Leo Nowak (born 17 March 1929) was 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 ...

of the newly re-erected Roman Catholic Diocese of Magdeburg,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

, from 1994 until 2001. He was born in

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; nds, label= Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river. Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Mag ...

Career

Nowak was ordained a priest on 10 May 1956 for the Diocese Paderborn. On 12 February 1990 he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Magdeburg and the Titular Bishop of Cissa. He was created bishop on 24 March 1990. The main consecrator was

Johannes Braun Johannes Braun (28 October 1919 – 17 July 2004) was a Roman Catholic Bishop and an Apostolic Administrator in Magdeburg. Life Early years Braun studied Philosophy and Theology at Paderborn. His education was interrupted when he was called up ...

, his predecessor as Apostolic Administrator of Magdeburg, and co-consecrators were Johannes Joachim Degenhardt and Theodor Hubrich. On 27 June 1994 he was appointed bishop of Magdeburg and installed on 9 October 1994. Following

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

, Nowak offered his resignation to the pope in 2004, upon reaching the age of 75. He retired as bishop of Magdeburg on 17 March 2004. He was succeeded by Gerhard Feige.

Awards

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

* Order of Merit of Saxony-Anhalt

External links

Catholic Hierarchy bio
1929 births Living people Roman Catholic bishops of Magdeburg 20th-century German Roman Catholic bishops Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 20th-century German Roman Catholic priests {{Germany-RC-bishop-stub