Martin N. Lohmuller, 97, retired Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia

Bishop Martin N. Lohmuller, 97, of Jamison, Bucks County, the retired auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia and titular bishop of Ramsbury, died Tuesday, Jan. 24, at St. Joseph's Manor in Meadowbrook, Montgomery County.

At the time of his death, he was the oldest Roman Catholic bishop in the country, according to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Bishop Lohmuller was ordained a priest in the archdiocese on June 3, 1944, by Bishop Hugh L. Lamb.

He was named an honorary prelate to Pope John XXIII, now a Catholic saint,  with the title of monsignor on May 18, 1959, and ordained a bishop by  Cardinal John Krol on April 2, 1970. At various times, he served with fellow Auxiliary Bishops John J. Graham, Louis A. DeSimone, and Gerald V. McDevitt.

"I was saddened to learn of the death of Bishop Lohmuller," said Archbishop Charles J. Chaput. "He was a man of great apostolic and personal energy. Through his many good works on behalf of the church and her people, he lived out his episcopal motto of 'Love, Fidelity, Peace' each day.

"I ask the people of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to offer prayers for Bishop Lohmuller, and I invite our priests to offer Mass for the happy repose of his soul. We are all grateful for the gift of his life and his selfless service. May God grant him the gift of eternal life and give peace and consolation to all those who mourn his passing."

Bishop Lohmuller was born to Martin and Mary Doser Lohmuller in 1919. He grew up in the Hunting Park section of Philadelphia and attended the former St. Henry's Roman Catholic School in North Philadelphia.

After his sophomore year at the former Northeast Catholic High School, he enrolled in what was then a minor seminary program for high school students who felt called to the priesthood. The program was based at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood.

After completing his studies and ordination, Bishop Lohmuller served as chaplain at the Catholic Home in Marple Township, Delaware County. He then was sent to Catholic University of America as a student-priest to pursue a doctorate-level degree in canon law, which he earned in 1947.

Upon returning to Philadelphia that year, Bishop Lohmuller joined the faculty of the former St. James Catholic High School for Boys in Chester, Delaware County. In 1948, he was assigned to serve as canon lawyer for the Diocese of Harrisburg , but the so-called temporary loan of his services lasted 22 years.

While in Harrisburg, Bishop Lohmuller was active in the spiritual life of various communities. He was the founding pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Marysville, Perry County. With the establishment of this parish, he became the first resident priest in the county's history, the Philadelphia Archdiocese said.

In 1953, Bishop Lohmuller spearheaded planning efforts to open a Catholic hospital in the Harrisburg region. Largely as a result of his work, Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, Cumberland County, opened in 1963 in affiliation with the Sisters of Christian Charity. It remains in operation as a Catholic community hospital with the capacity to serve 300 patients.

While in Harrisburg, Bishop Lohmuller saw the need for ongoing dialogue between the church and elected officials of the state. Through his urging, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) was founded in 1958 to fill that need. He served the PCC in various capacities and was a member of its executive board for 25 years.

In February 1970, Bishop Lohmuller was notified by the Vatican of his appointment as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He was ordained to the episcopacy at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul.

Beginning in 1970 and until Krol's retirement in 1988, Bishop Lohmuller and Krol worked closely on a number of major initiatives in the life of the archdiocese. One of his early tasks was to oversee the planning and construction of the current Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, on North 17th Street in Center City, which houses the central administrative offices of the local church.

Previously, administrative offices had been spread out in smaller buildings and converted homes in Philadelphia. Following completion of that project, Bishop Lohmuller played a major role in the success of the International Eucharistic Congress hosted by the archdiocese in 1976. He also helped plan for the visit of Pope John Paul II, now a saint, in 1979.

Later, Bishop Lohmuller oversaw the founding of St. Martha Manor, the first Catholic nursing home in Chester County, and served as pastor of Old St. Mary's and Holy Trinity Parishes in Society Hill.

Bishop Lohmuller officially retired at age 75 in 1994, but maintained a busy confirmation schedule for the next decade. He spent the final years of his retirement in quiet residence at St. Cyril of Jerusalem Parish in Jamison.

He is survived by nieces.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, 18^th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway. At 10 a.m., there will be a public reception of the body. The bishop will lie in state until 2 p.m., when a Mass will be celebrated, followed by the Rite of Committal in the cathedral crypt.

Because the crypt is a small space, the public will not be invited there. Instead, the archdiocese will set up monitors in the cathedral so mourners can view the Rite of Committal. In addition,  the archdiocese will provide live streaming video at www.archphila.org starting at 1 p.m. The broadcast will end with the Rite of Committal. Limited parking will be available in the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center's parking lot at 222 N. 17th St.