Richard Henry Ackerman
Encyclopedia
Richard Henry Ackerman, C.S.Sp.
(August 30, 1903—November 18, 1992) was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. A member of the Holy Ghost Fathers
, he served as Bishop of Covington
from 1960 to 1978.
, Pennsylvania
, to John and Josephine (née Richard) Ackerman. After graduating from Duquesne University
High School
, he entered the Duquesne University School of Drama
in 1920. He entered the Congregation of the Holy Ghost
in 1921 and made his religious profession
at Ridgefield
, Connecticut
on August 15, 1922. He was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop Maurice F. McAuliffe
on August 28, 1926.
Between 1926 to 1940, Ackerman served as master of novices
for the Holy Ghost Fathers, assistant pastor
of St. Benedict the Moor Parish in Pittsburgh, assistant to the National Director of the Pontifical Association of the Holy Childhood
, assistant to the professor
of philosophy
at St. Mary Seminary in Norwalk
, and assistant pastor at St. Mary Parish in Detroit
, Michigan
. He was named National Director of the Holy Childhood Association in 1941, and Vice-President
of the Association's Superior Council in 1947. Upon the Silver Jubilee
of his priestly ordination in 1951, he was presented with the Grand Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
by Pope Pius XII
.
On April 6, 1956, Ackerman was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of San Diego
, California
and Titular Bishop
of Lares. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following May 22 from Bishop John Dearden, with Bishops Jean Gay, C.S.Sp., and Thomas McDonnell
serving as co-consecrators
, at St. Paul's Cathedral
. He was later named the seventh Bishop of Covington
, Kentucky
by Pope John XXIII
on April 4, 1960, and installed at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
on the following May 17. From 1962 to 1965, he attended the Second Vatican Council
, where he was a member of the conservative Coetus Internationalis Patrum
.
Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Ackerman resigned as Bishop on November 28, 1978, after 18 years of service. He later died at age 89, and is buried at St. Mary Cemetery in Fort Mitchell
.
Holy Ghost Fathers
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit is a Roman Catholic congregation of priests, lay brothers, and since Vatican II, lay associates...
(August 30, 1903—November 18, 1992) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. A member of the Holy Ghost Fathers
Holy Ghost Fathers
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit is a Roman Catholic congregation of priests, lay brothers, and since Vatican II, lay associates...
, he served as Bishop of Covington
Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Kentucky, covering that includes the city of Covington and the following Kentucky counties: Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Gallatin, Carroll, Grant, Owen, Pendleton, Harrison, Bracken, Robertson, Mason, Fleming, and Lewis. ...
from 1960 to 1978.
Biography
Richard Ackerman was born in PittsburghPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, to John and Josephine (née Richard) Ackerman. After graduating from Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
High School
Secondary education in the United States
In most jurisdictions, secondary education in the United States refers to the last six or seven years of statutory formal education. Secondary education is generally split between junior high school or middle school, usually beginning with sixth or seventh grade , and high school, beginning with...
, he entered the Duquesne University School of Drama
Drama school
A drama school or theatre school is an undergraduate and/or graduate school or department at a college or university; or a free-standing institution ; which specialises in the pre-professional training in drama and theatre arts, such as acting, design and technical theatre, arts administration, and...
in 1920. He entered the Congregation of the Holy Ghost
Holy Ghost Fathers
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit is a Roman Catholic congregation of priests, lay brothers, and since Vatican II, lay associates...
in 1921 and made his religious profession
Profession (religious)
The term religious profession is defined in the 1983 Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church in relation to members of religious institutes as follows:By religious profession members make a public vow to observe the three evangelical counsels...
at Ridgefield
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 24,638 at the 2010 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough, is defined by the U.S...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
on August 15, 1922. He was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Bishop Maurice F. McAuliffe
Maurice F. McAuliffe
Maurice Francis McAuliffe was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hartford from 1934 until his death in 1944.-Biography:...
on August 28, 1926.
Between 1926 to 1940, Ackerman served as master of novices
Master of novices
The master of novices or novice master is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to refer those religious to whom is committed the training of the novices and the government of the novitiate of a religious order or congregation...
for the Holy Ghost Fathers, assistant pastor
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of St. Benedict the Moor Parish in Pittsburgh, assistant to the National Director of the Pontifical Association of the Holy Childhood
Association of the Holy Childhood
The Pontifical Association of the Holy Childhood is a Catholic children's association for the benefit of foreign missions.-Foundation:In 1843 Charles de Forbin-Janson, Bishop of Nancy, France, established the Association of the Holy Childhood...
, assistant to the professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at St. Mary Seminary in Norwalk
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
, and assistant pastor at St. Mary Parish in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. He was named National Director of the Holy Childhood Association in 1941, and Vice-President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
of the Association's Superior Council in 1947. Upon the Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee
A Silver Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 25th anniversary. The anniversary celebrations can be of a wedding anniversary, ruling anniversary or anything that has completed a 25 year mark...
of his priestly ordination in 1951, he was presented with the Grand Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
The Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal is an award of the Roman Catholic Church. It is also known as the "Cross of Honour". The medal was established by Leo XIII on July 17, 1888, to commemorate his golden sacerdotal jubilee and was originally bestowed on those women and men who had aided and...
by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
.
On April 6, 1956, Ackerman was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of San Diego
Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the western region of the United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of San Diego and Imperial Counties in Southern California, with a Catholic population of 1,981,057...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Lares. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following May 22 from Bishop John Dearden, with Bishops Jean Gay, C.S.Sp., and Thomas McDonnell
Thomas John McDonnell
Thomas John McDonnell, D.D., was the Roman Catholic coadjutor bishop, cum jure successionis, of what is now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia.-Education and pastoral assignment:...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, at St. Paul's Cathedral
Cathedral of Saint Paul in Pittsburgh
The Cathedral of Saint Paul is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States...
. He was later named the seventh Bishop of Covington
Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Kentucky, covering that includes the city of Covington and the following Kentucky counties: Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Gallatin, Carroll, Grant, Owen, Pendleton, Harrison, Bracken, Robertson, Mason, Fleming, and Lewis. ...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
by Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
on April 4, 1960, and installed at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption
Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington
The Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky, is a minor basilica in the United States. The cathedral was started by the Diocese of Covington's third bishop, Camillus Paul Maes, in 1894. The cathedral project was terminated in 1915, though it is incomplete, even...
on the following May 17. From 1962 to 1965, he attended the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, where he was a member of the conservative Coetus Internationalis Patrum
Coetus Internationalis Patrum
The Coetus Internationalis Patrum was a study group of the conservative-minded bishops at the Second Vatican Council...
.
Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Ackerman resigned as Bishop on November 28, 1978, after 18 years of service. He later died at age 89, and is buried at St. Mary Cemetery in Fort Mitchell
Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 8,207 people, 3,530 households, and 2,033 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,581.8 people per square mile . There were 3,744 housing units at an average density of 1,195.0 per square mile...
.