Victor Hermann Balke

Victor Hermann Balke (September 29, 1931) is the former Roman Catholic bishop of Crookston from 1976–2007.^[1]

Born in Meppen, Illinois (in Calhoun County), his parents were Elizabeth Knese and Bernard Balke, Sr. He attended St. Joseph Grade School in Meppen as well as the Monterey Grade School, and graduated from Hardin Community High School in 1949. In September 1949, he entered the seminary and was ordained a priest on May 24, 1958, by Bishop William A. O’Connor for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.

Following his ordination in Springfield, Balke served as assistant pastor at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for four years and was chaplain at St. Joseph Home for the Aged. Later he was named procurator, and then rector of the Diocesan Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. He served on the Matrimonial Tribunal as synodal judge and defender of the bond. He was also the chairman of the Diocesan Commission on Ecumenism and secretary-treasurer of the Priests’ Council.

Styles of Victor Hermann Balke
Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Monsignor
Posthumous style	not applicable

He was appointed Bishop of Crookston by Pope Paul VI on July 3, 1976, and was consecrated the sixth bishop of that diocese on September 2, 1976. After being the Bishop of Crookston for 31 years, and one day before his 76th birthday, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Michael Joseph Hoeppner as the new Bishop of Crookston. Bishop Balke remained at the helm of the diocese as apostolic administrator until Bishop-elect Hoeppner was installed on November 30, 2007.^[2]

Notes

Diocese of Crookston Bishops Timothy J. Corbett John Hubert Peschges Francis Joseph Schenk Lawrence Alexander Glenn Kenneth Joseph Povish Victor Hermann Balke Michael Joseph Hoeppner Churches Cathedral Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Parishes Church of St. Peter, Gentilly Education Sacred Heart High School, East Grand Forks Catholicism Portal

Diocese of Springfield in Illinois Bishops Bishops of Alton Henry Damian Juncker Peter Joseph Baltes James Ryan Bishops of Springfield in Illinois James Aloysius Griffin William Aloysius O'Connor Joseph Alphonse McNicholas Daniel L. Ryan George Joseph Lucas Thomas J. Paprocki Churches Cathedral Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Education Higher Education Benedictine University at Springfield Quincy University High Schools Marquette Catholic High School, Alton St. Teresa High School, Decatur St. Anthony High School, Effingham Routt Catholic High School, Jacksonville Father McGivney Catholic High School, Maryville Quincy Notre Dame High School, Quincy Sacred Heart-Griffin High School, Springfield Ursuline Academy, Springfield Priests John Janssen John Baptist Franz Victor Hermann Balke Kevin Vann Carl A. Kemme Catholicism Portal