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His Excellency, The Most Reverend Michael Heiss
Archbishop of Milwaukee
See	Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Installed	September 7, 1881
Term ended	March 26, 1890
Predecessor	John Henni
Successor	Frederick Katzer
Other post(s)	Bishop of La Crosse (1868–1880) Coadjutor Archbishop of Milwaukee (1880–1881)
Orders
Ordination	October 18, 1840
Consecration	September 6, 1868
Personal details
Born	(1818-04-12)April 12, 1818 Pfahldorf, Kingdom of Bavaria
Died	March 26, 1890(1890-03-26) (aged 71) La Crosse, Wisconsin, US
Denomination	Catholic Church
Education	University of Munich

Michael Heiss (April 12, 1818 – March 26, 1890) was a German-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the first bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse in Wisconsin (1868–1880) and the second archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in Wisconsin (1881–1890).

Biography

Early years

Michael Heiss was born on April 12, 1818, in Pfahldorf in the Kingdom of Bavaria (now part of present-day Kipfenberg, Germany), to Joseph and Gertrude (née Frei) Heiss. He received confirmation when he was only two years old because his parents feared they would be without a bishop for a prolonged period of time due to tension between church and state. Heiss entered a Latin school at age 9, and later graduated from the gymnasium of Neuburg, Bavaria, in 1835.

Heiss then entered the University of Munich, where he originally studied law but switched to theology after deciding to join the priesthood. He completed his studies at the ecclesiastical seminary in Eichstätt, Bavaria.

Ordination and ministry

Heiss was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Louisville by Bishop Karl-August von Reisach on October 18, 1840. Because, at age 22, he was younger than the age requirement for ordination, he was granted a dispensation by Pope Gregory XVI. Heiss briefly served as a curate in Raitenbuch, Bavaria and afterwards in Pleinfeld, Bavaria.

In December 1842, Heiss emigrated to the United States, where he became pastor of Mother of God Parish in Covington, Kentucky. He remained in Covington until 1844, when he went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to serve as secretary to Archbishop John Henni in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Heiss erected St. Mary's Parish in Milwaukee, and served as its first pastor with his charge extending over an area of 52 square miles. In 1856, he was named the first rector of St. Francis Seminary, serving for 12 years.

Bishop of La Crosse

The Diocese of La Crosse was erected in 1868 as suffragan diocese to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Heiss was appointed its first bishop on March 3, 1868, by Pope Pius IX. Heiss was consecrated on September 6, 1868, by Archbishop John Martin Henni. After his consecration, Heiss hired architect Charles I. Ross to design St. Joseph Cathedral. The new parish had already been planned to serve the German speaking Catholics of La Crosse and ease over-crowding at St. Mary's. In 1870, Heiss traveled to Rome to attend the First Vatican Council.

In 1871, at Heiss' request, the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration relocated their motherhouse, St. Rose of Viterbo Convent, to La Crosse. The sisters had previously worked with Heiss, managing the household responsibilities at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary. The convent was initially built both as the administrative center of the congregation and also as a secondary school for girls. During his twelve years as bishop, he built several churches, including the cathedral, and the episcopal residence.

Coadjutor Archbishop and Archbishop of Milwaukee

On March 14, 1880, Heiss was appointed coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Pope Leo XIII. On September 7, 1881, he succeeded Archbishop John Henni on his death as archbishop of Milwaukee. Heiss was an opponent of the Americanist heresy.

Michael Heiss died in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on March 26, 1890, at age 71. He was buried in St. Francis, Wisconsin, in a chapel at St. Francis de Sales Seminary.

See also

• Catholic Church in the United States
• Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
• List of Catholic bishops of the United States
• Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops

References

1. ^ Blied, Benjamin Joseph (1955). Three Archbishops of Milwaukee.
2. ^ Shea, John Gilmary (1886). The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the United States. New York: Catholic Publications.
3. ^ The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. XII. New York: James T. White & Company. 1904.
4. "Archbishop Michael Heiss". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
5. "Archbishop Michael Heiss". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
6. "Milwaukee". Catholic Encyclopedia.
7. "History", St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral
8. "From immigrants to advocates for immigrants", La Crosse Tribune, Nov 30, 2018
9. Meehan, Thomas. "La Crosse." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 6 September 2021 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

External links

• Archbishop Michael Heiss at the Archdiocese of Milwaukee
• "Heiss, Michael" . Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. 1892.

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Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of the Assumption, Louisville
Education	High schools (boys) St. Francis DeSales High School, Louisville St. Xavier High School, Louisville Trinity High School, St. Matthews High schools (girls) Assumption High School, Louisville Mercy Academy, Louisville Presentation Academy, Louisville Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville High schools (coeducational) Bethlehem High School, Bardstown Holy Cross High School, Louisville Special needs school Pitt Academy, Louisville
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v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Archbishops	John Henni Michael Heiss Frederick Katzer Sebastian Gebhard Messmer Samuel Stritch Moses E. Kiley Albert Gregory Meyer William Edward Cousins Rembert Weakland Timothy M. Dolan Jerome Edward Listecki
Auxiliary bishops	Joseph Maria Koudelka Edward Kozłowski Roman Richard Atkielski Leo Joseph Brust Richard J. Sklba William P. Callahan Donald J. Hying Jeffrey Robert Haines James Thomas Schuerman
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee Cathedral Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Basilicas Basilica of St. Josaphat, Milwaukee Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, Hubertus Parishes St. John Vianney Church, Brookfield St. John the Baptist Church, Johnsburg Gesu Church, Milwaukee Holy Trinity Church, Milwaukee Old St. Mary's Church, Milwaukee St. Adalbert's Church, Milwaukee St. Hedwig's Church, Milwaukee St. Stanislaus Church, Milwaukee St. Patrick's Church, Milwaukee Saints Peter and Paul Church, Milwaukee St. Vincent de Paul Church, Milwaukee St. Mary's Church, Port Washington St. Patrick's Church, Racine St. Joseph's Church, Waukesha Former St. John of God Church, Kewaskum St. Patrick's Church, Adell St. Augustine Church, Trenton Chapel St. Joan of Arc Chapel, Milwaukee Shrine Archdiocesan Marian Shrine
Education	Higher education Alverno College Marian University Marquette University Mount Mary University Seminaries Saint Francis de Sales Seminary Sacred Heart School of Theology High schools Burlington Catholic Central High School, Burlington Catholic Memorial High School, Waukesha Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Milwaukee Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, Milwaukee Dominican High School, Whitefish Bay Marquette University High School, Milwaukee Messmer High School, Milwaukee Pius XI High School, Milwaukee St. Anthony High School, Milwaukee St. Catherine's High School, Racine St. Joan Antida High School, Milwaukee St. Joseph Catholic Academy, Kenosha (previously as St. Joseph High School) St. Lawrence Seminary High School, Mt. Calvary St. Mary's Springs Academy, Fond du Lac St. Thomas More High School, Milwaukee Former Cardinal Stritch University St. John's School for the Deaf
Priests	Peter Abbelen Dismas Becker Fabian Bruskewitz Jan Romuald Byzewski Kilian Caspar Flasch Raphael Michael Fliss Augustus F. Gearhard Boleslaus Goral James Groppi Hyacinth (Jacek) Gulski Francis J. Haas Jerome J. Hastrich James Michael Harvey Wacław Kruszka David John Malloy Aloisius Joseph Muench William Patrick O'Connor Joseph Perry Augustine Francis Schinner Charles Asa Schleck Paul Francis Tanner
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