Aloysius Gerken (March 7, 1887 – March 2, 1943) 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 '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 ...

. He served as archbishop of the

Archdiocese of Santa Fe The Archdiocese of Santa Fe ( la, Archidioecesis Sanctae Fidei in America Septentrionali, link=no, es, Arquidiócesis de Santa Fe, link=no) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the southwestern region of the United States in ...

in New Mexico from 1933 until his death in 1943. He previously served as bishop of the

Diocese of Amarillo The Roman Catholic Diocese of Amarillo ( la, Dioecesis Amarillensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Amarillo, Texas. It was founded on August 3, 1926 out of territory taken from the Diocese of Dallas and the Diocese of San Antonio on the same day ...

in Texas from 1926 to 1933.

Biography

Early life

Rudolph Gerken was born on March 7, 1887, in

Dyersville, Iowa Dyersville is a city in eastern Delaware County and western Dubuque County in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,477 at the time of the 2020 census, up from 4,035 in 2000 ...

, the sixth of seven children of William and Elizabeth (née Sudmeier) Gerken. After Elizabeth died 1889, William married Carolina Wuebbelt, with whom he had six more children. Raised on a family farm, Gerken studied at Pio Nono College in St. Francis, Wisconsin, and St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indiana. After graduating from college, Gerken moved to

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, where he taught in the public schools for Scotland, Texas, from 1910 to 1912. He later joined the faculty at the

University of Dallas The University of Dallas is a private Catholic university in Irving, Texas. Established in 1956, it is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The university comprises four academic units: the Braniff Graduate School ...

. After discussions with Bishop Joseph Lynch, Gerken decided to become a priest. He travelled to

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, to study

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 ...

at Kenrick Seminary, where he also taught languages.

Priesthood

Gerken 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 ...

to the priesthood for the Diocese of Dallas by Bishop Lynch on June 10, 1917.After his ordination, Gerken was appointed

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 Sacred Heart Parish in Abilene, Texas. He was transferred in 1919 to be pastor of St. Rita's Parish in

Ranger, Texas Ranger is a city in Eastland County, Texas, United States. Its population was 2,468 at the 2010 census. Ranger College, a community college, is the second-largest employer in the community. During the 1920s, Ranger, like nearby Cisco, Eastland, ...

. In 1924, Gerken was named e

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

and

consultor A consultor is one who gives counsel, i.e., a counselor. In the Catholic Church, it is a specific title for various advisory positions: *in the Roman Curia, a consultor is a specially appointed expert who may be called upon for advice desired by ...

of the diocese.

Bishop of Amarillo

On August 25, 1926, Gerken was appointed the first bishop of the Diocese of Amarillo by Pope Pius XI. He received his

episcopal consecration 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 ...

on April 26, 1927, from Bishop Lynch, with Bishops Christopher Byrne and

Francis Kelley Francis Clement Kelley (October 23, 1870 – February 1, 1948) was a Canadian-born Catholic bishop. He was the second Bishop of Oklahoma City, as well as an author and diplomat. He was a Catholic priest for 54 years, and bishop for 23 years ...

serving as co-consecrators, in Sacred Heart Cathedral. Gerken chose as his episcopal

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...

, "Not me but you, O Lord." During his tenure in

Amarillo Amarillo ( ; Spanish for " yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall Cou ...

, Gerken oversaw the construction of thirty-five churches. He also founded Price Memorial College in Amarillo and served as its first president.

Archbishop of Santa Fe

Pius XI named Gerken as the seventh archbishop of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe on June 2, 1933. He was installed on August 23, 1933. As archbishop, Gerken established another

diocese 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 associa ...

and several parishes, sought to provide relief to American prisoners of war in Japan during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, and presided over the marriage of actress

Jane Wyatt Jane Waddington Wyatt ( ; August 12, 1910 – October 20, 2006) was an American actress. She starred in a number of Hollywood films, such as Frank Capra's ''Lost Horizon'', but is likely best known for her role as the housewife and mother Marga ...

and Edgar Ward in 1935. He was a

Rotarian Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, prof ...

and was known to quote

Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of ph ...

and

St. Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...

. In December 1937, Gerken called on Catholics in the archdiocese to not attend a Christmas ball sponsored by the Santa Fe Maternal Health Center, terming the organization a "birth control clinic."

Death and legacy

After suffering a stroke that left his right side

paralyzed Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 5 ...

, Rudolph Gerken died on March 2, 1943, at St. Vincent's Hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

References

External links

Catholic-Hierarchy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerken, Rudolph 1887 births 1943 deaths People from Dyersville, Iowa University of Dallas faculty Kenrick–Glennon Seminary alumni Saint Joseph's College (Indiana) alumni 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the United States Roman Catholic bishops of Amarillo Roman Catholic archbishops of Santa Fe Catholics from Iowa