Rt. Rev. Joseph F. Busch


	This biography appears on pages 688-689 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				RT. REV. JOSEPH F. BUSCH.  

	Rt. Rev. Joseph F. Busch, of Rapid City, bishop of the Lead 
diocese of the Roman Catholic church, was born in Red Wing, Minnesota, 
April 18, 1866, a son of Frederick and Anna M. (Weimar) Busch, both of 
whom were natives of Germany and came to America at the ages of 
nineteen and ten years respectively. The father was one of the pioneers 
of Goodhue county, Minnesota, and became one of its prosperous and 
influential business men and citizens. He served for many years as 
president of the Goodhue County National Bank and was also president of 
the La Grange mills. He was identified with all movements looking to 
the civic, educational, moral and religious development of his 
community and his efforts were effective forces for progress along 
those lines. 

	Bishop Busch is the eldest in a family of twelve children. His 
educational training, which was most thorough, began in the public 
schools of Red Wing, and was supplemented by later study in the 
parochial schools there. He also attended parochial schools in Mankato, 
Minnesota, and next entered Canisius College at Buffalo, New York. He 
afterward became a student in Campion College at Prairie du Chien, 
Wisconsin, where he completed the classical courses. Going to Europe, 
he began his theological and philosophical studies at the State 
University in Innsbruck, Austria, and on the 26th of July, 1889, he was 
ordained to the priesthood.  

	It had been his ambition to continue his studies at Rome, but ill 
health made a change to a less trying climate imperative and, 
accordingly, he returned to America. He thereafter studied for a year 
at the then newly established Catholic University in Washington, D. C., 
after which he was summoned to St. Paul, where he was appointed 
secretary of the diocese of St. Paul, serving in that capacity for two 
years. During the following two years he was assistant pastor of St. 
Marys church and parish and for one year was connected with the St. 
Paul Cathedral. He next organized St. Augustine's parish in South St. 
Paul and still later served at St. Lawrence church in Minneapolis. He 
was next appointed to the church of St. Anne at Le Sueur, where he 
remained for five years, after which he devoted eight years to diocesan 
mission work in the archdiocese of St. Paul, with headquarters at 
Excelsior, Minnesota. 

	In 1910 Bishop Busch came to western South Dakota, having been 
appointed bishop of the Lead diocese. He continued to reside in that 
city until 1913, when he removed to Rapid City, where his love for the 
open country induced him to select a site two miles west of the city, 
on which he erected a handsome residence commanding one of the finest 
views in the Black Hills. In July, 1914, the twenty-fifth anniversary 
of his ordination was made the occasion of a most impressive 
celebration and was remarkable from the fact that few men at his age 
have reached the exalted position of bishop.  

	Bishop Busch has always been deeply interested in sociology as 
applied to social relations and his strongest efforts have been put 
forth to advance the moral and social conditions as well as to promote 
the spiritual progress of the people. His keen intellectual force has 
been wisely used for the benefit of others and the cause of Catholicism 
has been greatly promoted through his efforts not only in this state 
but also in other localities where he has lived and labored.