| Biography |
- FOX, Very Reverend Joseph J., vicar general of the diocese of Green Ba y, is a native of that city, where he was born August 2nd, 1855. He pursu ed his preparatory studies at the Cathedral school in Green Bay and contin ued his classical studies at St. Francis Seminary, in Milwaukee county, fr om 1870 to 1875. In the fall of the year last named he went to Louvain, Be lgium, where he studied at the American College and at the University of L ouvain. Having taken the usual course in theology he was ordained the re in 1879, and returned home in the fall of that year. His first charge w as New Franken, Brown county, Wisconsin, from which he was soon after tran sferred to St. John's in Green Bay, of which parish he had charge from Ma y, 1880, to August, 1883, during which time he built the present priest 's house and placed the parish on a good spiritual as well as financial ba sis. While pastor of St. John's he acted as secretary to Bishop Krantbaue r. For eleven years he had charge of Our Lady of Lourdes, a parish in Mari nette, where among the things which he accomplished was the building of alarge school house which accommodates an average of five hundred pupil s. In connection with it is a well-conducted high school. During his pasto rate here the Sisters of Notre Dame built a large academy and boarding sch ool for young ladies, which school is in a flourishing condition. He ca me to his present position under Bishop Messmer in August, 1894.
His father, Paul Fox, was one of the early settlers of Green Bay, comi ng there in 1840, engaging in the fur trade and continuing it for some tim e, even after immigration had changed the old order of things.In the early days, some of the missionaries said mass in Mr. Fox's house a fter the only Catholic church of the community, which was located in Shant ytown, now Allouez, burned down. He always took great interest in church m atters, being one of the leaders in reorganizing the Catholics into a cong regation, and purchasing from the Methodists the old church on the si te of the present St. John's church, after the burning of the Shantytown c hurch, in the early forties. When the German portion, later, formed a sepa rate congregation. Mr. Fox was again chosen as a leader, and went everywh ere--even into the logging camps, to collect money with which to build a c hurch. In his private business undertakings he was successful, having bui lt a large block on Washington street which bears his name, and he owned o ther real estate. He held several offices, among them that of city treasur er. He died in 1893, aged seventy-five years.
Father Fox is Bishop Messmer's right-hand man and valued assistant, a nd it is to his sagacity and business ability that the diocese owes mu ch of its prosperity. His particular delight is the beautiful St. Joseph 's Orphan Asylum, of which he has business direction, and its affairs a re kept in order through his watchful care.
Father Fox, by reason of his genial manners, kindly ways and liberal condu ct toward those who differ with him in religious views and methods, has w on the respect and confidence of the community where he labors.
When leaving Marinette, where he had labored for eleven years, he was ma de the recipient of a popular expression of the esteem in which he was he ld by the citizens regardless of
social or religious affiliations. Besides many flattering and heart-felt a ddresses he was presented with several costly and beautiful gifts, whi ch he will doubtless highly prize during the remainder of his life.
NOTES: - Most Reverend Joseph John Fox 1904-1915The Most Reverend Joseph John Fox, the only diocesan-born bishop of the di ocese, was born at Green Bay on August 2, 1855. His parents were among t he first German settlers in Green Bay. Their eldest daughter later beca me the prioress of the Dominican Convent of St. Catherine at Racine, WI. J oseph was their third child. After having completed his elementary educati on at the pro-cathedral school (old St. Mary's), he enrolled at St. Franc is Seminary in Milwaukee for the study of the classics. He was sent to Eur ope to complete his preparation for the priesthood; philosophy at Bastoyn e, Belgium, and theology at the American College of the University of Louv ain, Belgium. He was ordained at Malines, Belgium, on June 7, 1879.Upon his return to the diocese, Father Fox reported to Bishop Krautbauer a nd was put in charge of St. Kilian Congregation at New Franken. Seven mont hs later, in May 1880, he was summoned to Green Bay to become secreta ry to the bishop and pastor of St. John Parish. While in charge of St. Joh n's, from May 1880 to August 31, 1883, he directed the construction of a r ectory and opened St. John School in the old cathedral school building. H is eleven-year tenure as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Marinett e, WI began on August 31, 1883. During this period, he endeared to himse lf to both the Catholics and non-Catholics of the Marinette area, and adva nced the material welfare of the parish particularly with the constructi on of a brick-veneered six-room school. In August, 1894, he was recall ed to Green Bay by Bishop Messmer to become fourth vicar general of the di ocese with residence at the Bishop's House. As vicar general, he