{{Short description|American prelate}} {{Infobox Christian leader | honorific-prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend | name = Robert William Muench | honorific-suffix = | archbishop_of = Bishop Emeritus of Baton Rouge | image = Bishop Robert Muench (52022093247) (cropped).jpg | caption = Munch in 2022 | archdiocese = | diocese = Baton Rouge | see = | appointed = December 15, 2001 | enthroned = March 14, 2002 | retired = June 26, 2018 | predecessor = Alfred Clifton Hughes | successor = Michael Duca | ordination = May 18, 1968 | consecration = June 29, 1990 | consecrated_by = Francis B. Schulte, Philip Hannan, and John Favalora | previous_post = {{bulleted list| Bishop of Covington (1996-2002) | Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans and Titular Bishop of Mactaris (1990-1996) }} | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1942|12|28}} | birth_place = Louisville, Kentucky, US | death_date = | death_place = | buried = | nationality = | religion = Roman Catholic Church | residence = | parents = William Anthony and Mary Kathryn (née Allgeier) Muench | spouse = | children = | occupation = | profession = | alma_mater = | signature = | coat_of_arms = | motto = Jesus must increase | ordained_by = Philip Matthew Hannan | education = Notre Dame Seminary<br> Catholic University of America }}
{{Infobox bishopstyles | name= Robert William Muench | dipstyle= *His Excellency *The Most Reverend | offstyle=Your Excellency | relstyle=Bishop | image = Coat of arms of Robert William Muench.svg | image_size = 200px }}
'''Robert William Muench''' (born December 28, 1942) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Muench served as bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge in Louisiana from 2002 to 2018. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Covington in Kentucky from 1996 to 2002 and as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans in Louisiana from 1990 to 1996.
==Biography==
=== Early life === Robert Muench was born on December 28, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, to William Anthony and Mary Kathryn (née Allgeier) Muench; he has three sisters, Jo Ann, Mary Alice, and Marsha. When he was age three, the family moved to New Orleans, Louisiana. Muench attended Jefferson Davis and St. Leo the Great primary schools in New Orleans.<ref name="vitae">{{cite news|title=Curriculum Vitae of Bishop Robert W. Muench|work=Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge|url=http://www.diobr.org/news/rwm-bio.htm|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20060723192311/http://www.diobr.org/news/rwm-bio.htm|archivedate=2006-07-23}}</ref>
In 1956, Muench entered Saint Joseph Seminary in Saint Benedict, Louisiana. He graduated from the high school and junior college program in 1962. He then attended Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy in 1964.<ref name="vitae" />
From 1964 to 1968, Muench studied at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., earning a Master of Education degree and completing his seminary studies. He also attended courses at Loyola University New Orleans and the University of New Orleans.<ref name="vitae" />
=== Priesthood === On May 18, 1968, Muench was ordained to the priesthood at Saint Louis Cathedral in New Orleans by Archbishop Philip Hannan for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.<ref name="hierarchy">{{cite news|work=Catholic-Hierarchy.org|title=Bishop Robert William Muench|url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmuench.html}}</ref> After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Muench to the faculty of St. John Vianney Preparatory School in New Orleans. He worked there until 1977, serving as religion teacher, liturgy director, guidance counselor, and eventually rector. Muench also assisted at various parishes in New Orleans. In 1976, he was named associate pastor of St. Matthias Parish in New Orleans, later becoming pastor.<ref name="vitae" />
In 1977, Hannan named Muench as vicar for Christian formation, then moved him in 1981 to director of vocations. In 1983, Muench was named director of the Pope John XXIII House for Vocation Discernment and executive assistant to Archbishop Hannan. The Vatican elevated Muench to the rank of honorary prelate of his holiness in 1985. Archbishop Francis B. Schulte named Muench as his vicar general in 1989 and moderator of the curia in 1990.<ref name="vitae" />
=== Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans === On May 8, 1990, Pope John Paul II appointed Muench as an auxiliary bishop of New Orleans and titular bishop of Mactaris''.''<ref name="vitae" /> He was consecrated on June 29, 1990, at Saint Louis Cathedral in by Schulte, with Hannan and Bishop John Favalora serving as co-consecrators.<ref name="hierarchy" /> Muench selected as his episcopal motto, ''"Jesus Must Increase"'' John 3:30.<ref name="coat">{{cite news|work=Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge|title=Coat of Arms of Bishop Robert W. Muench|url=http://www.diobr.org/news/rwm-coa.htm|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20060507000433/http://www.diobr.org/news/rwm-coa.htm|archivedate=2006-05-07}}</ref>
===Bishop of Covington=== On January 5, 1996, John Paul II appointed Muench as the ninth bishop of Covington. He was installed on March 19, 1995, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky.<ref name="vitae" /><ref name="hierarchy" />
Muench served as a board member of St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Northern Kentucky and chancellor of Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. He was a member of the Committee on Priestly Formation within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). He also initiated renovations of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption<ref name=vitae/>
===Bishop of Baton Rouge=== thumb|right|Bishop Muench (2018)|294x294px On December 15, 2001, John Paul II appointed Muench as the fifth bishop of Baton Rouge. He was installed at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge on March 14, 2002, with Archbishop Alfred Hughes presiding. Muench also served on the board of trustees of Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans and Saint Joseph Seminary College.<ref name="vitae" />
On November 12, 2004, the Diocese of Baton Rouge settled a sexual abuse lawsuit brought by a Baton Rouge man. The plaintiff claimed that the late Bishop Joseph Sullivan had abused him when the man was 17 years old in 1975. Muench authorized the settlement, calling the accusations credible. He promised to rename the Bishop Sullivan High School before the next school term. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Muench joined Hughes and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco in a televised appearance declaring a day of prayer for the state of Louisiana.<ref name="katrina">{{cite news|date=2005-08-31|work=Catholic News Service|title=Louisianans face long recovery from Katrina, New Orleans flooding|url=http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0504974.htm|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20050908065910/http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0504974.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2005-09-08|last=Filteau|first=Jerry}}</ref>
=== Retirement === On June 26, 2018, Pope Francis accepted Muench's letter of resignation as bishop of Baton Rouge after Muench reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.<ref name="hierarchy" />
==See also== {{Portal bar|Biography|Catholicism|United States}} {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * Catholic Church hierarchy * Catholic Church in the United States * Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States * List of Catholic bishops of the United States * Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops {{div col end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{wikiquote}} {{commons category}}
*[http://www.diobr.org/ Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge Official Site]
==Episcopal succession== {{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{succession box | title=Bishop of Baton Rouge | before=Alfred Clifton Hughes | after= Michael Duca | years=2002–2018}} {{succession box | title=Bishop of Covington | before=William Anthony Hughes | after=Roger Joseph Foys | years=1996–2002|}} {{succession box | before=– | title=Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans| after=– | years=1990–1996}} {{s-end}}
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge}} {{Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington}} {{Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muench, Robert William}} Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:Brother Martin High School alumni Category:Loyola University New Orleans alumni Category:Notre Dame Seminary alumni Category:Religious leaders from Louisville, Kentucky Category:Catholic Church in Louisiana Category:Diocese of Baton Rouge Category:Roman Catholic bishops of Covington Category:Catholic University of America alumni