Leo Binz

On November 21, 1942, Binz was appointed titular bishop of Pinara and coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Winona, Minnesota, by Pope Pius XII.[3] He received his episcopal consecration on the following December 21 from Archbishop Amleto Cicognani, with Bishops Henry Rohlman and Edward Hoban serving as co-consecrators, at St. James Pro-Cathedral in Rockford.[3] As coadjutor bishop, he served as apostolic administrator of the diocese under Bishop Francis Martin Kelly, who was in poor health.[4] He also established Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, centralized all the offices of the diocese, and started the plans for building the first cathedral in Winona.[4]

On October 15, 1949, Binz was appointed Titular Archbishop of Silyum and Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.[3] Upon the resignation of Archbishop Henry Rohlman, Binz succeeded him as the sixth Archbishop of Dubuque on December 2, 1954.[3]

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.

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 Wichita Leo 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.