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Retired Bishop John C. Reiss
 Bishop John C. Reiss, the first native son of the diocese to become Bishop of Trenton, was born in Red Bank May 13, 1922.
John Charles Reiss studied for the priesthood at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington.
He was ordained a priest May 31, 1947, in the Cathedral of St. Mary, Trenton, by Bishop William A. Griffin. Father Reiss returned to Catholic University in 1950 to earn a doctoral degree in canon law.
After serving as an associate pastor, he was appointed master of ceremonies and secretary to Bishop George W. Ahr in 1953. Later, he was named Assistant Chancellor, then Vice Chancellor.
In 1963 Father Reiss was named Officialis of the Diocesan Tribunal. In October 1963, Pope Paul VI named him a Domestic Prelate, with the title "Monsignor."
He was appointed pastor of St. Francis Church, Trenton, in 1965. Msgr. Reiss was appointed Auxiliary Bishop by Pope Paul VI on Oct. 25, 1967. He was ordained a bishop Dec. 12, 1967.
Bishop of Trenton
Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop Reiss the Eighth Bishop of Trenton, succeeding Bishop Ahr on April 22, 1980. Bishop Ahr had headed the diocese for 30 years.
Bishop Reiss welcomes Mother Theresa of Calcutta to the Cathedral June 19, 1995 |
Bishop Reiss presided at the centennial of the diocese in August 1981. A few months later, Nov. 24, the diocese was divided and the Diocese of Metuchen was established to serve the Catholics of Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren counties.
In 1982, Bishop Reiss ordained Bishop Edward U. Kmiec as Auxiliary Bishop of Trenton. Ten years later, he congratulated Bishop Kmiec on his appointment as the Bishop of Nashville, TN.
Significant Events
Other significant events taking place under his spiritual leadership include:
- the Emmaus program of priestly spirituality was initiated in 1982
- Renew, a process of lay spiritual renewal was implemented between 1985 and 1987
- the Fourth Diocesan Synod which followed the Third Diocesan Synod held 60 years earlier, opened with Mass Jan. 13, 1991, and closed on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception Dec. 8, 1991
- Faith-In-Service, a $32 million diocesan capital and endowment fund campaign from 1992 to 1995, raised $38 million to provide financial stability for diocesan services
- a new Morris Hall, with St. Joseph Hall Skilled Nursing Center and St. Mary Hall Residence, was dedicated Oct. 28, 1994
- Villa Vianney, a residence for retired priests, was dedicated Oct. 18, 1995.
- a new Diocesan Pastoral Center, tripling the size of the diocesan office building, was completed in 1997
On Nov. 21, 1995, Bishop John M. Smith was named Coadjutor Bishop of Trenton, to one day succeed Bishop Reiss as Diocesan Bishop. Bishop Smith, a native of the Newark Archdiocese and a former Auxiliary Bishop of Newark, at the time was Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee, FL.
On reaching the age of 75, Bishop Reiss submitted his letter of resignation to Pope John Paul II. The letter was accepted, effective July 1, 1997, and that day he became Retired Bishop John C. Reiss.
Since then, Bishop Reiss has assisted Bishop Smith with the administration of Confirmation in numerous parishes in the diocese.
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