David Konstant

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Reference style
The Right Reverend
Spoken styleMy Lord
Religious styleMonsignor
Ordination history of
David Konstant
History
Priestly ordination
Ordained by
Westminster)
Date12 June 1954
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecratorBasil Hume (Westminster)
Co-consecratorsGerald Mahon (Westminster aux.)
Victor Guazzelli (Westminster aux.)
Date25 April 1977

David Every Konstant (16 June 1930 – 9 October 2016) was an English

Titular Bishop of Betagbarar
.

Early life and ministry

David Konstant was born in London to parents Antoine Konstant and Dulcie Marion Beresford Konstant (née Leggatt).

priesthood at St Edmund's College, Ware, leading to his ordination as a priest on 12 June 1954 by Cardinal Bernard Griffin.[3]

Konstant was destined by his superiors to work as a teacher in Catholic schools. In 1954, he was appointed to

consecration as a bishop was in 1970 as Director of the Westminster Religious Education Centre.[2]

Episcopal career

On 28 March 1977 Konstant was appointed as an

Titular Bishop of Betagbarar under the papacy of Pope Paul VI. On 25 April 1977, he was consecrated bishop, the principal consecrator being Cardinal Basil Hume, along with auxiliary bishops Gerald Mahon and Victor Guazzelli as co-consecrators.[3]

Roman Catholic Bishop of Leeds

On 12 July 1985, Konstant was named as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeds and was installed as the eighth Bishop of Leeds on 25 September 1985 under the papacy of Pope John Paul II.

In May 2001, Konstant suffered a stroke while leading a pilgrimage to Lourdes in south-western France. Although he was able to recover and return to work, he asked that a coadjutor bishop be appointed to help him in his ministry to the Diocese of Leeds.[4] On 16 July 2002, Arthur Roche was appointed coadjutor bishop, with right to succession.

Konstant resigned as Bishop of Leeds, aged 73, on 7 April 2004, after 18½ years in the post, becoming

Bishop Emeritus of Leeds. Arthur Roche
succeeded him as the 9th Bishop of Leeds.

During his tenure as an auxiliary bishop Westminster and then as Bishop of Leeds, Konstant held several other posts, mostly relating to education. These include: Chairman of the

Post episcopal career

In 2004 Konstant was awarded the honorary degree of

Leeds Metropolitan University.[5] In 2006, the University of Bradford also awarded him an honorary doctorate of the University. He was given these awards in recognition of his contributions as Bishop of Leeds, as well as his work in education and interfaith relations in Bradford.[6]

Konstant died on 9 October 2016.[7] A solemn requiem mass was held on 18 October 2016 at Leeds Cathedral, where he is buried.[8][9]

Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust

In November 2012, several Catholic primary and secondary schools in the Wakefield area, joined together to gain Academy status from the government, as a Catholic Multi Academy Trust. The Trust, the first in the Diocese of Leeds, took the name Bishop Konstant Catholic Multi Academy Trust.[10] Twelve primary schools and three secondary schools are operated by the trust.[11]

Bibliography

Konstant was an author, releasing several books on the topics such as Yorkshire, the Rosary and religious education to name a few. Below is a list of books that he wholly wrote, edited or contributed to:[2]

  • A Syllabus of Religious Instruction for Catholic Primary Schools – 1967
  • A Syllabus of Religious Instruction for Catholic Secondary Schools – 1968
  • Beginnings – 1970 (with John Cumming)
  • A Liturgy Of Life – 1975
  • A Liturgy Of Sorrow – 1975
  • Forgiveness – 1976 (with Dolores Dodgson)
  • A Penitent's Prayer Book – 1976
  • Bidding Prayers For The Church's Year – 1976
  • Religious Education for Catholic Secondary Schools: The First Three Years – 1976
  • Jesus Christ: The Way, The Truth, The Life 1981
  • Jesus Christ: The Way, The Truth, The Life: Praying the Rosary – 1985
  • Jesus Christ: The Way, The Truth, The Life: Praying The Gospel – 1996
  • The Faith of the Catholic Church: A Summary – 2000
  • Jesus Christ: The Way, The Truth, The Life – 2001 (revised and expanded edition)
  • The Mysteries of the Rosary – 2006
  • Bread Broken: journey through the Cross – 2008 (DVD published 2009)
  • Post Scripts: Some Pieces from Yorkshire – 2009

References

  1. ^ "Bishop David Every Konstant [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "BISHOP – BISHOP EMERITUS – 1985 – 2004". Diocese of Leeds. Archived from the original on 8 January 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Bishop David Every Konstant". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  4. ^ "Bishop of Leeds asks for coadjutor". Independent Catholic News. [indcatholicnews.com]. 13 November 2001. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  5. Leeds Metropolitan University. leedsmet.ac.uk. 13 February 2012. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  6. ^ "Honorary Graduations at the University of Bradford July 2006". University of Bradford. 11 July 2006. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  7. ^ Former Bishop of Leeds dies aged 86 Yorkshire Evening Post 10 October 2016.
  8. ^ Diocese of Leeds, Right Reverend David Konstant – Requiescat in Pace
  9. ^ Diocese of Leeds, David Every Konstant, accessed 12 November 2022
  10. ^ "Diocese of Leeds: Catholic Multi-Academy Trust Area 1". Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  11. ^ Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust. Retrieved 18 October 2016

External links

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
William Wheeler
Bishop of Leeds
1985–2004
Succeeded by