Gettelfinger a teacher and preacher

In June 1988, the Rev. Gerald Gettelfinger was on a canoe trip in Canada when he got wind that he might be asked to fill a vacancy in the Diocese of Evansville.

Bishop Francis Shea was preparing to retire, but Gettelfinger didn't take the rumor too seriously. The rumor persisted, especially in Indianapolis where Gettelfinger had served the archdiocese most of his professional life in mostly educational administrative capacities. Nine months later, he got "the call."

"A funny-sounding man asked me if I was alone and could I talk. It was very simple," Gettelfinger recalled. "The voice said: 'Pope John Paul II invites you to be bishop. Do you accept?' I asked him how much time I had to think about it and his answer was 'Not much.'"

That was March 11, 1989. Gettelfinger was ordained and installed as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Evansville on April 11, 1989. And now, after serving for 22 years, he is retiring as the longest-serving bishop in the history of this diocese.

His successor, Charles C. Thompson, will be ordained and installed June 29.

"For college graduates and young married couples, and for all younger Catholics, (Gerald Gettelfinger) is the only bishop they have ever known," said Paul Leingang, director of communications for the Diocese of Evansville.

Humble beginning

Gettelfinger was born Oct 20, 1935, in Ramsey, Ind., a rural area about 30 miles northwest of Louisville, Ky. He was raised on the family farm there, a place one of his brothers still calls home.

Gettelfinger attended a public school that had 60 children and no indoor plumbing. His religious education was limited to Saturdays and two weeks every summer. But his father, Gerald Gettelfinger Sr., made sure his eight children received a Catholic education.

Farm life and chores were a constant. Gettelfinger was one of three cousins who expressed an early interest in the priesthood, "but I was the only one to be accepted, to pass the tests," he said, explaining that studying for the priesthood "is a fairly demanding course of study."

He entered St. Meinrad Seminary in 1949 at age 13. He graduated from high school there in 1953; received his bachelor's degree there in 1957 and continued four more years of theological studies.

"I was there for 12 years ... never left the hill," Gettelfinger said, allowing that it took about nine of those years before he knew, unequivocally, that he wanted to become an ordained priest. And so it came to pass that he was ordained on May 7, 1961, at the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. (In addition to retiring this year, Gettelfinger is celebrating 50 years in the priesthood).

In Indianapolis and in addition to parish work, he began teaching at Chatard Catholic High School. He added a master's degree in education (from Butler University) in 1965. In the ensuing years, Gettelfinger served the Archdiocese of Indianapolis as a guidance counselor, a high school principal, Superintendant of Catholic Schools and Superintendent of Catholic Education.

In 1980, he was honored by the National Catholic Education Association for his state and national work developing boards of education. He was named a domestic prelate, with the title of Reverend Monsignor, on Jan. 26, 1983. During his years in Indianapolis, Gettelfinger held leadership positions that included vicar general, chancellor ("The Bishop's right hand," Gettelfinger said), pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral and chairman of the cathedral renovation project.

"I never anticipated becoming a bishop," he said.

teacher, preacher

When Gettelfinger assumed the mantle of Bishop of the Diocese of Evansville, he was unfamiliar with the community.

"I remember coming here in 1957. Bishop Chartard High School was playing football against Bosse High School and we beat them! 27-to-6!

"The transition (to the role of bishop) was easy for me," Gettelfinger said. "Bishop Shea told me it would take five years to get to know the diocese, and it was true. He told me the secret to success was getting out to all the parishes and because it is a small diocese it was easy to do."

The Diocese of Evansville includes 69 parishes and 29 schools in 12 counties in Southwest Indiana, serving more than 85,000 Catholics.

Gettelfinger, who identified himself as a "teacher and a preacher, quickly focused his attention on the local school system and Catholic youth.

"I am a teacher and a preacher," he said. "(And) Catholic school is the best tool we have for passing on the faith. Our schools were good when I got here."

Gettelfinger's first act, two weeks after his ordination, was presiding as "chief teacher" over a celebration of the Catholic school tradition at Roberts Stadium that included 6,000 students, teachers and support staff.

Over the years, he administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to thousands of Catholic youth in parishes throughout the diocese, celebrated with them as they graduated from high school, and celebrated Mass with elementary school students during Catholic Schools Week every year. He helped develop "Teens Encounter Christ" and "Communion and Liberation," two organizations for youth in the diocese, and he remains active in Boy Scouting, locally and nationally.

Gettelfinger made his mark throughout the Diocese. Among his more tangible accomplishments was naming St. Benedict Cathedral on April 11, 1999, the 10th anniversary of his appointment as bishop.

"Evansville had not had a cathedral for 34 years," Gettelfinger said. He explained that when the Evansville Diocese was established in 1944, a Downtown church was named the Cathedral of the Assumption. That 1831 structure was razed in 1965 to make way for Downtown development. Another Downtown parish church, Holy Trinity was named "Pro-Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity" at that time.

Gettelfinger said he selected St. Ben's from a field of three parish churches selected by a committee, because of its size, ("St. Mary's Downtown was too small") its interior architecture ("Good Shepherd was too modern") and the reasonable availability of parking (arguably still a sticking point).

In 1991 Gettelfinger also oversaw the opening of a new parish in Santa Claus, Ind. ("St. Nicholas Church what else?" he said) that thrives today. His other accomplishments include "Synod '93" which engaged clergy, religious and lay leaders in setting the direction for the diocese; the establishment of parish councils ("There had been no pastoral council since 1973 and I wanted each parish to have one.") and the establishment of a Diocesan Pastoral Council. He also established diocesan task force in the mid-1990s to study parish staffing in light of the dwindling number of priests. He revived a program establishing a permanent deaconate, "which the Vatican II Council had called for, but Bishop Shea suppressed," he said. A deacon is ordained, Gettelfinger said, "and they can do it all except say Mass, hear confessions and anoint the sick."