Retired Bishop Breitenbeck of Grand Rapids dies

Published: 2005-03-14

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (CNS) -- A funeral Mass was scheduled for March 17 at St. Andrew Cathedral in Grand Rapids for retired Bishop Joseph M. Breitenbeck of Grand Rapids, who died March 12 at age 90 at St. Ann's Home in Grand Rapids. The bishop had lived at St. Ann's for the last few years. Following the funeral Mass, Bishop Breitenbeck will be buried in Resurrection Cemetery in Wyoming, Mich. Retired Bishop Robert J. Rose of Grand Rapids, who succeeded Bishop Breitenbeck when he retired in 1989, noted in a statement that his predecessor had suffered severe back pain for the past 16 years. "May he now enter into the Lord's rest, pain-free and joyful," Bishop Rose said. "With his quick wit and sharp mind, he was always an engaging speaker, getting right to the point of the issue at hand," said a statement from Cardinal Adam J. Maida of Detroit. "Practical and compassionate, Bishop Breitenbeck had an understanding heart and generous spirit."

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