Church Roman Catholic Church Ordination March 19, 1937 Successor Edward O'Meara | See Indianapolis Name George Biskup | |
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In office January 3, 1970 – March 20, 1979 | ||
Predecessor Paul Clarence Schulte | ||
George Biskup (August 23, 1911 – October 17, 1979) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Des Moines, Iowa (1965–1967) and Archbishop of Indianapolis (1970–1979).
Biography
George Biskup was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Frank and Julia (née Kuda) Biskup. He studied at Loras College in Dubuque, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1933. He then furthered his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where Biskup was ordained to the priesthood on March 19, 1937. Upon his return to Iowa, he served as a curate at St. Raphael's Cathedral in Dubuque until 1939.
He was a member of the faculty at Loras College (1939–1948) before being called to Rome as an official of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. Again returning to Iowa, he was named pastor of St. Joseph's Church in Key West and chancellor of the Archdiocese of Dubuque in 1951. He became vicar general of the archdiocese in 1952, and served as a chaplain at the Presentation Sisters Convent (1952–1958).
On March 9, 1957, Biskup was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Dubuque and Titular Bishop of Hemeria by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on the following April 24 from Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, with Archbishop Leo Binz and Bishop Loras Thomas Lane serving as co-consecrators, at St. Raphael's Cathedral. In addition to his episcopal duties, he served as pastor of the Church of the Nativity in Dubuque from 1958 to 1965. Biskup was named the fifth Bishop of Des Moines on January 30, 1965. In 1966 he purchased 55 acres (220,000 m2) from the Des Moines Golf and Country Club in West Des Moines to construct Dowling Catholic High School.
Biskup was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Titular Archbishop of Tamalluma on July 20, 1967. He was formally received into the archdiocese at SS Peter and Paul Cathedral on October 10, 1967, and also served as pastor of Holy Cross Church in Indianapolis. Following the resignation of Paul Clarence Schulte, Biskup succeeded him as the third Archbishop of Indianapolis on January 3, 1970. He supported the concept of Total Catholic Education and established lay boards of education to govern parochial schools. It was also during Biskup's tenure that the archdiocese became nationally known for its holistic approach to Catholic education under then-superintendent of Catholic schools, the Rev. Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger.
After nine years as archbishop, Biskup resigned on March 20, 1979. He died seven months later at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, aged 68. He is buried at Calvary Chapel Mausoleum in Indianapolis.