Early life John Noll was born on January 25, 1875, in
Fort Wayne, Indiana, one of nineteen children. He attended
St. Lawrence Seminary in
Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin, from 1888 to 1893.
Priesthood Noll was ordained a
priest at the
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on June 4, 1898, for the Diocese of Fort Wayne by Bishop Joseph Rademacher. He embraced the communication tools of his day — print, radio and later television.
Bishop of Fort Wayne Noll was appointed fifth bishop of Fort Wayne by
Pope Pius XI on May 12, 1925.
Pope Pius XII elevated Noll to
archbishop ad personam on September 2, 1953, meaning that the title was personal to Noll and not passed on to his successors.
Political activism Noll was strongly associated with conservative elements of the Catholic Church, allied with the
anti-communist movement in the United States and elsewhere. He condemned many
labor unions, much to the chagrin of several fellow bishop. Noll also collaborated with the anti-Semitic radio priest, Reverend
Charles Coughlin.
Death and legacy John Noll died in Huntington on July 31, 1956, and is buried in the Victory Noll Cemetery there. • A stained glass portrait of Noll is mounted in the museum of the Diocese of Fort Wayne. ==Further reading==