Loras Thomas Lane

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Loras Thomas Lane

JCD
His Excellency, The Most Reverend; Loras Thomas Lane; JCD
Bishop of Rockford; titular bishop of Bencenna
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Diocese of Rockford
In office	November 20, 1956 –; July 22, 1968
Predecessor	Raymond Peter Hillinger
Successor	Arthur Joseph O'Neill
Previous post(s)	Auxiliary Bishop of Dubuque; 1951 to 1956
Orders
Ordination	March 19, 1937; by Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani
Consecration	August 20, 1951; by Leo Binz
Personal details
Born	October 19, 1910; Cascade, Iowa, USA
Died	July 22, 1968 (aged 57); Chicago, Illinois, USA
Motto	Via veritas (The way of truth)

Loras Thomas Lane (October 19, 1910 – July 22, 1968), was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Dubuque in Iowa from 1951 to 1956 and as bishop of the Diocese of Rockford in Illinois from 1956 until his death in 1968.

Biography

Early life and ministry

Lane was born on October 19, 1910, in Cascade, Iowa, to Thomas and Josephine (née Barrett) Lane.^[1] His nephew was Michael A. Hess, victim of a notorious adoption scandal detailed in the book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee.^[2]

Lane attended St. Martin's grade and high schools in Cascade.^[3] After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 1932, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa in 1933. He then attended the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, earning a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 1937.^[4]

Priesthood

Lane was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Dubuque by Cardinal Francesco Selvaggiani on March 19, 1937, in Rome.^[5]

Upon his return to Iowa in 1937, Lane served as a curate at Nativity Parish in Dubuque until 1940. He studied at the University of Iowa before earning a Doctorate of Canon Law degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Lane became an instructor in Spanish and economics, and was appointed dean of men at Loras College. Lane became the secretary to Archbishop Henry Rohlman and vice-chancellor and then chancellor of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.^[1]^[3] In 1949, Pope Pius XII named Lane a domestic prelate.

Auxiliary Bishop of Dubuque

On May 29, 1951, Lane was appointed titular bishop of Bencenna and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Dubuque by Pius XII.^[6] Lane received his episcopal consecration on August 20, 1951, from Archbishop Leo Binz in St. Raphael Cathedral in Dubuque. Bishops Joseph Willging and Edward Fitzgerald were the co-consecrators.^[6] While he was auxiliary bishop, Lane also served as president of Loras College.^[3]

Bishop of Rockford

Lane was named bishop of the Diocese of Rockford on October 11, 1956, by Pius XII. He was installed on November 20, 1956, at St. James Pro-Cathedral by Cardinal Samuel Stritch. Lane attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council Rome between 1962 and 1965. According to author Martin Sixsmith, Lane had "earn[ed] a reputation among his clerical contemporaries for being hugely ambitious and more than a little cocky".^[2] Kidney disease began to affect Lane's health a year before his death.^[5]

Loras Lane died at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago on July 22, 1968, at age 57.^[4] His funeral was celebrated by Cardinal John Cody at St. James Pro-Cathedral with Archbishop Binz as the homilist. Lane was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Winnebago, Illinois.

References

^ ^a ^b Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
^ ^a ^b Martin, Sixsmith (October 24, 2013). Philomena: The True Story of a Mother and the Son She Had to Give Away (film Tie-in ed.). Pan Macmillan. p. 118. ISBN 978-1447245223 – via Google Books.
^ ^a ^b ^c Gallagher, BVM, Mary Kevin (ed.) (1987). Seed/Harvest: A History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. Duduque, Iowa: Archdiocese of Dubuque Press. p. 161. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
^ ^a ^b "Cardiac Arrest Results in Bishop Lane's Death". Freeport Journal-Standard. Chicago. AP. July 22, 1968. p. 1. Retrieved June 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b "Bishop Loras T. Lane". Diocese of Rockford. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
^ ^a ^b David M. Cheney. "Bishop Loras Thomas Lane". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Raymond Peter Hillinger	Bishop of Rockford 1956–1968	Succeeded by Arthur Joseph O'Neill

[curtis-1] Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.

