During his seven years as archbishop, he distinguished himself particularly in his commitment to Catholic education. He helped develop Catholic high schools in the archdiocese, served as president of the National Catholic Educational Association from 1954 to 1955, and headed the youth department of the National Catholic Welfare Council.[1] He also established the North American Martyrs Retreat House in Cedar Falls, and expanded Catholic Charities in the archdiocese.
Saint Paul and Minneapolis
The grave of Archbishop Leo Binz at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Minnesota
On December 16, 1961 Pope John XXIII named Binz the seventh bishop and fifth archbishop of Saint Paul. He was installed on April 28, 1962.
From 1962 to 1965 Binz attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council, and faithfully implemented the reforms promulgated by the council in the archdiocese. He was known for his pastoral approach to leadership. He promoted active lay participation and Christian renewal in the Church through fraternal societies. He strengthened Catholic Charities, and he continued the annual May Day rosary processions.[5]
Binz was named to the Pontifical Commission on Birth Control and was one of only seven members of the 72 member commission to vote that artificial birth control was intrinsically evil.[6]
On July 11, 1966, the Holy See altered the name of the archdiocese to reflect the equal stature of the Twin Cities by naming the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis as co-cathedral of the archdiocese and adding Minneapolis to the title of the archdiocese. Subsequently, Binz was the first archbishop to hold the title of Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
As his health began to decline, Binz requested and received a coadjutor. Pope Paul VI named the Coadjutor Bishop of WichitaLeo Christopher Byrne coadjutor archbishop on July 31, 1967. Binz allowed Archbishop Byrne to take greater control of the administration of the archdiocese. Byrne, however, died on October 21, 1974.[7]
Pope Paul VI accepted Archbishop Binz's resignation on May 25, 1975. He died four years later on October 9, 1979, in Maywood, Illinois. Archbishop Binz was buried with other archbishops of the archdiocese at Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights, Minnesota.
Notes
^ abcdefghijkCurtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
^ abcdAthans, Mary Christine (2002). "To Work for the Whole People": John Ireland's Seminary in St. Paul. Mahwah, New Jersey: Paulist Press.
