University of St. Thomas

Bishop Louis B. Kucera Papers

 
Biographical Note:

Born August 24, 1888 in Wheatland, MN, Louis Benedict Kucera was the son of Mr. and Ms. John Kucera.  Louis attended the preparatory school at St. John’s University before attending the College of St. Thomas.  After graduating in 1909, he was offered an appointment to West Point, but instead chose to continue his studies for the priesthood at the St. Paul Seminary.  He was ordained by Archbishop Ireland on June 8, 1915 and was appointed to the Dubuque diocese.

Following his ordination, he served as assistant pastor at St. Patrick’s Church in Tama, IA for one year.  In 1916, he was posted at Columbia College (now Loras College) where he served as a Professor of Latin and Dean and Disciplinarian of St. Joseph’s Hall.  In July of 1925, he was appointed pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Protivin, IA.  There he was instrumental in the construction of the Rudolphinum High School in Protivin.

On October 28, 1930, he was installed as the Bishop of Lincoln, NB.  He served in this position until his death on May 9, 1957.

Provenance:  Gift of the Joanne Hense, September 2005

Processed by: Ann Kenne, September 2005

INVENTORY:

Box 1

Scrapbook, 1909 – 1931 (includes photos and clippings of Kucera as a student at the College of St. Thomas, the Saint Paul Seminary, as a well as his elevation to the bishopric)

Commemoration of the Silver Anniversary of the Consecration of the Most Rev. Louis B. Kucera as Bishop of Lincoln, NE, Southern Nebraska Register, September 30, 1955.

Correspondence with Sister Cecil, 1920.

First Sermon, 1915.

Miscellaneous Newsclippings (in English), nd., 1954 – 1959.

Miscellaneous Newsclippings (in Czech), nd., 1955.

Miscellaneous Photographs and Postcards, nd., 1927.

Miscellaneous Programs and Prayer Cards, 1931 – 1941.

Speech on Medicine and Natural Law, nd.


Box 2

Bishop’s Glove (1)

Zucchetto (3)

Cincture tassels (2)

The Priest’s New Ritual, John Murphy Co., Baltimore, 1935

The New Sick Call Ritual

Souvenir Medal from Kucera’s Silver Jubilee, 1940.

Traveling Communion holder.

Books Cataloged Separately:

Pruvodce po ceskych katolickych osadach v arcidiocesi St. Paulske ve Spojenych Statech Severoamerickych / vydala Liga ceskych knezi arcidioecese St. Paulske. Tiskem tiskarny ceskych benediktinu, 1910.  (UST-ARCHIVES BX1417 .S3 L5)

Sindelar, Frantisek, Z boje za svobodu otciny, Chicago, Naki. Ustredny Narodniho svazu ceskych katoliku, 1924. (UST-SPECIAL E184 .B67 S5 1924)