Francis Joseph Schenk

Francis Joseph Schenk (April 1, 1901 – October 28, 1969) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Crookston in Minnesota (1945–1960) and bishop of the Diocese of Duluth in Minnesota (1960–1969).

Biography

Early life Francis Schenk was born on April 1, 1901, in Superior, Wisconsin, to Nicholas and Frances Mary (née Fischer) Schenk. He attended St. Thomas Academy then in St. Paul, Minnesota, from 1915 to 1918, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul in 1922. He continued his studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he earned a doctorate in canon law in 1928. He also founded summer boarding schools for the children of the thousands of Mexican migrant workers who worked in the diocese.

Bishop of Duluth Following the death of Bishop Welch, Schenk was appointed the fourth bishop of Duluth by Pope John XXIII on January 27, 1960. Between 1962 and 1965, he attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council in Rome.

Retirement and legacy On April 30, 1969, Pope Paul VI accepted Schenk's resignation as bishop of Duluth. Francis Schenk died in Duluth on October 28, 1969, at age 68.