supervis ed the construction of St. Joseph Orphan Asylum from May 1895, to March 18 96. In July 1898, the vicar general became the Rt. Rev. Monsignor Fox. App arently this was the first time that such a title had been conferred up on a priest of the Diocese of Green Bay. After Bishop Messmer was appoint ed to his new responsibilities as Archbishop of Milwaukee, effecti ve as of Novermber 18,1903, Monsignor Fox became Pope Leo XIII's choi ce as the Fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay. Archbishop Messmer w as the consecrator when Monsignor Fox was elevated to the Episcopal digni ty at St. Francis Zavier Cathedral in Green Bay on July 25, 1904. The co-c onsecrators were Bishop William Stang of Fall River, MA, and Bishop Freder ick Eis of Marquette, MI. During Bishop Fox's ten years as Bishop of the D iocese of Green Bay, the Catholic population grew from approximately 130,0 00 to approximately 147,000. The roster ofdiocesan priests rose from 141 to 172. He delighted in telling others th at he had "good priests," and the feeling on the part of the clergy was mu tual with regard to their bishop. Gains were consolidated both on the spir itual and on the material fronts. For reasons of health, however, he fe lt obliged to resign his high office. The resignation was effecti ve as of December 4, 1914, and the ailing prelate was named Titular Bish op of Ionopolis and administrator of the diocese. The towering statu re of this Man of God is etched in the pastoral letter which he address ed to his priests on the occasion of his resignation:"You have no doubt by this time received information of the fact that la st May, while in Rome, I handed in my resignation as Bishop of Green Ba y, and that by letter received a few days ago, my resignation has been acc epted by the Holy See. Must I state the reason for this no doubt unexpect ed action on my part? When my predecessor, Archbishop Messmer, was promot ed to Milwaukee, I somewhat feared the consequences, for we were, and tha nk God, have ever remained faithful friends and brothers. Realizing the po or condition of my health, not to mention my utter unworthiness, I begg ed him not to allow my name to go on the list for Green Bay; but not on ly he but you, dear brothers, brought about what I dreaded, my appointment ."In the same letter to his priest, Bishop Fox stated that he decided to res ign because his physical condition had deteriorated to such an extent th at he dreaded "the possibility of becoming a burden and unfit for any work ." He submitted to an operation for a malignancy, but failed to rally in t he post-operative stages and died at the Alexian Brothers' Hospital in Chi cago, IL, on March 14, 1915, - less than four months after his resignatio n. His remains rest in the Fox Mausoleum on the ground of Allouez Cemete ry at Green Bay, Brown, WI.- Press-Gazette, Staff Writer: Jack Rudolph. Piece Titled: The Consecrati on of Bishop Fox. Dated: 20 Jun 1970. Excerpts: . . .Gifts of InsigniaA part of the ceremony reported in considerable detail was the blessing a nd presentation to Bishop Fox of two crosiers, two miters and the Episcop al ring. One of the crosiers, an elaborate and heavy staff for use on ly in 10 the Cathedral, was a gift of the diocesan clergy and the cost a w hopping sum of $1,000. It is still preserved at the Cathedral. The other w as a gift of the Catholic order of Foresters.The two mitres were made by the Sisters of St. Mary's Home here and the Do minican House at Racine where the new bishop's sister was assistant superi or. The ring was a gift of a Milwaukee friend, not identified but possib ly Archbishop Messmer. Following the ceremonies in the cathedral, which la sted well over two hours, the visiting dignitaries, including former Gover nor Schofield and U.S. Senator Ike Stephenson of Marinette, piled aboa rd a fleet of chartered street cars and went out to St. Joseph's Orphana ge for dinner.
Huge ParadeThe public part of the celebration took place that night when a massive a nd colorful torchlight procession wound through the downtown district. Ju st about the whole city turned out for the parade in which more than 1,0 00 members of Catholic societies marched and thousands lined the illuminat ed streets to watch. The parade was followed by a public reception in Cath edral Hall, at which Atty. Pat Martin, the Rev. John Hummel; and J.A. Kuyp ers of DePere made speeches. The latter, state ranger of the Foresters, fo rmally presented the bishop with the traveling crosier blessed that mornin g.The next day Bishop Fox conducted his first ceremonial task as head of t he diocese when he ordained seven priests in the cathedral. While he was d oing this, the visiting clergy made a tour of St. Norbert College guid ed by the Rev. J.A. Marx and Archbishop Messmer, the latter enjoying thoro ughly his return to the city where he had presided for a decade. . . not es from RG
Catholic Encyclopedia;
Joseph J. Fox
Joseph J. Fox, fifth bishop, was consecrated, 25 July, 1904. He was born in Green Bay, 2 August, 1855, and made his theological studies at Louvain. He was ordained priest, 7 June, 1870, and served as secretary to Bishop Krautbauer, vicar-general of the diocese, and pastor of Marinette, before he was appointed bishop, 27 May, 1904.
