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The Most Reverend

Joseph Casimir Plagens
The Most Reverend; Joseph Casimir Plagens
Bishop of Grand Rapids
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Diocese of Grand Rapids
In office	February 18, 1941; March 31, 1943
Predecessor	Joseph G. Pinten
Successor	Francis J. Haas
Other post(s)	Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit; 1924 to 1935; Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie-Marquette; 1935 to 1940
Orders
Ordination	July 4, 1903; by John Samuel Foley
Consecration	September 30, 1924; by Michael Gallagher
Personal details
Born	January 29, 1880; Czeszewo, Poland
Died	March 31, 1943 (aged 63); Grand Rapids, Michigan, US
Education	University of Detroit; St. Mary's Seminary

Joseph Casimir Plagens (January 29, 1880 – March 31, 1943) was a Polish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids in Michigan from 1941 to 1943.

Plagens previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Marquette in Michigan from 1935 to 1940 and as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit in Michigan from 1924 to 1935.

Biography

Early life

Joseph Plagens was born on January 29, 1880, in Czeszewo, near Poznań in the German Empire (present day Poland) to Andrew and Constance (née Grygier) Plagens.^[1] When he was age four, his family immigrated to the United States, settling in Michigan.^[2] Plagens earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Detroit in 1899, and a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland in 1903.^[1]^[3]

Priesthood

Plagens was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Detroit by Bishop John Foley on July 4, 1903.^[4] After his ordination, Plagens filled the following pastoral assignments in parishes in Michigan:

Assistant pastor at Sweetest Heart of Mary in Detroit (1903 to 1906)
Pastor of St. Michael's in Port Austin (1906 to 1911)
Pastor of St. Florian's in Hamtramck (1911 to 1919)
Pastor of Sweetest Heart of Mary in Detroit (1919 to 1935)^[1]

The Vatican raised Plagens to the rank of domestic prelate in June 1923, allowing him the title of monsignor.^[1]

Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit

On May 22, 1924, Pope Pius XI appointed Plagens as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit and as titular bishop of Rhodiopolis.^[4] He received his episcopal consecration on September 30, 1924, from Bishop Michael Gallagher, with Bishops Paul Rhode and Edward Hoban serving as co-consecrators.^[4] As auxiliary bishop, he remained pastor of Sweetest Heart of Mary Parish. Plagens was eventually named as vicar general for the archdiocese.^[3]

Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie-Marquette

Pope Pius XI appointed Plagens as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Marquette on November 16, 1935.^[3]^[5]

In 1938, a transfer of a priest broke into violence. Plagens had ordered the transfer of Father Simon Borkowski, pastor of St. Barbara's Parish in Vulcan, Michigan, to a seminary in Wisconsin. However, Borkowski had refused to go, instead remaining inside his church with 20 supporters picketing outside. One day, a group of sixty men arrived at St. Barbara's, pushed past the picketers, and brought Borkowski out of the building. The newly appointed pastor, Father Erasmus Dooley, was allowed to enter. However, a group of 100 Borkowski supporters soon arrived and a full-scale brawl erupted. In the end, Dooley left the church and Borkowski re-entered it.^[6]

Bishop of Grand Rapids

Pope Pius XII named Plagens as bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids on December 16, 1940.^[4] He was installed on February 18, 1941.^[4]^[3]

Joseph Plagens died at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids on March 31, 1943, at age 63 of coronary thrombosis.^[7] He was originally buried at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Grand Rapids, but was later removed to Resurrection Cemetery in Wyoming, Michigan.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "PLAGENS, Joseph Casimir" (PDF). Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-26.
^ "12 bishops have led the diocesan church". Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "HEADS GRAND RAPIDS SEE; Bishop Plagens of Marquette Gets New Catholic Post". The New York Times. 1940-12-17. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Bishop Joseph Casimir Plagens". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
^ "Two Become Bishops Here". The New York Times. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
^ "Religion: Picketed Priest". Time. 1938-10-10. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
^ "Grand Rapids Diocese Has New Bishop". The Ludington Daily News. October 2, 1943. p. 1. Retrieved June 12, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Paul Joseph Nussbaum	Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie-Marquette 1935–1940	Succeeded by Francis Joseph Magner
Preceded by Joseph G. Pinten	Bishop of Grand Rapids 1940–1943	Succeeded by Francis J. Haas