Centennial moment: Archbishop Noll and the bishops' conference

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will meet in Atlanta Wednesday through Friday for the spring general assembly. The bishops will be discussing many important matters, including religious liberty concerns and the progress made since the 2002 Dallas Charter.

It was at a 1925 meeting of the National Catholic Welfare Conference (a precursor to the USCCB) that then-newly appointed Bishop John F. Noll became an influential leader among U.S. prelates. No sooner had he walked into the meeting than Cardinal William O'Connell of Boston signaled him to come to rostrum. The cardinal informed the new bishop that he was to become secretary of the conference.

At that same meeting, Bishop Noll was elected treasurer of the American Board of Catholic Missions. He would serve as a member of the board for 25 years, and used Our Sunday Visitor to appeal for support of the missions.

Bishop Noll biographer Ann Ball points out in her book "Champion of the Church," "Many on the NCWC would later say, 'Let Noll do it,' as a sign of their confidence in his abilities to raise funds and organize for national causes, such as the National Shrine."