Gerald Thomas Bergan

Gerald Thomas Bergan (January 26, 1892 – July 12, 1972) was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines in Iowa (1934–1948) and archbishop of the Archdiocese of Omaha in Nebraska (1948–1969).

Biography

Early life Gerald Bergan was born on January 26, 1892, in Peoria, Illinois, to William and Mary (née O'Connell) Bergan. After graduating from Spalding Institute, a Catholic high school in Peoria, he attended St. Viator College in Bourbonnais, Illinois, where he excelled in athletics. Bergan continued his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Upon his return to the United States, he served as chancellor and vicar general of the diocese, and rector of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria.

At the Ninth National Eucharistic Congress in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1941, Bergan spoke on labor-management relations. Bergan asserted that the employer must engage with workers in collective bargaining. He also called for a single union for both labor and capital, and suggested that senior employees should have a share in the management of an enterprise.

Archbishop of Omaha Bergan was named by Pius XII as the second archbishop of Omaha on February 7, 1948. Archbishop Bergan High School in Fremont, Nebraska The former Bergan High School in Peoria. In 1964, Bergan officiated at the school's dedication.