Joseph G. Pinten

His Excellency, The Most Reverend Joseph Gabriel Pinten
Bishop of Superior titular bishop of Sela
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Diocese of Superior
In office	May 3, 1922 – October 25, 1926
Predecessor	Joseph Maria Koudelka
Successor	Theodore H. Reverman
Other post(s)	Bishop of Grand Rapids October 28, 1926 – November 1, 1940
Orders
Ordination	November 1, 1890 by Lucido Parocchi
Consecration	May 3, 1922 by Sebastian Gebhard Messmer
Personal details
Born	(1867-10-03)October 3, 1867 Rockland Township, Michigan, US
Died	November 6, 1945(1945-11-06) (aged 78) Marquette, Michigan, US
Buried	Holy Cross Cemetery
Parents	Joseph and Anna (Kloekner) Pinten
Education	St. Francis Seminary Propaganda Fide

Joseph Gabriel Pinten (October 3, 1867 – November 6, 1945) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the third bishop of the Diocese of Superior in Wisconsin (1922–1926), and as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids in Michigan (1926–1940).

Biography

Early years

Joseph Pinten was born in Rockland, Michigan, the son of Joseph and Anna Pinten.[1] He grew up in Calumet, Michigan.[2] In 1881, he entered Saint Francis de Sales Seminary in St. Francis, Wisconsin. Pinten traveled to Rome in 1885 to attend the Propaganda Fide University in Rome.[3]

Priesthood

Pinten was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Lucido Parocchi on November 1, 1890, at Trinità dei Monti Church in Rome for the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie-Marquette.[4][5] After returning to Michigan, Pinten was assigned as an assistant pastor at St. Paul's Parish in Negaunee, Michigan, in 1892 and then assistant pastor of St. Fidelis Parish in Detour, Michigan. Pinten spent 1893 on medical leave, then had the following parish assignments:

• Administrator at St Fidelis (1894)
• Pastor at Holy Rosary (Assumption) in Iron Mountain (1894 to 1895)
• Pastor at St. Barbara's in Vulcan (1895 to 1898)
• Pastor at St. Joseph's in L'Anse (1898)[6]
• Rector at St. Peter's Cathedral (1899)[3]

In 1912, Pinten was named vicar general of the diocese. Later that year Pope Pius X designated him as a domestic prelate, with the honorific title of monsignor. He directed the construction of Holy Family Orphan's Home in Marquette, and headed the orphanage from 1916 to 1922. In 1919, Pinten used his own funds to purchase the dormitory property of Northern Normal College in Marquette, Michigan. Pinten then donated it to the diocese to use as a church, requiring it be named Saint Michael and that it would have a parish school.[7]

Bishop of Superior

On November 30, 1921, Pope Benedict XV appointed Pinten as the third bishop of the Diocese of Superior. He was ordained bishop on May 3, 1922, at St. Peter Cathedral with Archbishop Sebastian Messmer presiding. The next day, an enthronement ceremony was held at Sacred Heart pro-cathedral in Superior, Wisconsin.[7]

After his arrival in Superior, Pinten purchased a home for himself. When he learned that a local community of sisters was living in an overcrowded residence, he remodeled the house and quietly turned it over to them. He oversaw numerous building and expansion projects throughout the diocese.

Ground breaking for the new cathedral began on June 23, 1926.[2] In his last act as bishop of Superior, Pinten blessed and laid the cornerstone for the Cathedral of Christ the King in Superior on October 24, 1926. The next day he left for his new appointment at Grand Rapids.[7]

Bishop of Grand Rapids

On June 25, 1926, Pope Pius XI appointed Pinten as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids. He was installed there on October 28, 1926.[5][7][8]

Death and legacy

On November 1, 1940, Pope Pius XII accepted Pinten's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Superior and appointed him as titular bishop of Sela. In poor health after his retirement, Joseph Pinter moved back to Marquette, Michigan, where he died at St. Mary's Hospital on November 6, 1945.[2][5][9]

See also

• Catholic Church hierarchy
• 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. Fuller, George Newman (1939). Michigan, a Centennial History of the State and Its People ... Lewis publishing Company.
2. Our Journey through Faith; A History of the Diocese of Superior. Ireland: Booklink, 2005, pp. 28-30.
3. "PINTEN, Joseph Gabriel" (PDF). Retrieved July 4, 2022.
4. Biographical Record ... of Houghton, Baraga and Marquette Counties, Michigan. Chicago: Biographical Publishing Company, 1903, pp. 225-226.
5. "Bishop Joseph Gabriel Pinten [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
6. Scott Jamieson. History of St. Peter Cathedral: Joseph Gabriel Pinten Archived July 28, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
7. Diocese of Superior. Bishop Pinten (1922-1926). Retrieved October 14, 2014.
8. "Install Bishop of Grand Rapids". The New York Times. October 29, 1926. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
9. "BISHOP J.G. PINTEN; Retired Head of Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids, Mich., Dies". The New York Times. November 7, 1945. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 4, 2022.

External links

• GCatholic Reference, Diocese of Superior, list of Bishops ^[self-published]
• GCatholic Reference, Diocese of Grand Rapids, list of Bishops ^[self-published]
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids Archived April 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Superior

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop Joseph Casimir Plagens	Bishop of Grand Rapids 1926–1940	Succeeded by Bishop Edward Denis Kelly
Preceded by Joseph Maria Koudelka	Bishop of Superior 1922–1926	Succeeded by Theodore H. Reverman