His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Stanislaus Vincent Bona
Bishop of Green Bay
Titular Bishop of Mela
SeeDiocese of Green Bay
AppointedDecember 2, 1944
In office1944-1967
PredecessorPaul Peter Rhode
SuccessorAloysius John Wycislo
Orders
OrdinationNovember 1, 1912
ConsecrationFebruary 25, 1932
by George Mundelein, Paul Peter Rhode, and Francis Martin Kelly
Personal details
Born
Stanisław Wincenty Bona

(1888-10-01)October 1, 1888
Chicago, Illinois, US
DiedDecember 1, 1967(1967-12-01) (aged 79)
Green Bay, Wisconsin, US
DenominationRoman Catholic
ParentsJohn and Catherine Bona
Previous post(s)Bishop of Grand Island (1932–1944)
EducationSt. Stanislaus College (Chicago)
Pontifical North American College

Stanislaus Vincent Bona (October 1, 1888 – December 1, 1967) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the bishop of the Diocese of Grand Island in Nebraska (1932–1944) and bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay in Wisconsin (1945–1967).

Biography

Early life

Stanislaus Bona was born on October 1, 1888, in Chicago, Illinois, to John and Catherine (née Śmigiel) Bona, who had immigrated to the United States from Poland in 1881.[1][2] He had five siblings.[3] Bona's brother Thomas P. Bona was also a Roman Catholic priest and longtime pastor of St. Mary of Perpetual Help Parish in Chicago (1921-1950).[4]

Stanislaus Bona attended St. Stanislaus College in Chicago, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1905.[1] He continued his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, there earning a Doctor of Divinity degree and Licentiate of Canon Law.[1]

Priesthood

Bona was ordained to the priesthood in Rome on November 1, 1912.[2][5] He then served as a curate at St. Barbara Parish in Chicago until 1916, when he became resident chaplain at the House of Correction.[1][2] He was later a professor at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary (1918–1922) and pastor of St. Casimir Parish in Chicago (1922–1931).[1] He was named a monsignor in 1931 and was a board member of Religious Communities of Women.[1]

Bishop of Grand Island

On December 18, 1931, Bona was appointed the second bishop of Grand Island by Pope Pius XI.[5] He received his episcopal consecration on February 25, 1932, from Cardinal George Mundelein, with Bishops Paul Rhode and Francis Kelly serving as co-consecrators, at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.[5] He guided the diocese through the Great Depression and World War II.[6] During the war, he ministered to German and Italian prisoners of war kept in camps in the diocese.[6]

Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Green Bay

On December 2, 1944, Bona was named coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay and Titular Bishop of Mela by Pope Pius XII.[5] He succeeded Bishop Paul Rhode as the seventh Bishop of Green Bay upon the latter's death on March 3, 1945.[5] During his tenure in Green Bay, Bona founded sixty-seven grade schools, four high schools, Holy Family College, and Sacred Heart Seminary.[7] He also established a diocesan newspaper and adjusted the social welfare program of Catholic Charities to meet new needs, including those of migrant workers.[7] He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council in Rome between 1962 and 1965.

Death and legacy

Bona died at age 79 in Green Bay on December 1, 1967.[2] His cabin in Minong, Wisconsin, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.[8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Bishop Bona Dies after Long Illness". The Post-Crescent. December 2, 1967. p. 1. Retrieved March 10, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ↑ "Obituaries". nwitimes.com. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
  4. ↑ "History". Saint Mary of Perpetual Help - All Saints - Saint Anthony Parish. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bishop Stanislaus Vincent Bona". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  6. 1 2 "Most Reverend Stanislaus V. Bona". Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island.
  7. 1 2 "Bishops of the Diocese of Green Bay". Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay.
  8. ↑ "Weekly List 20201113". National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
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