Augustus John Schwertner

Augustus John Schwertner (December 23, 1870 – October 2, 1939) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wichita from 1921 until his death in 1939.

Biography

One of eight children, Augustus Schwertner was born in Canton, Ohio, to Anton and Christina (née Richart) Schwertner.[1] After attending parochial school and high school in Canton, he studied at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, and at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland.[2] He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Ignatius Frederick Horstmann on June 12, 1897.[3] He then served as a curate at St. Columba Church in Youngstown for three months, when he became pastor of St. Anthony Church in Milan.[1] He was pastor of St. Mary Church in Rockport (1903–1907) and of St. John Church in Lima (1907–1913).[1] He was named chancellor of the Diocese of Toledo in 1913, and a Domestic Prelate in 1916.[1]

On March 10, 1921, Schwertner was appointed the second Bishop of Wichita, Kansas, by Pope Benedict XV.[3] He received his episcopal consecration on the following June 8 from Bishop Joseph Schrembs, with Bishops Michael James Gallagher and John Henry Tihen serving as co-consecrators.[3] He remained as bishop for the next eighteen years, until his death from a cerebral hemorrhage at age 68.[4]

References

1. Winter, Nevin Otto (1917). A History of Northwest Ohio. II. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company.
2. O'Donnell, John Hugh (1922). The Catholic hierarchy of the United States, 1790-1922. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America.
3. "Bishop Augustus John Schwertner". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
4. "A.J. SCHWERTNER, KANSAS BISHOP, 68". The New York Times. 1939-10-03.