John Baptist Pitaval

John Baptist Pitaval was born in Saint-Genis, Loire, and made his preliminary studies for the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Lyon. In 1881, he came to the United States and entered St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Joseph Projectus Machebeuf in Denver, Colorado, on December 24, 1881.[1] For twenty-one years, he devoted himself to missionary work in Colorado.

On May 15, 1902, Pitaval was appointed titular bishop of Sora and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in New Mexico.[1] He received his episcopal consecration on the following July 25 from Archbishop Peter Bourgade, with Bishops Nicholas Chrysostom Matz and Henry Regis Granjon serving as co-consecrators. He succeeded Bourgade as Archbishop of Santa Fe on January 3, 1909.[1] He administered the archdiocese until his resignation on July 29, 1918; he was named titular archbishop of Amida on the same date.[1] He died ten years later, aged 70.