Misplaced Pages

Styles of Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger (born October 20, 1935) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the bishop of the Diocese of Evansville in Indiana from 1989 to 2011.

Biography

Early life

Gerald Gettelfinger was born in Ramsey, Indiana, on October 20, 1935. He was the fourth of eight children of Gerald and Mary Gettelfinger. He attended St. Meinrad High School in St. Meinrad, Indiana, graduating in 1953. Gettelfinger then entered Saint Meinrad School of Theology, where he graduated in 1957.

Priesthood

On May 7, 1961, Gettelfinger was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in St. Meinrad by Archbishop Paul Schulte. In 1969, Gettelfinger earned a Master of Education degree from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Gettelfinger served as chancellor of the archdiocese from 1980 to 1988 and vicar general from 1988 to 1989.

Bishop of Evansville

On March 11, 1989, Pope John Paul II appointed Gettelfinger as bishop of the Diocese of Evansville. He was consecrated on April 11, 1989, with Archbishop Edward O'Meara serving as the principal consecrator.

In 1998, Gettelfinger was named as bishop liaison to the National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS). He was a chaplain at the 2001 National Scout Jamboree and trekked at the Philmont Scout Ranch, operated by the Boy Scouts of America in New Mexico, as part of the NCCS Saint George Trek. Gettelfinger received the Silver Buffalo Award in 2005.

At the May 2002 meeting of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Gettelfinger opposed a one-strike policy against sexual abusers in the clergy in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. At the November 2002 USCCB meeting, he was one of seven bishops who voted against the new policies. He has admitted to allowing at least one convicted child molester serve as a priest in the diocese, as well as other known molesters.

Retirement

On April 27, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI accepted Gettelfinger's resignation as bishop of Evansville, replacing him with Bishop Charles C. Thompson. On June 10, 2021, a special mass was celebrated at St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville to honor Gettelfinger.

See also

• Biography
• Catholicism
• Indiana

• 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. "Pope Names Louisville, Kentucky Vicar General To Succeed Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger Of Evansville, Indiana | USCCB". www.usccb.org. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
2. ^ "VITAE Most Reverend Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger". Diocese of Evansville. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
3. "Bishop Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
4. Halter, Jon C. "Honoring Yesterday, Preparing for Tomorrow". Scouting Magazine. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
5. "Bishop outlines sexual abuse policy". Princeton Clarion. July 21, 2002. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
6. LEE, RICHARD VARA and CYNTHIA (2002-11-14). "Bishops approve revised sex-abuse charter". Chron. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
7. "Bishop Gettelfinger of Evansville retires; Louisville priest to succeed". Today's Catholic. 2011-04-27. Retrieved 2021-11-04.
8. "Bishop Gettelfinger celebrates 60th anniversary of priestly ordination". evdiomessage.org. 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2021-11-04.

External links

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville Home Page
• Bishop Gettelfinger's Biography
• Page from Catholic Hierarchy

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville
Bishops	Henry Joseph Grimmelsmann Paul Francis Leibold Francis Raymond Shea Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger Charles C. Thompson Joseph M. Siegel
Churches	Cathedral St. Benedict Cathedral Parishes St. Joseph's Church, Jasper Basilica of St Francis Xavier, Vincennes
Education	High schools Mater Dei High School, Evansville Reitz Memorial High School, Evansville Rivet Middle/High School, Vincennes Washington Catholic Middle/High School, Washington
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis
Ordinaries	Bishops of Vincennes Simon Bruté Célestine Guynemer de la Hailandière John Stephen Bazin Jacques-Maurice De Saint Palais Bishops of Indianapolis Silas Chatard Joseph Chartrand Archbishops of Indianapolis Joseph Ritter Paul Clarence Schulte George Biskup Edward Thomas O'Meara Daniel M. Buechlein Joseph W. Tobin Charles Coleman Thompson
Auxiliary bishops	Denis O'Donaghue Christopher J. Coyne
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis Cathedral Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral Parishes St. John the Evangelist Church, Indianapolis St. Mary's Church, Indianapolis Shrine Church of the Immaculate Conception, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Abbey St. Meinrad Archabbey Chapel Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
Education	Higher education Marian University Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Seminaries Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology High schools Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard High School, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter High School, Indianapolis Cathedral High School, Indianapolis Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception, Oldenburg Our Lady of Providence Junior-Senior High School, Clarksville Providence Cristo Rey High School, Indianapolis Roncalli High School, Indianapolis Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School, Indianapolis Seton Catholic High School, Richmond Father Michael Shawe Memorial High School, Madison
Priests	Herman Joseph Alerding John Paul Elford Paul D. Etienne Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger Emmanuel Boleslaus Ledvina Alphonse John Smith
Catholicism portal

• Scouting

This article about an American Catholic bishop or archbishop is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

This Scouting or Guiding article about a person is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• 1935 births
• 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
• 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis
• Roman Catholic bishops of Evansville
• Butler University alumni
• Living people
• American Roman Catholic bishop stubs
• People associated with Scouting stubs