John Luers

1819–1871 (age 52)

Unknown

Photograph of John Luers

Biography

John Luers, born in Germany in 1819 and ordained after coming to the United States, served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne beginning in 1857, guiding the young church through its earliest challenges.

He championed the establishment of parochial schools and charitable works, providing spiritual guidance to immigrants and settlers alike, and his legacy endures in the cathedral community that remembers his steady pastoral care.