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His Excellency, The Most Reverend William Joseph Dendinger
Bishop Emeritus of Grand Island
Dendinger as the 13th Chief of US Air Force chaplains
Diocese	Grand Island
Appointed	October 14, 2004
Installed	December 13, 2004
Retired	January 14, 2015
Predecessor	Lawrence James McNamara
Successor	Joseph G. Hanefeldt
Orders
Ordination	May 29, 1965 by Gerald Thomas Bergan
Consecration	December 13, 2004 by Elden Francis Curtiss, Fabian Bruskewitz, and Lawrence James McNamara
Personal details
Born	(1939-05-20) May 20, 1939 (age 85) Coleridge, Nebraska
Education	Immaculate Conception Seminary Aquinas Institute of Theology Creighton University
Motto	Justice with mercy

Styles of William Joseph Dendinger
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

William Joseph Dendinger (born May 20, 1939) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Appointed by Pope John Paul II, he served as bishop of the Diocese of Grand Island in Nebraska from December 13, 2004, until January 14, 2015.

Before his appointment as bishop, Dendinger served 31 years in the United States Air Force Chaplain Corps, eventually becoming chief of the Corps.

Biography

Early years

William Dendinger was born on May 20, 1939, in Coleridge, Nebraska, the youngest of the six children of David and Regina Dendinger. Raised on a farm, he was a member of the first graduating class of Mount Michael High School in Elkhorn, Nebraska, in 1957. Dendinger then studied at the Immaculate Conception Seminary in Conception, Missouri, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy in 1961. Dendinger then entered the Aquinas Institute of Theology in Dubuque, Iowa, earning his Master of Theology degree in 1964.

Priesthood

On May 29, 1965, Dendinger was ordained by Archbishop Gerald Bergan to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Omaha. After his ordination, Dendinger taught at St. Edward Central Catholic High School in Elgin, Nebraska. He obtained his Master of Science in counseling degree from Creighton University in 1969.

US Air Force chaplain

In 1970, Dendinger was commissioned into the United States Air Force Chaplain Corps. After four men from Elgin died during the Vietnam War, he had decided to become a military chaplain. During his time in the Chaplain Corps, Dendinger was assigned as base chaplain at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, Japan, Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento, California and Hahn Air Base in West Germany.

In 1974, Dendinger was appointed cadet wing chaplain at the U.S. Air Force Academy, serving there for four years. He also served on the chaplain resource board for the U.S. Air Force Chaplain Service Institute at Maxwell AFB from 1982 to 1985. In 1995, Dendinger was appointed deputy chief of the Chaplain Corps, stationed in Washington, D.C. In 1997, he became as chief of the Chaplain Corps in Washington. Dendinger retired from the Air Force in 2001 as a two-star general. His first civilian posting was as pastor of St. Stephen the Martyr Parish in Omaha.

Bishop of Grand Island

On October 14, 2004, Pope John Paul II appointed Dendinger as bishop of Grand Island. He was consecrated at St. Mary's Cathedral in Grand Island, Nebraska, on December 13, 2004, by Archbishop Elden Curtiss. Bishops Fabian Bruskewitz and Lawrence McNamara served as co-consecrators.

Retirement

On January 14, 2015, Pope Francis accepted Dendinger's letter of resignation as bishop of Grand Island and appointed Monsignor Joseph G. Hanefeldt as his replacement. After retirement, Dendinger celebrated masses in diocese churches for priests on vacation.

Awards and military decorations

See also

• Biography
• Catholicism

• 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. "CHAPLAIN (MAJ. GEN.) WILLIAM J. DENDINGER > U.S. Air Force > Biography Display". www.af.mil. United States: United States Air Force. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
2. "Bishop William Joseph Dendinger [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Archived from the original on 2018-08-06. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
3. "Photochart of USAF Leadership (as of Sept. 1, 1997)" (PDF). media.defense.gov. United States: United States Department of Defense.
4. ^ "Former Bishops". Catholic Diocese of Grand Island. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
5. ^ Service, Jeff Bahr BH News. "Retired bishop helps out whenever he can. Retirement for bishop emeritus also includes golf". Lexington Clipper-Herald. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
6. ^ Reutter, Harold (January 9, 2015). "Dendinger resigns as bishop, successor to be named next week". The Grand Island Independent. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
7. Bockoven, Mike. "Bishop Dendinger ordained". The Grand Island Independent. Retrieved 2021-11-27.

External links

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island
• Bio at Diocese of Grand Island

Episcopal succession

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island
Bishops	James Albert Duffy Stanislaus Vincent Bona Edward Joseph Hunkeler John Linus Paschang John Joseph Sullivan Lawrence James McNamara William Joseph Dendinger Joseph G. Hanefeldt
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parishes St. Anselm's Church, Anselmo Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, O'Connor St. Michael's Church, Spalding
Education	High schools Central Catholic High School, Grand Island Kearney Catholic High School, Kearney St. Patrick High School, North Platte Spalding Academy, Spalding
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha
Ordinaries	Bishops James Myles O'Gorman James O.Connor Richard Scannell Jeremiah James Harty Joseph Francis Rummel Archbishops James Hugh Ryan Gerald Thomas Bergan Daniel E. Sheehan Elden Francis Curtiss George Joseph Lucas
Auxiliary bishops	Daniel E. Sheehan Anthony Michael Milone
Churches	Cathedral St. Cecilia Cathedral Parishes St. Anthony's Church, Cedar Rapids St. Leonard Church, Madison Holy Family Shrine Holy Family Church, Omaha Immaculate Conception Church, Omaha Sacred Heart Church, Omaha St. Frances Cabrini Church, Omaha St. John's Church, Omaha St. Joseph Church, Omaha St. Bonaventure Church, Raeville
Education	Higher education Creighton University College of Saint Mary High schools Archbishop Bergan High School, Fremont Cedar Catholic High School, Hartington Central Catholic High School, West Point Creighton Preparatory School, Omaha Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School, Bellevue Duchesne Academy, Omaha Holy Family High School, Lindsay Marian High School, Omaha Mercy High School, Omaha Mount Michael Benedictine School, Omaha Norfolk Catholic High School, Norfolk Pope John XXIII Central Catholic High School, Elgin Roncalli Catholic High School, Omaha St. Francis High School, Humphrey St. Mary's High School, O'Neill Scotus Central Catholic High School, Columbus V. J. and Angela Skutt Catholic High School, Omaha
Priests	Blase J. Cupich William Joseph Dendinger Edward J. Flanagan Joseph G. Hanefeldt Edward Joseph Hunkeler Patrick Aloysius Alphonsus McGovern John Linus Paschang
Other	Boys Town Notre Dame Academy and Convent Mount Michael Abbey Christ the King Priory Immaculata Monastery & Spirituality Center
Catholicism portal

• 1939 births
• Living people
• People from Cedar County, Nebraska
• Catholics from Nebraska
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha
• Roman Catholic bishops of Grand Island
• 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
• Aquinas Institute of Theology alumni
• Creighton University alumni
• United States Air Force generals
• Chiefs of Chaplains of the United States Air Force
• Deputy chiefs of Chaplains of the United States Air Force