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- FOX, Very Reverend Joseph J., vicar general of the diocese of Green Bay, is a native of that city, where he was born August 2nd, 1855. He pursued his preparatory studies at the Cathedral school in Green Bay and continued his classical studies at St. Francis Seminary, in Milwaukee county, from 1870 to 1875. In the fall of the year last named he went to Louvain, Belgium, where he studied at the American College and at the University of Louvain. Having taken the usual course in theology he was ordained there in 1879, and returned home in the fall of that year. His first charge was New Franken, Brown county, Wisconsin, from which he was soon after transferred to St. John's in Green Bay, of which parish he had charge from May, 1880, to August, 1883, during which time he built the present priest's house and placed the parish on a good spiritual as well as financial basis. While pastor of St. John's he acted as secretary to Bishop Krantbauer. For eleven years he had charge of Our Lady of Lourdes, a parish in Marinette, where among the things which he accomplished was the building of a large school house which accommodates an average of five hundred pupils. In connection with it is a well-conducted high school. During his pastorate here the Sisters of Notre Dame built a large academy and boarding Page 349 school for young ladies, which school is in a flourishing condition. He came to his present position under Bishop Messmer in August, 1894. His father, Paul Fox, was one of the early settlers of Green Bay, coming there in 1840, engaging in the fur trade and continuing it for some time, even after immigration had changed the old order of things. In the early days, some of the missionaries said mass in Mr. Fox's house after the only Catholic church of the community, which was located in Shantytown, now Allouez, burned down. He always took great interest in church matters, being one of the leaders in reorganizing the Catholics into a congregation, and purchasing from the Methodists the old church on the site of the present St. John's church, after the burning of the Shantytown church, in the early forties. When the German portion, later, formed a separate congregation. Mr. Fox was again chosen as a leader, and went everywhere--even into the logging camps, to collect money with which to build a church. In his private business undertakings he was successful, having built a large block on Washington street which bears his name, and he owned other real estate. He held several offices, among them that of city treasurer. He died in 1893, aged seventy-five years. Father Fox is Bishop Messmer's right-hand man and valued assistant, and it is to his sagacity and business ability that the diocese owes much of its prosperity. His particular delight is the beautiful St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum, of which he has business direction, and its affairs are kept in order through his watchful care. Father Fox, by reason of his genial manners, kindly ways and liberal conduct toward those who differ with him in religious views and methods, has won the respect and confidence of the community where he labors. When leaving Marinette, where he had labored for eleven years, he was made the recipient of a popular expression of the esteem in which he was held by the citizens regardless of [image: VERY REVEREND JOSEPH J. FOX.] social or religious affiliations. Besides many flattering and heart- felt addresses he was presented with several costly and beautiful gifts, which he will doubtless highly prize during the remainder of his life.
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- RIGHT REV. JOSEPH J. FOX. D. D.
Right Rev. Joseph J. Fox, D. D., bishop of Green Bay, was born in the city of Green Bay. August 2, 1855, of Paul and Frances (Bartel) Fox, who were among the first German settlers in Brown county, arriving about 1840. Bishop Fox received his primary education in the local Catholic school, at the time the only one of its kind in the county. His classical studies were made in St. Francis Seminary of Milwaukee from 1870 until 1875, and in the latter year he went to the American College, Louvain, Belgium, where he attended the famous university and after completing the theological course was ordained to the priesthood on the 7th of June, 1879. Returning home the same year he was appointed to the church at New Franken, but after only eight months was called by Bishop Krautbauer to St. John's church of Green Bay. While pastor of the latter church until May, 1883, he acted as secretary to Bishop Krautbauer and opened a parish school for St. John's in the old Cathedral building on Madison street, in which he had been baptized, confirmed and made his first communion. In May. 1883, at his own request, he was relieved of the pastorate at St. John's and appointed to Our Lady of Lourdes church at Marinette, Wisconsin, where he remained for eleven years, during which the church was decorated and furnished throughout and a new six-room schoolhouse built. In 1894 he was appointed by Bishop Messmer, now archbishop of Milwaukee, to the vicar generalship and called back to Green Bay on the 15th of August of that year. Besides his duties as vicar general he was given charge of St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum then located on the corner of Crooks and Webster streets of Green Bay, and under his care in less than two years the magnificent St. Joseph's Orphan Home on the banks of the Fox river, between Green Bay and De Pere, was erected and paid for, thanks to the generosity of priests and people. An average of two hundred orphans per year find a good home, receive spiritual and bodily care and a good education under the guidance of the good Sisters de Notre Dame in St. Joseph's Home. In 1898 Vicar General Fox was made a domestic prelate by Pope Leo XIII with the title of monsignore, the first one to receive this honor in the diocese of Green Bay. When in 1904 Bishop Messmer was promoted to the see of Milwaukee, Bishop Fox was appointed his successor by Pope Pius X. May 18, 1904, is the date of the brief of appointment, and he was consecrated fifth bishop of Green Bay on July 25, 1904. He enjoys the singular honor of being bishop of the church in which he was baptized and received his early Christian instructions.
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1855 - 1915 (59 years)
Religious Vows