[:0-2] Martin, Sixsmith (October 24, 2013). Philomena: The True Story of a Mother and the Son She Had to Give Away (film Tie-in ed.). Pan Macmillan. p. 118. ISBN 978-1447245223 – via Google Books.

[Gallagher-3] Gallagher, BVM, Mary Kevin (ed.) (1987). Seed/Harvest: A History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. Duduque, Iowa: Archdiocese of Dubuque Press. p. 161. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)

[Cardiac-4] "Cardiac Arrest Results in Bishop Lane's Death". Freeport Journal-Standard. Chicago. AP. July 22, 1968. p. 1. Retrieved June 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

[Rockford-5] "Bishop Loras T. Lane". Diocese of Rockford. Retrieved April 9, 2019.

[hierarchy-6] David M. Cheney. "Bishop Loras Thomas Lane". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.

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v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford
Bishops	Ordinaries Peter Muldoon Edward Francis Hoban John Joseph Boylan Raymond Peter Hillinger Donald Martin Carroll (*) Loras Thomas Lane Arthur Joseph O'Neill Thomas G. Doran David John Malloy
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Peter Parishes St. Mary's Church, Gilberts St. Michael's Church, Galena Abbey Marmion Abbey
Education	High schools Aquin Catholic Schools (Junior-Senior High Campus), Freeport Aurora Central Catholic High School, Aurora Boylan Catholic High School, Rockford Marian Central Catholic High School, Woodstock Marmion Academy, Aurora Newman Central Catholic High School, Sterling Rosary High School, Aurora St. Edward Central Catholic High School, Elgin Elementary school St. Thomas More School, Elgin
Priests	Leo Binz David Kagan
(*) resigned before his consecration as bishop Catholic Church portal

v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque
Ordinaries	Bishops Mathias Loras Clement Smyth Archbishops John Hennessy John Keane James Keane Francis Beckman Henry Rohlman Leo Binz James Byrne Daniel Kucera Jerome Hanus Michael Jackels Thomas Robert Zinkula
Auxiliary bishops	Edward Aloysius Fitzgerald Loras Thomas Lane George Biskup Loras Joseph Watters Francis John Dunn William Edwin Franklin
Churches	Cathedral St. Raphael's Cathedral, Dubuque Parishes Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, Dyersville St. John XXIII, Cedar Rapids Holy Ghost, Dubuque Holy Trinity, Luxemburg Sacred Heart, Dubuque Sacred Heart, Fillmore St. Boniface, New Vienna St. Donatus, St. Donatus St. Joseph, Elkader St. Joseph, Key West Saint Joseph the Worker, Dubuque St. Martin, Cascade St. Mary, Guttenberg St. Patrick, Dubuque St. Patrick, Garryowen St. Lawrence, Otter Creek St. Paul, Worthington Saints Peter and Paul, Petersburg Former parishes Saint Joseph's Prairie Church St. Mary, Dubuque St. Joseph, Stone City
Education	Higher education Clarke University Divine Word College Loras College Mount Mercy University St. Pius X Seminary, Dubuque High schools Beckman High School, Dyersville Columbus High School, Waterloo Don Bosco High School, Gilbertville Marquette High School, Bellevue Newman Catholic High School, Mason City Wahlert High School, Dubuque Xavier High School, Cedar Rapids Primary schools Mazzuchelli Middle School, Dubuque Holy Family Catholic Schools, Dubuque St. Mary's School, Guttenberg Former schools Sacred Heart School, Dubuque St. Luke's School, St. Lucas
Religious orders	New Melleray Abbey Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Priests	John George Alleman John Patrick Carroll James Vincent Casey Joseph Crétin Justin Albert Driscoll Thomas William Drumm Raymond Philip Etteldorf Daniel Mary Gorman Edward Howard William Michael Joensen Louis Benedict Kucera Mathias Clement Lenihan Thomas Mathias Lenihan William Menster J. A. M. Pelamourgues Aloysius Schmitt Joseph Clement Willging Thomas Zinkula
Miscellany	Mount Saint Bernard Seminary and Barn Our Mother of Sorrows Grotto Historic District
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