Bishop Victor Balke WASHINGTON (CNS)
Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States, announced the changes in Washington Sept. 28.
The announcement came one day shy of Bishop Balke's 76th birthday. He submitted his resignation when he turned 75 last September. Canon law requires all bishops to submit their resignation to the pope when they turn 75.
Bishop Balke is a native of Meppen, son of the late Bernard Balke Sr. and Elizabeth Knese Balke. He attended St. Joseph Grade School at Meppen as well as the Monterey Grade School, and graduated from Hardin Community High School in 1949. In September 1949, he entered the seminary and was ordained a priest on May 24, 1958, by Bishop William A. O'Connor for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
After his ordination, then-Father Balke served as assistant at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception from 1958-1961 and was an instructor at the diocesan seminary in 1961. He was also chaplain for St. Joseph's Home in Springfield in 1963. In 1964, he was appointed procurator of the diocesan seminary and then rector, where he served from 1970 to 1976. He served on the Matrimonial Tribunal as synodal judge and defender of the bond. He was also the chairman of the Diocesan Commission on Ecumenism and secretary-treasurer of the Priests' Council.
He was named bishop of the Crookston diocese on July 7, 1976 and was ordained and installed there on Sept. 2, 1976.
Bishop Balke served on several committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and recently completed his second three-year term on the Administrative Committee. He is also past chairman of the American Board of Catholic Missions, now known as the Committee on the Home Missions.
With Bishop Balke's retirement, there are now only three active U.S. bishops who owe their current appointment to Pope Paul VI. They are Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, N.Y., and Auxiliary Bishops Kenneth D. Steiner of Portland, Ore., and Peter A. Rosazza of Hartford, Conn.
Bishop Balke has said he plans to move to Moorhead, Minn., but will remain available to substitute for priests in the diocese on weekends or as needed.
Several of Bishop Balke's siblings still live in the Springfield diocese. Two brothers, Ralph and Burdette, live in Alton and a sister, Ruth Holleman lives in Jerseyville. Bishop Balke's twin brother Harold lives in Colorado Springs, Colo. One brother, Bernard, who lived in Jacksonville is now deceased.
Bishop-designate Hoeppner, 58, will be ordained and installed as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Crookston Nov. 30.
Also contributing to this story was Kathie Sass of Catholic Times.