Bishop Speltz, retired head of St. Cloud Diocese, dies at 91

Published: 2004-02-03

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (CNS) -- Retired Bishop George H. Speltz, who headed the St. Cloud Diocese from 1968 to 1987, died Feb. 1 at St. Benedict Senior Community in St. Cloud. He was 91. Archbishop Harry J. Flynn of St. Paul-Minneapolis was scheduled to preside at the funeral Mass for Bishop Speltz at 11 a.m. Feb. 9 at the Cathedral of St. Mary in St. Cloud. Bishop John F. Kinney of St. Cloud was to deliver the homily. "With the death of Bishop George Speltz, we have lost a spiritual leader who touched us and taught us through his great personal kindness, his steadfast faith in Jesus Christ, his lifelong leadership in promoting rural life and family farming, and his affection for the local and universal church," said Bishop Kinney in a statement. Born May 29, 1912, in Altura, Minn., George Henry Speltz attended Holy Trinity High School in Rollingstone, Minn., and graduated in 1932 from St. Mary's College in Winona, Minn. He earned a doctorate in philosophy from The Catholic University of America in Washington in 1944.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .