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Joseph Casimir Plagens (January 29, 1880 – March 31, 1943) was a Polish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids in Michigan from 1941 to 1943.

Plagens previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Marquette in Michigan from 1935 to 1940 and as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit in Michigan from 1924 to 1935.

Biography

Early life

Joseph Plagens was born on January 29, 1880, in Czeszewo, near Poznań in the German Empire (present day Poland) to Andrew and Constance (née Grygier) Plagens. When he was age four, his family immigrated to the United States, settling in Michigan. Plagens earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Detroit in 1899, and a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland in 1903.

Priesthood

Plagens was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Detroit by Bishop John Foley on July 4, 1903. After his ordination, Plagens filled the following pastoral assignments in parishes in Michigan:

• Assistant pastor at Sweetest Heart of Mary in Detroit (1903 to 1906)
• Pastor of St. Michael's in Port Austin (1906 to 1911)
• Pastor of St. Florian's in Hamtramck (1911 to 1919)
• Pastor of Sweetest Heart of Mary in Detroit (1919 to 1935)

The Vatican raised Plagens to the rank of domestic prelate in June 1923, allowing him the title of monsignor.

Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit

On May 22, 1924, Pope Pius XI appointed Plagens as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit and as titular bishop of Rhodiopolis. He received his episcopal consecration on September 30, 1924, from Bishop Michael Gallagher, with Bishops Paul Rhode and Edward Hoban serving as co-consecrators. As auxiliary bishop, he remained pastor of Sweetest Heart of Mary Parish. Plagens was eventually named as vicar general for the archdiocese.

Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie-Marquette

Pope Pius XI appointed Plagens as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Marquette on November 16, 1935.

In 1938, a transfer of a priest broke into violence. Plagens had ordered the transfer of Father Simon Borkowski, pastor of St. Barbara's Parish in Vulcan, Michigan, to a seminary in Wisconsin. However, Borkowski had refused to go, instead remaining inside his church with 20 supporters picketing outside. One day, a group of sixty men arrived at St. Barbara's, pushed past the picketers, and brought Borkowski out of the building. The newly appointed pastor, Father Erasmus Dooley, was allowed to enter. However, a group of 100 Borkowski supporters soon arrived and a full-scale brawl erupted. In the end, Dooley left the church and Borkowski re-entered it.

Bishop of Grand Rapids

Pope Pius XII named Plagens as bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids on December 16, 1940. He was installed on February 18, 1941.

Joseph Plagens died at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids on March 31, 1943, at age 63 of coronary thrombosis. He was originally buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Grand Rapids, but was later removed to Resurrection Cemetery in Wyoming, Michigan.

