Early life Walter Kellenberg was born on June 3, 1901, in the
Bronx,
New York, to Conrad and Elizabeth (née Kern) Kellenberg. He had two brothers and two sisters. Walter Kellenberg received his early education at the parochial school of
St. Anthony of Padua Parish in the Bronx. He then attended
Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx, graduating there in 1919. Deciding to become a priest, he then entered
Cathedral College in Queens, New York. He also took courses in real estate, insurance, and business administration at
Columbia University in Manhattan.
Priesthood Kellenberg was
ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of New York at
St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan on June 2, 1928 by Cardinal
Patrick Hayes. After his 1928 ordination, the archdiocese assigned Kellenberg as
curate at St. Mary's Parish in the
Rosebank neighborhood of
Staten Island, New York. In Ogdensburg, he, expanded the Departments of Education and Catechetics and opened new parochial schools. He also created
catechism classes for Catholic students going to public schools and established a youth ministry. He also led Marian rallies and processions in the diocese. On April 12, 1959, at
Mitchel Air Force Base in Long Island, New York, Kellenberg dedicated the medal of Our Lady of Loreto, the
patron saint of air travelers and pilots. From 1962 to 1965, he attended all four sessions of the
Second Vatican Council in Rome. Three colleges, eighteen high schools and a number of parish schools were established during his tenure in Rockville Centre.
Retirement and legacy Shortly before reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Kellenberg resigned as bishop of Rockville Centre on May 3, 1976. Kellenberg died on January 11, 1986, from a
cardiac arrest at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre at age 84. == Viewpoints ==