Henry Joseph Grimmelsmann
| His Excellency, The Most Reverend Henry Joseph Grimmelsman | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Evansville Titular Bishop of Tabla | |
| See | Diocese of Evansville |
| In office | 1944-1965 |
| Successor | Paul Francis Leibold |
| Previous post | Rector of the Pontifical College Josephinum (1932 to 1944) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | August 15, 1915 by Henry K. Moeller |
| Consecration | December 21, 1945 by Amleto Giovanni Cicognani |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 22, 1890 Cincinnati, Ohio, US |
| Died | June 26, 1972 (aged 81) Evansville, Indiana, US |
| Buried | St. Joseph Cemetery |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Parents | G.H. and Frances Grimmelsman |
| Education | St. Gregory Preparatory Seminary St. Joseph's College University of Innsbruck Catholic University of America |
Henry Joseph Grimmelsmann (December 22, 1890 – June 26, 1972) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Evansville in Indiana from 1944 to 1965.
Biography
Early life
Henry Grimmelsmann was born on December 22, 1890, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to G.H. and Frances Grimmelsmann.[1] Raised in the Price Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati, he was one of ten children; three of his sisters became nuns and another brother also became a priest.[1] As a child he attended Holy Family School, where one of his classmates was future Bishop Urban Vehr.[1]
Grimmelsmann studied at St. Gregory Preparatory Seminary in Cincinnati (1904–1907) and at St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indiana (1907–1909).[2] He then entered the University of Innsbruck in Austria-Hungary, but was forced to return to Cincinnati following the outbreak of World War I.[1]
Priesthood
Grimmelsmann was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati by Archbishop Henry K. Moeller in Cincinnati on August 15, 1915.[3] After his ordination, Grimmelsmann went to Washington D.C. to study at the Catholic University of America. He later returned to the University of Innsbruck, where he earned a Doctor of Sacred Scripture degree.[1] Back in Cincinnati, the archdiocese assigned Grimmelsmann served as a curate at St. Lawrence Parish in that city[1] In 1920, Grimmelsmann was named vice-rector and professor of sacred scripture and Hebrew at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Cincinnati[2] Pope Pius XI named him rector of the Pontifical College Josephinum at Worthington, Ohio, in 1932.[2]
Bishop of Evansville
On November 11, 1944, Grimmelsmann was appointed the first bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Evansville by Pope Pius XII.[3] He received his episcopal consecration at the Josephinum on December 21, 1944, from Archbishop Amleto Cicognani, with Bishops Urban Vehr and George Rehring serving as co-consecrators. Between 1962 and 1965, Grimmelsmann attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council in Rome.[3]
Retirement and death
Pope Paul VI accepted Grimmelsmann's resignation as bishop of Evansville on October 18, 1965, and named time titular bishop of Tabla.[3] Henry Grimmelsmann died in Evansville on June 26, 1972, at age 81, and was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Evansville.[1][3]
References
- Back to citation occurrence 1.0 Back to citation occurrence 1.1 Back to citation occurrence 1.2 Back to citation occurrence 1.3 Back to citation occurrence 1.4 Back to citation occurrence 1.5 Back to citation occurrence 1.6 "Bishop Henry Joseph Grimmelsman". Wifasso.com.
- Back to citation occurrence 2.0 Back to citation occurrence 2.1 Back to citation occurrence 2.2 Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
- Back to citation occurrence 3.0 Back to citation occurrence 3.1 Back to citation occurrence 3.2 Back to citation occurrence 3.3 Back to citation occurrence 3.4 "Bishop Henry Joseph Grimmelsman [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2025-10-30.