Louis Joseph Reicher
Roman Catholic Church. He was the first bishop of the new Diocese of Austin in Texas from 1948 to 1971.
BiographyEarly lifeLouis Reicher was born on June 14, 1890, in Diocese of Galveston and entered St. Mary's Seminary in La Porte, Texas.[2]
PriesthoodReicher was protonotary apostolic in July 1940.[1] Investing $3,000 saved from his career as a steelworker, Reicher eventually became a millionaire.[2] He used his personal assets to help support the diocese financially during the Great Depression.[2]
Bishop of AustinOn November 29, 1947, Reicher was appointed the first bishop of the St. Mary's Church in Austin; in attendance were former Governor Texas Dan Moody, Texas Governor Beauford H. Jester, and Austin Mayor Robert Miller.[2]
During his tenure, Reicher built or restored over 200 churches and facilities, including a Civil Rights Movement.[2]
In 1964, Reicher transferred all of his wealth, approximately $5 million, to a trust fund providing direct assistance to the poor and sick along with low-interest loans to church institutions.[2]
Retirement and legacyOn November 15, 1971, Pope Paul VI accepted Reicher's resignation as bishop of Austin.[3] He retired to his ranch on Lake Austin, but suffered a stroke the next year.[2] In July 1973, the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy in Rome ruled that the Reicher trust fund should be controlled by the diocese of Austin. Citing Texas law, the laypeople running the trust refused to surrender control. Reicher's successor as bishop, Vincent M. Harris, then filed suit against the trust. In the lawsuit, the diocese claimed that diocesan funds had gone into the trust fund.[4] In response to the church position, Reicher made this statement:
After two years of litigation, the two parties reached a settlement.[2] Louis Reicher died at his home in Austin on February 23, 1984, at age 93.[3] References
External linksEpiscopal succession |
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