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Joseph Howard Hodges (October 8, 1911 – January 27, 1985) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston from 1962 until his death in 1985. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Richmond in Virginia from 1952 to 1961.

Biography

Early life

Joseph Hodges was born on October 8, 1911, in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia to Joseph Howard and Edna Belle (née Hendricks) Hodges. His family later moved to Martinsburg, West Virginia, where he attended St. Joseph's High School. After graduating from St. Joseph's in 1928, Hodges studied at St. Charles College in Catonsville, Maryland (1928–1930). He was then sent to further his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

Priesthood

Hodges was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani for the Diocese of Richmond in Rome on December 8, 1935. Following his return to Virginia, Hodges was appointed as curate at Sacred Heart Parish in Danville, Virginia. In 1939, he was assigned to St. Andrew's Parish in Roanoke, Virginia, then in 1945 became director of the diocesan mission band. Hodges was named pastor of St. Peter's Parish in Richmond, Virginia, in 1955.

Auxiliary Bishop of Richmond

On August 8, 1952, Hodges was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Richmond and titular bishop of Rusadus by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on October 15, 1952, from Bishop Peter Ireton, with Bishops Vincent Waters and John Dearden serving as co-consecrators. In addition to his episcopal duties, Hodges continued to serve as pastor of St. Peter's .

Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston

Hodges was named as coadjutor bishop of what was then the Diocese of Wheeling by Pope John XXIII on May 31, 1961. Upon the death of Archbishop John Swint, Hodges automatically succeeded him as the fifth bishop of Wheeling on November 23, 1962.

Hodges attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council in Rome between 1962 and 1965. He dedicated much of his administration to implementing the reforms of the Council in the diocese, establishing a Liturgical Commission, Priests' Senate, Sisters' Council, and Cursillo movement.

A strong supporter of ecumenism, Hodges established a Commission for Religious Unity in 1964, co-founded the Joint Commission of Roman Catholics and Episcopalians in 1978 with the episcopal bishop of West Virginia, and joined the West Virginia Council of Churches in 1981. He mandated parish councils in 1968, introduced extraordinary ministers in 1970 and permanent deacons in 1975, and renovated the exterior and interior of St. Joseph's Cathedral in Wheeling in 1973.

The Vatican renamed the Diocese of Wheeling as the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston on August 21, 1974. In 1976, Hodges established the diocesan Pro-Life Office and led a public protest against the opening of a health clinic in Wheeling that provided abortion services to women. Hodges was also known as a social reformer, using his office to challenge the social, economic, and political injustice in Appalachia.

He publicly supported the civil rights movement, urged local parishes to begin social outreach programs, and established such social ministry programs as kitchens to serve the hungry and elderly-assistance programs. He served as chairman of the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee for the Campaign for Human Development.

Death

Joseph Hodges died on January 17, 1985, from lung cancer at Wheeling Hospital in Wheeling at age 73. He is buried at Mount Calvary Chape in Wheeling.

See also

• Biography
• Christianity

References

1. ^ Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
2. ^ "The Most Reverend Joseph Howard Hodges". Wheeling Jesuit University. Archived from the original on 2009-04-10.
3. ^ "Bishop Joseph Howard Hodges". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
4. ^ "Vatican II and the Diocese: Bishop Joseph H. Hodges, 1962-1985". Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.
5. "Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
6. ^ "Bishop Joseph Hodges Dies; Led Diocese in West Virginia". The New York Times. January 28, 1985.

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston
Bishops	Ordinaries Richard Vincent Whelan John Joseph Kain Patrick James Donahue John Joseph Swint Joseph Howard Hodges Francis B. Schulte Bernard William Schmitt Michael J. Bransfield Mark E. Brennan Coadjutor Thomas John McDonnell Auxiliary James Edward Michaels
Churches	Cathedrals Cathedral of St. Joseph, Wheeling Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Charleston Parishes Good Shepherd Church, Coalburg St. Peter's Church, Harpers Ferry St. Francis Xavier Church, Parkersburg Former parishes St. Bernard Church, Camden St. Colman's Church, Dillon
Education	Higher education Catholic International University Wheeling Jesuit University High schools Charleston Catholic High School, Charleston Madonna High School, Weirton Notre Dame High School, Clarksburg Parkersburg Catholic High School, Parkersburg St. Joseph Central Catholic High School, Huntington Wheeling Central Catholic High School, Wheeling Former high school Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy, Wheeling Grade school Cathedral Parish School
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond
Bishops	Ordinaries Patrick Kelly Richard Vincent Whelan John McGill James Gibbons John Joseph Keane Augustine Van de Vyver Denis J. O'Connell Andrew James Louis Brennan Peter Leo Ireton John Joyce Russell Walter Francis Sullivan Francis X. DiLorenzo Barry Christopher Knestout Auxiliary bishops Joseph Howard Hodges Ernest Leo Unterkoefler James Louis Flaherty David Edward Foley
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Basilica Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Norfolk Basilica of St. Andrew, Roanoke Parishes St. Vincent de Paul Church, Newport News Church of the Sacred Heart, Petersburg St. Paul's Church, Portsmouth Church of the Sacred Heart, Richmond St. Peter's Church, Richmond St. Bede's Church, Williamsburg St. Stephen, Martyr, Chesapeake
Education	High schools Benedictine College Preparatory, Richmond Blessed Sacrament Huguenot, Powhatan Catholic High School, Virginia Beach Holy Cross Regional Catholic School, Lynchburg Peninsula Catholic High School, Newport News Roanoke Catholic School, Roanoke Saint Gertrude High School, Richmond Walsingham Academy, Williamsburg
Priests	Francis Janssens Vincent Stanislaus Waters
Miscellany	Francis J. Parater
Catholicism portal

• 1911 births
• 1985 deaths
• Roman Catholic bishops of Wheeling–Charleston
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond
• 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
• Deaths from lung cancer in the United States
• Deaths from cancer in West Virginia
• Participants in the Second Vatican Council
• Religious leaders from Martinsburg, West Virginia
• St. Charles College (Maryland) alumni