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Jerome Hanus

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His Excellency The Most Reverend

Jerome George Hanus

O.S.B.
Archbishop Emeritus of Dubuque
ArchdioceseDubuque
AppointedAugust 23, 1994
InstalledOctober 16, 1995
RetiredApril 8, 2013
PredecessorDaniel Kucera
SuccessorMichael Jackels
Previous post(s)
Orders
OrdinationJuly 30, 1966
by Gerald Thomas Bergan
ConsecrationAugust 24, 1987
by John Roach, John Joseph Sullivan, and George Henry Speltz
Personal details
Born (1940-05-26) May 26, 1940 (age 84)
Brainard, Nebraska
ParentsLeo A. Hanus & Kristine Polak
Alma materConception Seminary, Pontifical University of St. Anselm
MottoProdesse Magis Quam Praeesse
(To serve rather than to rule)
Styles of
Jerome George Hanus
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleArchbishop
Ordination history of
Jerome Hanus
History
Episcopal consecration
Consecrated byJohn Roach
DateAugust 24, 1987
Episcopal succession
Bishops consecrated by Jerome Hanus as principal consecrator
R. Walker NicklessJanuary 20, 2006

Jerome George Hanus, O.S.B. (born May 26, 1940) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, presiding as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Dubuque in Iowa from 1995 until 2013.[1]

A member of the Order of Saint Benedict, Hanus served as abbot of Conception Abbey from 1977 to 1987.[2] He also served as bishop of the Diocese of Saint Cloud in Minnesota from 1987 to 1994 and coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Dubuque from 1994 to 1995.[3]

Biography

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Early life and education

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George Hanus was born on May 26, 1940, in Brainard, Nebraska, to Leo A. and Kristine (née Polak) Hanus.[3] The third of eight children, he has three brothers and four sisters.[4] He received his early education at parochial schools in Dwight, Nebraska, and Bellwood, Nebraska, Hanus graduated from St. John Vianney Seminary in Elkhorn, Nebraska in 1958.[5][6]

Hanus joined the Order of Saint Benedict, at Conception Abbey in Conception, Missouri.[2] He made his profession as a Benedictine monk on September 1, 1961, taking the name Jerome.[3] Hanus studied at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1963.[7] He continued his studies at the Pontifical University of St. Anselm in Rome, receiving a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 1967.[8]

Priesthood

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Hanus was ordained to the priesthood in the Order of Saint Benedict by Archbishop Gerald Bergan on July 30, 1966.[3]After his ordination, Hanus taught scholastic theology at Conception Seminary College from 1967 to 1969.[7] He studied moral theology at Princeton University, earning a Master of Arts degree in 1972.[8] Hanus then returned to Conception Seminary, where he served as professor of religion from 1973 to 1976.[7] From 1974 to 1976, Hanus was an adjunct professor of moral theology at the Pontifical University of St. Anselm.[7]

Hanus was elected the sixth abbot of Conception Abbey on January 5, 1977, and received the abbatial blessing the next day.[2] In addition to his role as abbot, he served as abbot president of the Swiss-American Congregation, to which the abbey belongs, from 1984 to 1987.[9]

Bishop of Saint Cloud

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On July 6, 1987, Pope John Paul II appointed Jerome as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Saint Cloud. He was consecrated on August 24, 1987, by Archbishop John Roach. Bishops John Sullivan and George Speltz were the principal co-consecrators.[3]

Archbishop of Dubuque

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On August 23, 1994, John Paul II appointed Hanus as the coadjutor archbishop of the Diocese of Dubuque. He was installed on October 27, 1994.[3] In 1995, Archbishop Daniel Kucera sent his letter of resignation as archbishop of Dubuque to Pope John II, On October 16, 1995, Hanus automatically succeeded Kucera as the 11th bishop and 9th archbishop of Dubuque.

