Augustine Francis Schinner

Augustine Francis Schinner (May 1, 1863 – February 7, 1937) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Superior in Wisconsin from 1905 to 1913 and as the first bishop of the Diocese of Spokane in Washington State from 1914 to 1925.

Biography

Early life Augustine Schinner was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 1, 1863. He attended St. Mary's Church and school in that city. Deciding to become a priest, he entered St. Francis Seminary in St. Francis, Wisconsin.

Priesthood Schinner was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee on March 7, 1886, by Archbishop Michael Heiss at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee.

When Schinner became bishop, the new diocese had 39 diocesan priests, 17 religious order priests serving 38,861 Catholics in 43 parishes with resident pastors, and 50 missions and 33 stations. There was one high school, 16 elementary and two boarding schools with a total enrollment of 9,016 students. Schinner immediately saw the need for an additional ten priests. He succeeded in recruiting 12 seminarians from St. Francis de Sales Seminary. On February 7, 1913, Pope Benedict XV accepted Schinner's resignation as bishop of Superior. In 1919, the diocese purchased the Jones House (built by the architect Alfred D. Jones in 1909) as the residence for Schinner and a gathering place for Spokane's rapidly growing Catholic population. The Jones House subsequently served as the residence for two more bishops until the diocese sold the property in 1968.

Retirement and legacy On December 17, 1925, Pope Pius XI accepted Schinner's resignation as bishop of Spokane.

Augustine Schinner died of pneumonia at St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee on February 7, 1937, at age 73. He was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Milwaukee.