Catholics in Indianapolis have been celebrating the life of retired Archbishop Daniel Buechlein.
They are also praising his impact on education for African-American students.
Buechlein, who led the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis from 1992 to 2011, died last week at age 79. He had been living in retirement at St. Meinrad monastery in southern Indiana.
“Though he will be greatly missed, Archbishop Daniel’s legacy of always pointing to Jesus Christ will continue among us,” current Archbishop Charles Thompson said. “He was a faithful monk, priest, rector and bishop. Like so many, I will certainly miss him. He was such a tremendous model of prayerfulness, holiness and leadership.”
Many local residents will remember Buechlein for creating more opportunities for potential priests to explore their vocation, expanding young adult ministries and offering lay members more ways to serve in leadership positions at parishes.
For longtime Black residents, however, Buechlein may be best remembered for his strong leadership in saving St. Andrew Catholic School and St. Rita Catholic School, both of which are located in predominantly African American neighborhoods.
Economic challenges had forced some schools in the arch diocese to close. Buechlein, however, was determined not to let that happen to any more schools, especially those in inner city areas where residents appreciated the quality education and stable environments those schools offered to students.
“Our commitment to our eight schools in center-city is precisely because we recognize our schools are, for the most part, anchors in their neighborhoods,” Buechlein told the Recorder in 1994.
That year, the archdiocese conducted a massive fundraising campaign among business and community leaders, fueled by the demand of a waiting list of more than
1,000 children ready to enroll in Catholic schools.
They also successfully gained city approval to convert two Catholic schools into charter schools, becoming among the first in the nation to use the innovative approach.
According to a statement from the archdiocese, enrollment in its schools increased by 30 percent to more than 25,000 students during Buechlein’s 19 years as archbishop. Two new grade schools were also built in Indianapolis.
Buechlein will also be remembered for taking major steps to increase diversity within the Indianapolis archdiocese.
The number of African-American Catholic priests serving as senior pastors reached its height of four shortly after Buechlein’s appointment in 1992.
In 1996, Buechlein established the Office of Multi Cultural Ministry to address the needs of various cultural and ethnic groups in the archdiocese.
“That was a major step forward in terms of diversity among Catholics here,” Rev. Kenneth Taylor, pastor of Holy Angels and St. Rita Catholic churches, said in a recent interview. “Until then, many people weren’t aware just how diverse we are.”
Taylor, who was ordained in 1978, is also the senior African-American Catholic pastor in Indianapolis. Other Black priests in the archdiocese include Rev. Douglas Hunter, associate pastor at St. Malachy Catholic Church in Brownsburg, and Rev. John Kamwendo, administrator at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Indianapolis.
The Indianapolis Archdiocese also became among the first in the Midwest to launch fulltime outreach ministries and leadership-training programs for Hispanics, Asians and African Catholic immigrants.
“We’ve been able to reach out to our different demographic groups and bring them to the forefront of the archdiocese,” Taylor said.
Buechlein built relationships with several dioceses and religious orders based in Africa, Asia and South America, who sent priests and nuns to serve on the staffs of several churches, including diverse parishes in Indianapolis and those in predominantly white small towns or rural areas.
These successful efforts to increase diversity and multicultural fellowship helped Indianapolis become the host city of the 2012 National Black Catholic Congress.
“Diversity awareness was very important to him, and he believed it was essential to ensuring that the needs of everyone was met,” said Greg Otolski, a spokesman for the archdiocese.
Holy Family Shelter, a 30,000-square-foot shelter for homeless families, was opened in 2009. Also, successful capital campaigns raised more than $300 million to pay for building projects and ministry needs throughout the archdiocese.
Buechlein announced his retirement in 2011 following a stroke and health complications related to cancer. He returned to St. Meinrad, where he began his ministry work as a monk and instructor, later becoming president-rector of its college.
In 1987, Pope St. John Paul II appointed Buechlein as the third bishop of the Diocese of Memphis, Tennessee. In 1992, he was appointed as the fifth archbishop of Indianapolis following the death of Rev. Edward T. O’Meara archbishop of Indianapolis.
Buechlein’s funeral Mass was celebrated Wednesday at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis. Internment followed at the cemetery of Saint Meinrad in St. Meinrad.
On the day of his retirement Buechlein expressed thanks to all of the clergy, archdiocesan staff and lay people for their support.
For many Catholics and non-Catholics alike, he was correct in adding, “With their help and the help of God we have been able to accomplish much.”
