Most Rev. Dale Melczek, longtime bishop of Diocese of Gary, dies at 83
GARY, Ind. (CBS) -- Roman Catholics in Northwest Indiana are saying goodbye to a longtime pillar of the church.
The Most Rev. Dale Melczek, who served as the Bishop of the Diocese of Gary, died Thursday morning at the age of 83. He had celebrated 30 years with the Diocese of Gary just this past Friday.
"Bishop Melczek was a true shepherd who loved his flock in the Diocese of Gary," Most Rev. Robert J. McClory, current Bishop of Gary, said in a news release. "He was a tireless servant and a compassionate pastor. We have been blessed tremendously to have such a hopeful and caring leader."
Melczek was born in Detroit on Nov. 9, 1938. He studied at St. Mary's College in Orchard Lake, Michigan, and earned a Master of Divinity form St. John Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan, before being ordained as a priest in 1964.
In 1970, Melczek was assigned as associate pastor and later co-pastor of St. Sylvester Parish in Warren, Michigan, a period during he also earned a Master of Education from the University of Detroit. Melczek went on to serve as pastor of St. Christine Parish in Detroit and then as assistant vicar for the Detroit parishes.
Pope John Paul II appointed Melczek as Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit in 1982, and then as the apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Gary in 1992. He officially became the third Bishop of Gary in 1996, and served until stepping down from the position in 2014.
Bishop Melczek was known in Gary for starting a lay ministry program and bringing congregants into the decision-making process for their parishes. He was also known for his advocacy for Catholic schools, the diocese said.
Bishop Melczek addressed racism in Northwest Indiana in his 2002 Pastoral Letter, "The Many Faces of Our Church: a Pastoral Letter on Cultural Diversity." He wrote another letter the following year, "Created in God's Image: a Pastoral Letter on the Sin of Racism and a Call to Conversion."
Memorial services for Melczek will be held Sunday and Monday.
