Catholic Church. Diocese of Fort Wayne (Ind.)

Fort Wayne was erected as a diocese in 1858 with John Henry Luers as its first bishop. Previously the area had been under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Vincennes (Indianapolis). After Luers' death, Joseph Dwenger, C. PP. S. (1837-1893) was consecrated second bishop in 1872. Dwenger was succeeded by Joseph Rademacher (1840-1900) in 1893 and Herman Joseph Alerding (1845-1924) in 1900.

During his episcopate, Alerding wrote a history of The Diocese of Fort Wayne, 1857-1907. Alerding's successor, John Francis Noll (1875-1956) wrote a complementary volume entitled The Diocese of Fort Wayne: Fragments of a History (1941). When Noll died in 1956, Leo A. Pursley (1902- ) became the sixth bishop of Fort Wayne. The title of the diocese was changed to include South Bend in 1960.

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