Installed 1973 Name Bernard Ganter Appointed December 13, 1972 Denomination Roman Catholic Ordination May 22, 1952 | Nationality American Consecration February 2, 1973 Died October 9, 1993 Term ended 1977 | |
Born July 17, 1928
Galveston, Texas ( 1928-07-17 ) Buried Bishop's Garden next to St. Anthony Cathedral Parents Bernard and Marie (nee Bozka) Ganter Books Clerical Attire: A Historical Synopsis and a Commentary | ||
Birth name Bernard Jacques Ganter | ||
Bernard Jacques Ganter (July 17, 1928 – October 9, 1993) was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Tulsa (1973-1977) and Bishop of Beaumont, TX (1977-1993).
Biography
Bernard Ganter was born in Galveston, Texas, to Bernard and Marie (née Bozka) Ganter. He studied engineering at Texas A&M University for one year before transferring to St. Mary's Seminary in La Porte to study for the priesthood. He was ordained by Bishop Wendelin Joseph Nold on May 22, 1952.
He then attended the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., from where he obtained a Doctor of Canon Law in 1955. He was a curate at Sacred Heart Church in Conroe before serving as private secretary to Bishop Nold (1955-1958). He was also head of the diocesan tribunal (1958–66), chancellor of the diocese (1966–72), and diocesan consultor. He was named Papal Chamberlain in May 1964, and elected to the presbyterate council the same year.
On December 13, 1972, Ganter was appointed the first Bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Pope Paul VI. He received his episcopal consecration on February 2, 1973 from Archbishop Luigi Raimondi, with Bishops Nold and John Louis Morkovsky serving as co-consecrators. He quickly became a beloved figure among Catholics in Eastern Oklahoma, and led a diocese that was culturally and economically diverse. After four years in Tulsa, Ganter returned to Texas and was named the third Bishop of Beaumont on December 13, 1977.
During his tenure in Beaumont, he established five new parishes, including the first parish in the United States for Vietnamese Americans. He started the permanent diaconate and ordained 36 men between 1979 and 1992. He also established a Catholic Charities office, diocesan financial board, retreat center, and biblical school for adults. The Diocese of Beaumont lost territory with the creation of the Diocese of Tyler in 1986, but received the rest of Chambers and Liberty Counties in 1989.
Ganter died from a brain tumor at age 65. He is buried in the Bishop's Garden next to St. Anthony Cathedral.