Our Catltolic llcritage in Texas
Two weeks later, on November 29, 1947, Pius XII formally appointed a bishop for the Diocese of Austin. "Today We, with the advice of Our Venerable Brethren the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church in charge of Consistorial Affairs, do choose by Apostolic Authority for the Church of Austin.... Our beloved son Louis J. Reicher, Protonotary Apostolic ad in.star, and Chancellor for the Episcopal Curia of the Galveston Diocese, him do We appoint Bishop and Shepherd of this Church," declared the Apostolic Brief. 1 °" The appointee richly deserved the honor and dignity conferred upon him. Born in the little town of Piqua, Ohio, on June 14, 1890, he had shown very early a deep desire to become a missionary. After completing his studies in the local parish school, he went to St. Jerome's College in Kitchner, Ontario, from where he transferred to St. Mary's seminary in Cincinnati. During his first year in the seminary he hopefully wrote to Bishop Gallagher of Galveston that his most ardent desire was to become a missionary in the South, preferably Texas. Bishop Gallagher, rightly called the "Master Builder," was himself a native of Ohio and had been born in Cambridge, only a few miles from the birthplace of the applicant. He was impressed by the zeal of the young seminarian and gladly welcomed his fellow Ohioan as a recruit. The young aspirant lost no time in setting out for Texas. He arrived in Galveston in Novem- ber, 1916, and was immediately sent to St. Mary's seminary at La Porte to finish his studies. Little did he realize that within thirty-two years he was to be the second bishop to be consecrated in the beautiful cathedral built by the first bishop of Texas; where Gallagher himself had been consecrated in 1882. When Reicher completed his studies for the priesthood Bishop C. E. Byrne had just been installed as successor to Bishop Gallagher in Gal- veston. It fell to the new bishop, who immediately took a liking to the smiling young man, to confer Holy Orders upon him. The act took place in St. Mary's Cathedral on December 6, 1918. Within a month, the recently ordained priest was made chancellor of the Diocese of Galveston, a post which he held uninterruptedly until the day of his consecration as the new bishop of Austin. Through thirty years of faithful service, he helped the kind and energetic Bishop Byrne set up parishes and build churches, missionary chapels, and schools. He was instrumental in acquiring an adequate episcopal residence for the bishop in 1923, and it was through his efforts that a new diocesan chancery 184 Bull of Appointment. Rome, November 29, 1947. Copy in C. A. T.
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