Bishop Alfred Mendez
Bishop Alfred F. Mendez was born in Chicago on June 3, 1907. At his Baptism on June 23, he was given the name: Alfredo José Isaac Cecilio. He took the name Francesco at his Confirmation and always used it for his middle initial.
Alfred Mendez attended school in Chicago, in New York, in Barcelona, Spain, and finished high school in Evansville, Indiana. In 1925, he entered the postulancy of the Congregation of the Holy Cross at Holy Cross Seminary at Notre Dame University, and made his novitiate there in 1926 at Saint Joseph's Novitiate. He graduated from Notre Dame University in 1931 and performed his theological studies at Holy Cross College of Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. from 1931 to 1935. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 24, 1935. He then returned to Notre Dame University for graduate studies.
Fr. Mendez' first assignment was in 1936, when he was sent to St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. He arrived at a time of persecution for Mexican Catholics at the hand of the Masonic government of Mexico. He devoted himself tirelessly to Mexican immigrants, to whom he became known as "Padre". In 1945, Fr. Mendez was named the First Secretary of the Bishops' Committee for Spanish-speaking Catholics in the United States. He was instrumental in the founding of the new diocese of Austin, Texas in 1948, after which we was transferred to Notre Dame to assume administrative positions at the University. He was named the first Director of Province Development for the Congregation of the Holy Cross in 1956.
On October 28, 1960, the Most Reverend Alfred F. Mendez was consecrated a bishop in Sacred Heart Church at Notre Dame University by Cardinal Francis Spellman of New York. The co-consecrators were Archbishop Edwin Byrne of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Bishop Richard Ackerman of Covington, Kentucky. Bp. Ackerman had been a member of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost and was a personal friend of Archbishop Marcel Lefebrve (It is interesting to note that Fr. Joseph Greenwell, who was one of the two priests Bp. Mendez ordained for the Society of St. Pius V in 1990, administered the Last Rites to Bishop Ackerman.)
After his consecration, Bishop Mendez became the first bishop of the new diocese of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, on November 25, 1960. The young bishop dutifully traveled to Rome for the Second Vatican Council, but he and several others soon fell ill with hepatitis. Two of those bishops died, but Bishop Mendez recovered sufficiently to return for the closing days of the Council. He was shocked at what he found on his return. He said that his reaction was: "They're all Protestants!" Like so many others, Bishop Mendez tried to make the best of the situation after Vatican II. He tried to interpret everything in the Catholic sense and promote the Catholic Faith in the people of his diocese. Finally, after only 14 years of active service as a diocesan bishop, he resigned in February of 1974. He received invitations from numerous diocesan bishops in the U.S. to assist in their dioceses, but he refused all such offers. From his retirement, however, he carried on a steady correspondence with other bishops and with the Vatican, in which he consistently urged the return of the traditional Roman Rite Mass.
In 1988, Joseph Greenwell and Paul Baumberger, two former seminarians from the Society of St. Pius X, who were then associated with the Society of St. Pius V, traveled to California to see the Bishop about the possibility of future priestly ordination. The bishop encouraged them and spent a great deal of effort trying to find an active bishop to perform the ordinations. All of his efforts were in vain, and in 1990, he himself performed the ordinations. At the ordinations, the priests of the Society actually saw Bishop Mendez break down and cry for the Church. After composing himself, he said simply, "I'm sorry, but the Church is in such terrible shape."
Bishop Mendez was a prominent supporter of the Society's work - especially of our television program What Catholics Believe. He also supported the Society with his letters of encouragement, his advice, and financial support. In fact, a letter of the bishops to Pat Buchanan invited Mr. Buchannan to be a guest on What Catholics Believe. He also supported the taping of the two high-profile programs the Society made with Pat Buchanan and his name appeared at the end of each program as its sponsor.
Finally, in 1993, after much consideration, Bishop Mendez consecrated Fr. Clarence Kelly of the Society of St. Pius V a bishop. After a battle with cancer and bed-ridden, the good bishop died on January 28, 1995, in Cincinnati at the rectory of one of the Society's priests. He passed on to his eternal reward with the fortification of the Sacraments of the Church. His last word was the Holy Name of Jesus.
