Leo Aloysius Pursley

Leo Aloysius Pursley (March 12, 1902 – November 15, 1998) was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend in Indiana from 1956 to 1976.

Biography

Early life Leo Pursley was born on March 12, 1902, in Hartford City, Indiana, to Alexander Nelson and Mary Jeanette (née Sloan) Pursley. His father was a local Democratic politician and delegate to the 1940 Democratic National Convention. Leo Pursley studied at Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West in Cincinnati, After his ordination, Pursley served in the following assignments in Indiana parishes:

Curate at St. Mary in Lafayette Curate at St. Lawrence in Muncie Curate at St. Patrick in Fort Wayne Pastor of Sacred Heart in Warsaw Pastor of St. John the Baptist in Fort Wayne

On August 24, 1976, Pope Paul VI accepted Pursley's resignation as bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend. Leo Pursley died in Fort Wayne on November 15, 1998, at age 96.