Daniel Edward Pilarczyk facts for kids

Styles of Daniel Edward Pilarczyk
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Archbishop

Daniel Edward Pilarczyk (born August 12, 1934 – died March 22, 2020) was an important leader in the Roman Catholic Church in America. He served as the Archbishop of Cincinnati for many years, from 1982 until 2009.

Early Life and Education

Daniel Pilarczyk was born in Dayton, Ohio, and was the only child of Daniel Joseph and Frieda Pilarczyk. He went to local schools like Our Lady of Mercy and St. Anthony. When he was 14, he began studying at St. Gregory Seminary in Cincinnati.

In 1953, he traveled to Rome, Italy, to continue his studies at the Pontifical Urbaniana University. There, he earned degrees in Philosophy in 1956 and Sacred Theology in 1960. While he was studying in Rome, his mother passed away in 1955. His father later remarried.

Becoming a Priest

Daniel Pilarczyk became a priest on December 20, 1959. Cardinal Grégoire-Pierre Agagianian performed the ordination ceremony. He stayed in Rome to complete more studies, earning a doctorate in Sacred Theology in 1961.

When he returned to the United States, he started working for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He was an assistant chancellor, which is like a chief administrator. He also served as a curate (an assistant priest) at St. Louis Church.

From 1963 to 1974, he taught Latin and Greek at St. Gregory Seminary, where he had once been a student. He also earned a Master's degree from Xavier University in 1965. In 1968, at just 31 years old, he became the rector (head) of St. Gregory Seminary. He was the youngest person ever to hold that position. In 1969, he earned a Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati.

Serving as a Bishop

Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati

On November 12, 1974, Pope Paul VI chose Daniel Pilarczyk to be an Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati. An auxiliary bishop helps the main bishop of a large area. He was also named the Titular Bishop of Hodelm, which is an honorary title.

He became a bishop in a special ceremony called an consecration on December 20, 1974. Archbishop Joseph Bernardin was the main leader of this ceremony. From 1974 to 1982, Bishop Pilarczyk led educational services for the Archdiocese. He also chaired the board of St. Rita School for the Deaf. He believed that "Education means development, growth. When God creates us, He doesn't quite finish it. He lets us do some of the finishing touches. That's what education is."

He also worked with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This is a group of Catholic leaders in the U.S. He was part of the Committee on Doctrine and later led the Committee on Education.

Archbishop of Cincinnati

On October 30, 1982, Daniel Pilarczyk was appointed the new Archbishop of Cincinnati. He took over from Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, who moved to Chicago. As Archbishop, he was the main leader of the Catholic Church in the Cincinnati area.

Archbishop Pilarczyk also served in important national roles. He was the vice president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops from 1986 to 1989. Then, he became the president of the conference from 1989 to 1992.

In October 2008, Bishop Dennis Marion Schnurr was named as Pilarczyk's coadjutor archbishop. This meant that Bishop Schnurr would help Archbishop Pilarczyk. He also had the special right to become the next archbishop when Pilarczyk retired.

On August 12, 2009, Archbishop Pilarczyk officially offered his resignation. This happened on his 75th birthday, as required by the Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI formally accepted his resignation on December 21, 2009. This was just after Archbishop Pilarczyk celebrated 50 years as a priest and 35 years as a bishop. Bishop Schnurr then immediately became the new Archbishop of Cincinnati.

After Retirement

Even after retiring, Archbishop Pilarczyk stayed involved in the Greater Cincinnati community. He was interested in the growth of the archdiocese in different counties. He also enjoyed preaching and worked to help people understand Catholicism better.

In January 2006, he published a book called Being Catholic: How We Believe, Practice, And Think. He wrote at least 12 books about the Catholic faith during his lifetime.

After several years of declining health, Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk passed away on March 22, 2020. His funeral mass was held at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral on March 27, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the service was streamed online and was not open to the public.

See also