Archbishop Bergan

Archbishop Bergan was appointed head of the Archdiocese of Omaha on February 7, 1947. From the beginning of his leadership, Archbishop Bergan was sympathetic to the civil rights struggle, saying in August 1947 that he “wouldn’t stand for segregation on the basis of color.” Despite his belief that racism was wrong, the Archbishop was slow to action not encouraging radical change within the diocese. In August 1953, Archbishop Bergan spoke at a rally hosted by the Holy Name Society and stated publicly that a person is not a true Catholic unless they work to right the wrongs of racial injustice. As he rallied the crowd, the Archbishop asked, “Are we followers of Christ who loved all men and died for all without exception?” (Markoe Archives B7, F22) The Archbishop then took his words into action, founding a social action department within the diocese and calling for open advocacy and fair housing practices.

“Are we followers of Christ Who loved all men and died for all without exception? Are we the first-class citizens while all others must stand at a safe distance in the rear?” “I ask you Holy Name men to be sincere. You should favor and work for sound, honest, proper legislation to remedy this crying evil. We are not Catholics unless we do. We are not only putting into practice the teachings of Christ and his Church, but we are delaying the influence of democracy around the world”

For more information on Archbishop Bergan see Markoe Archives B7 F22