Charles Hubert Le Blond

Charles Hubert Le Blond (November 21, 1883 – December 30, 1958) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of St. Joseph from 1933 to 1956.

Early life and education

Charles Le Blond was born in Celina, Ohio, one of three children of Charles McGinley and Anne Marie (née Brennan) Le Blond.[1] He belonged to a prominent political family in Ohio; his father was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1886 to 1890, and he was a grandson of Francis Celeste Le Blond and a cousin of Frank Le Blond Kloeb.[2] At age five, he moved with his family to Cleveland, where he received his early education at the parochial school of St. John's Cathedral.[3] He attended St. Ignatius High School for six years, graduating in 1903.[2] He then studied for the priesthood at St. Mary's Seminary, also in Cleveland.[4]

Priesthood

Le Blond was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Cleveland on June 29, 1909.[5] His first assignment was as a curate at St. John's Cathedral, where he remained for two years.[4] In 1911, he was named director of St. Anthony's Home for Boys.[2] From 1912 to 1933, he served as the first diocesan director of Catholic Charities and Hospitals.[4] During his tenure as director, he laid a foundation for the many charitable Catholic institutions in the diocese.[3] In 1930, he was one of the delegates sent by the United States to the Pan-American Conference on Child Welfare in Lima, Peru.[6] He also represented the National Catholic Welfare Council at the international conferences on social work in Paris, France (1928) and in Frankfurt, Germany (1932).[6]

Episcopacy

On July 21, 1933, Le Blond was appointed the fourth Bishop of St. Joseph, Missouri, by Pope Pius XI.[5] He received his episcopal consecration on the following September 21 from Bishop Joseph Schrembs, with Bishops James A. McFadden and Thomas Charles O'Reilly serving as co-consecrators.[5] He took an interest in welfare work in the city, and was active in the annual Community Chest campaigns.[7] During his tenure as bishop, the number of priests in the diocese increased by 30%, and the Catholic population of the diocese increased by more than 3,000.[7] Due to his failing health, he received Bishop John Cody as a coadjutor bishop in 1954 to manage the daily affairs of the diocese.[8]

After governing the diocese for twenty-three years, Le Blond resigned as Bishop of St. Joseph on August 24, 1956.[5] Following his resignation, the diocese was merged to create the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.[8] He later died at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Joseph, at age 75.[9]

Bishop LeBlond High School in St. Joseph is named in his honor.[10]

References
  1. "MRS. CHARLES M. LE BLOND". The New York Times. 1936-05-09.
  2. Avery, Elroy M. (1918). A History of Cleveland and Its Environs. II. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company.
  3. "LEBLOND, CHARLES HUBERT". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.
  4. Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
  5. "Bishop Charles Hubert Le Blond". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  6. "LE BLOND NAMED BISHOP". The New York Times. 1933-07-25.
  7. "Our History". Cathedral of Saint Joseph. Archived from the original on 2010-07-25.
  8. "Our History". Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph.
  9. "Most Rev. Charles LeBlond Dies at 75; Retired Bishop of St. Joseph Diocese". The New York Times. 1959-01-01.
  10. "At a Glance". Bishop LeBlond High School. Archived from the original on 2007-06-07.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Francis Gilfillan		 Bishop of St. Joseph
1933–1956		 Succeeded by
none
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