TSCHIDERER ZU GLEIFHEIM, Johann Nepomuk von
Bishop. Born in Bolzano on 15 April 1777; died in Trento on 3 December 1860.
Ordained priest in 1800, he was professor of moral theology at Trento from 1807 to 1810, dean and parish priest at Sarentino and Merano, canon and provincial in 1828 for the German-speaking part of the diocese. Auxiliary bishop of Brixen in 1832 and vicar general for Vorarlberg, he was appointed on 15 July 1834 by the Emperor as prince-bishop of Trento. He devoted himself especially to the formation of the clergy and sought to eliminate divisions and act as a mediator between the Italians and Germans of his diocese.
TSCHIDERER ZU GLEIFHEIM, Johann Nepomuk von – Portrait.
He took an active part in the major conferences of the Austrian episcopate in 1849 (on Church-State relations) and in 1856 (following the Concordat of 1855), and with his prudence and moderation—unlike other colleagues whose rigidity created unnecessary clashes—he promoted the interests of the Church without provoking harmful reactions.
The cause for his beatification was introduced in Rome in 1886.