Michael Heiss (April 12, 1818 – March 26, 1890) was a German-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the first bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse in Wisconsin (1868–1880) and the second

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

of the

Archdiocese of Milwaukee The Archdiocese of Milwaukee ( la, Archidiœcesis Milvauchiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. It encompasses the City of Milwaukee, a ...

in Wisconsin (1881–1890).

Biography

Early years

Michael Heiss was born on April 12, 1818, in Pfahldorf in the Kingdom of Bavaria (now part of present-day Kipfenberg, Germany), to Joseph and Gertrude (née Frei) Heiss. He received

confirmation In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...

when he was only two years old because his parents feared they would be without a bishop for a prolonged period of time due to tension between church and state. Heiss entered a Latin school at age 9, and later graduated from the '' gymnasium'' of Neuburg, Bavaria, in 1835. Heiss then entered the University of Munich, where he originally studied law but switched to theology after deciding to join the priesthood. He completed his studies at the ecclesiastical seminary in Eichstätt, Bavaria.

Ordination and ministry

Heiss was ordained 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 ap ...

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. Heiss briefly served as a

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

in Raitenbuch, Bavaria and afterwards in Pleinfeld, Bavaria. In December 1842, Heiss emigrated to the United States, where he became pastor 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 in the

. Heiss erected St. Mary's Parish in 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. 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 The First Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the First Vatican Council or Vatican I was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This, the twentieth ecu ...

. In 1871, at Heiss' request, the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration relocated their motherhouse,

St. Rose of Viterbo Convent St. Rose of Viterbo Convent is the motherhouse of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, an American religious congregation, which is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The convent is dedicated to Rose of Viterbo, a 13th-century Francisca ...

, to La Crosse. The sisters had previously worked with Heiss, managing the household responsibilities at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary. 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 of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Pope Leo XIII. On September 7, 1881, he succeeded Archbishop John Henni on his death as archbishop of Milwaukee. Heiss was an opponent of the Americanist heresy. Michael Heiss died in

La Crosse, Wisconsin La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population as of the 2020 census w ...

, on March 26, 1890, at age 71. He was buried in St. Francis, Wisconsin, in a chapel at

St. Francis de Sales Seminary ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...

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