References

1. ^ "PLAGENS, Joseph Casimir" (PDF). Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-26.
2. "12 bishops have led the diocesan church". Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
3. ^ "HEADS GRAND RAPIDS SEE; Bishop Plagens of Marquette Gets New Catholic Post". The New York Times. 1940-12-17. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
4. ^ "Bishop Joseph Casimir Plagens". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
5. "Two Become Bishops Here". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
6. "Religion: Picketed Priest". Time. 1938-10-10. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
7. "Grand Rapids Diocese Has New Bishop". The Ludington Daily News. October 2, 1943. p. 1. Retrieved June 12, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids
Bishops	Ordinaries Henry J. Richter Michael J. Gallagher Edward D. Kelly Joseph G. Pinten Joseph C. Plagens Francis J. Haas Allen J. Babcock Joseph M. Breitenbeck Robert J. Rose Kevin M. Britt Walter A. Hurley David J. Walkowiak Auxiliaries Charles A. Salatka Joseph C. McKinney
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Andrew, Grand Rapids Notable parishes Basilica of St. Adalbert, Grand Rapids
Higher education	Colleges Aquinas College
Secondary education	Diocesan high schools Catholic Central High School, Grand Rapids West Catholic High School, Grand Rapids Parish high schools St. Patrick High School, Portland Sacred Heart Academy Classical Highschool Private high schools Muskegon Catholic Central High School, Muskegon
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette
Bishops	Ireneus Frederic Baraga Ignatius Mrak John Vertin Frederick Eis Paul Joseph Nussbaum Joseph Casimir Plagens Francis Joseph Magner Thomas Lawrence Noa Charles Salatka Mark Francis Schmitt James Henry Garland Alexander King Sample John Francis Doerfler
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette Cathedral St. Peter Cathedral, Marquette Parish churches St. Ignatius Loyola Church, Houghton St. John the Evangelist Church, Ishpeming Immaculate Conception Church, Iron Mountain Ste. Anne Church, Mackinac Island St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Menominee Holy Name of Mary Pro-Cathedral, Sault Ste. Marie Church of Our Saviour, Friend of Children, Sugar Island
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v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
v t e Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Detroit Bishops Frederick Rese Caspar Borgess John Samuel Foley Michael Gallagher Coadjutor bishop Peter Paul Lefevere Archbishops Edward Aloysius Mooney John Francis Dearden Edmund Szoka Adam Maida Allen Henry Vigneron Catholicism portal
v t e Churches in the Archdiocese of Detroit Cathedral Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament Parishes Detroit Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Most Holy Redeemer Church Our Lady of the Rosary Church Sacred Heart Church St. Albertus Church Ste. Anne de Detroit Church St. Catherine of Siena Church St. Charles Borromeo Church St. Josaphat's Church St. Joseph Church St. Mary Church St. Patrick Church Saints Peter and Paul Church St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Church Sweetest Heart of Mary Church Monroe County St. Mary's Church, Monroe St. Michael's Church, Monroe Wayne County St. Paul Church, Grosse Pointe Farms St. Florian Church, Hamtramck Our Lady of the Scapular Parish, Wyandotte Former St. Boniface Church, Detroit St. Theresa of Avila Church, Detroit St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Detroit Shrine National Shrine of the Little Flower, Royal Oak
v t e Education in the Archdiocese of Detroit Higher education Madonna University University of Detroit Mercy Seminaries Sacred Heart Major Seminary High schools Macomb County De La Salle Collegiate High School, Warren Regina High School, Warren Austin Catholic High School, Ray Township Monroe County St. Mary Catholic Central High School, Monroe Oakland County Academy of the Sacred Heart High School, Bloomfield Hills Bishop Foley Catholic High School, Madison Heights Brother Rice High School, Bloomfield Hills Detroit Catholic Central High School, Novi Everest Collegiate High School and Academy, Independence Township Marian High School, Bloomfield Hills Mercy High School, Farmington Hills Notre Dame Preparatory, Pontiac Our Lady of the Lakes High School, Waterford Shrine Catholic High School, Royal Oak St. Mary's Preparatory, Orchard Lake Village St. Catherine of Siena Academy, Wixom St. Clair County Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, Marine City Wayne County Cabrini High School, Allen Park Detroit Cristo Rey High School, Detroit Divine Child High School, Dearborn Gabriel Richard Catholic High School, Riverview Ladywood High School, Livonia Loyola High School, Detroit University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy, Detroit Former Higher education Duns Scotus College Maryglade College Marygrove College Seminaries SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary High schools Girls Catholic Central High School, Detroit Holy Redeemer High School, Detroit Notre Dame High School, Harper Woods Sacred Heart High School, Roseville Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School, Wyandotte
v t e Clergy of the Archdiocese of Detroit Auxiliary bishops Moses Anderson Allen James Babcock Gerard William Battersby Leonard Paul Blair Earl Boyea Joseph M. Breitenbeck Kevin Michael Britt Michael J. Byrnes Arturo Cepeda Patrick R. Cooney Henry Edmund Donnelly John Anthony Donovan Robert J. Fisher Daniel E. Flores Thomas Gumbleton Donald Hanchon Bernard Joseph Harrington Walter A. Hurley Joseph Leopold Imesch Edward D. Kelly Arthur Henry Krawczak Dale Joseph Melczek Jeffrey M. Monforton John Clayton Nienstedt Joseph C. Plagens John M. Quinn Francis R. Reiss Paul Fitzpatrick Russell Walter Joseph Schoenherr Allen Henry Vigneron Stephen Stanislaus Woznicki Alexander M. Zaleski Priests Alexander Joseph Brunett Solanus Casey Charles Coughlin Francis Kelley Camillus Paul Maes Jeffrey Marc Monforton William Murphy John A. Trese Kenneth Edward Untener
Catholicism portal Michigan portal

• 1880 births
• 1943 deaths
• Clergy from Poznań
• Polish emigrants to the United States
• University of Detroit Mercy alumni
• St. Mary's Seminary and University alumni
• Roman Catholic bishops of Marquette
• Roman Catholic bishops of Grand Rapids
• 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit