Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein, O.S.B.

Daniel Buechlein was born in Jasper, Indiana, to Carl and Rose, and made his solemn profession as a Benedictine monk on August 15, 1963. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 3, 1964, at St. Meinrad Archabbey. On January 20, 1987, Buechlein was appointed the third Bishop of Memphis, Tennessee, by Pope John Paul II. He received his consecration on the March 2, 1987 from Archbishop of Louisville Thomas  Kelly, OP.  On January 14, 1988, Bishop Buechlein announced the Catholic Diocese of Memphis purchased the Auburndale School from Mary Alice Riggs Smith and Stanley Smith. Plans, terms, and even a name, St. Benedict at Auburndale, named after the patron saint of Bishop Buechlein’s order, were agreed upon forming a K-12 Catholic school.   

Bishop Daniel returned to Indiana upon being named the fifth Archbishop of Indianapolis on July 14, 1992; Buechlein was installed as such on September 9, 1992. He was especially interested in promoting Catholic education. Under his leadership, enrollment in the archdiocese’s Catholic schools increased 30 percent to more than 25,000 students, reversing a 25-year decline. Innovative partnerships with Lilly Endowment Inc., campaigns to help fund new education initiatives, and the support of the business community led to improved student performance, which the U.S. Department of Education recognized by awarding 26 archdiocesan schools with Blue Ribbon awards for excellence. Archbishop Daniel garnered support to keep Catholic schools in the Indianapolis center-city open to serve students from low-income families and the growing immigrant population. He also led the effort to build two new grade schools in the center-city. Archbishop Daniel expanded the archdiocese’s ministry to young adults by starting a Theology on Tap program, adding new college campus ministry programs, and creating new archdiocesan staff positions to provide outreach to young adults.  

After his resignation as Archbishop of Indianapolis in August 2011, Archbishop Daniel returned to the Benedictine monastic community at St. Meinrad Archabbey. Archbishop Daniel wrote a weekly column entitled Seeking the Face of the Lord for the official archdiocesan newspaper. Archbishop Beuchlein died on January 25, 2018, at St. Meinrad monastery.  

Archabbot Kurt Stasiak from St. Meinrad Archabbey has sent the following remarks, “Archbishop Daniel would be extremely honored to be inducted into the introductory class of your Hall of Fame. As you know, most of the Archbishop’s adult life was devoted to education. He served as an administrator in our college seminary from 1969-1971, then as President-Rector of our Seminary and School of Theology from 1971 until his appointment as Bishop of Memphis in 1987. As you yourself noted, he contributed in a very practical way to the building up of SBA. I’m sure he was especially pleased to have the school named after the first of the world’s Benedictine monks. I regret that I am not able to attend the Hall of Fame ceremony. Please, be assured you and all connected with SBA will be in our grateful prayers. Let us ask the Archbishop to continue to intercede for us. And may God guide and bless your prayer and work.”