As archbishop, Hanus implemented a strategic planning process throughout the archdiocese. He spoke to people in the archdiocese via videotaped messages played at mass in all the parishes. Parishioners were given opportunities to respond and express their own views. Hanus then issued a vision statement, which spelled out his plans for the archdiocese. These plans included an increased role for the laity in leadership roles,[10] necessitated by the priest shortage and the changing demographics of the archdiocese. These conditions also forced Hanus to combine and close a number of parishes.[11]

On February 1, 2006, Hanus announced a $5 million legal settlement for 26 victims of sexual abuse by priests in the 1950s and 1960s in the archdiocese. Six deceased priests were mentioned in the document; the one living priest who was listed has since been laicized.[12]

On May 12, 2008, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided the Agriprocessors meat packing plant in Postville, Iowa, detaining 398 employees who were overwhelmingly of Latino descent.[13] In the wake of the raid, Hanus called for comprehensive immigration reform.[14] He called on those attending at a prayer service to remember the scriptures "to treat the alien in your midst like your brother or sister, and that when you receive the alien, the foreigner, you are welcoming Christ."[15]

In February 2012. Hanus suffered serious chest injuries when his car rolled over twice in a crash. Those injuries caused recurring body spasms that required hospitalizations and resulted in more arthritic pain.[16]

Retirement and legacy

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Hanus submitted his resignation as archbishop for health reasons, which Pope Francis accepted. On April 8, 2013, Hanus announced that Francis had appointed Bishop Michael Jackels of the Diocese of Wichita to succeed him.[17] Hanus acted as apostolic administrator for the archdiocese until Jackels was installed on May 30, after which he resumed his life as a monk in Missouri.[18]

In April 2013, Hanus was scheduled to make a deposition in two sexual abuse lawsuits against Conception Abbey. The plaintiffs were two Missouri men who claimed that in the 1980s Reverend Bede Parry, a priest at the abbey, had abused them as boys. Hanus served as abbot of Conception Abbey during that period. The lawsuits claimed that Hanus met with Perry in 1981, before the alleged abuses occurred. In that meeting, Perry confessed to "inappropriate sexual relationships" with minors. Hanus ordered Perry to undergo psychological counseling, but allowed him to continue as the youth choir director. According to Perry, Hanus told him not to do it again.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Hanus resigned, Jackels named Dubuque Archbishop". Catholic Hierarchy Blog.
  2. ^ a b c "Benedictine Monks Consecrated Bishops". The Order of Saint Benedict. Archived from the original on 2018-08-01. Retrieved 2011-07-31.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Archbishop Jerome George Hanus [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  4. ^ "Kristine Hanus". Telegraph Herald. 2007-12-18.
  5. ^ Cooper, Brian (2002-09-29). "Most Rev. Jerome Hanus, OSB". Telegraph Herald.
  6. ^ "Nebraska Native Named Bishop". Omaha World-Herald. 1987-07-15.
  7. ^ a b c d Who's Who in Religion. Marquis Who's Who. 1985.
  8. ^ a b Morphew, Clark (1994-08-24). "ST. CLOUD BISHOP GETS DUBUQUE ASSIGNMENT". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
  9. ^ Gendler, Neal (1987-07-15). "Benedictine monk will become bishop of St. Cloud Diocese". Star Tribune.
  10. ^ New Catholic Encyclopedia, Second Edition. Vol. 4. Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America. 2003. p. 925.
  11. ^ "Newsmakers - Most Rev. Jerome Hanus". Telegraph Herald. 2002. Archived from the original on 2003-09-22. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  12. ^ "Dubuque Archdiocese reaches 5 million dollar sex abuse settlement". Radio Iowa. 2006-02-21. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  13. ^ Saulny, Susan (2008-05-13). "Hundreds Are Arrested in U.S. Sweep of Meat Plant". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  14. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-02-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ^ O'Brien, Joseph (May 18, 2009). "Help Given to Immigrants Affected by Iowa Raid Called Faith in Action" (PDF). CatholicNews.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-02-02. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  16. ^ a b MCELWEE, JOSHUA J. (2013-04-12). "Recently retired Dubuque archbishop to testify in sex abuse cases". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  17. ^ Wiedemann, Katie Wiedemann (April 8, 2013). "New Archbishop of Dubuque Named". KCRG. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ^ Herald, Mary Nevans-Pederson Telegraph (2013-04-08). "Wichita bishop to be installed Dubuque archbishop on May 30". TelegraphHerald.com. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
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Episcopal succession

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Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Archbishop of Dubuque
1994–2013 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Bishop of Saint Cloud
1987–1994 		Succeeded by
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