Background
Gercke, Daniel James was born on October 9, 1874 in Holmesburg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Son of Christopher and Catharine (Shea) Gercke.
Gercke, Daniel James was born on October 9, 1874 in Holmesburg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Son of Christopher and Catharine (Shea) Gercke.
He attended Saint Joseph"s College in Philadelphia, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1891. He completed his theological studies at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook.
He served as Bishop of Tucson from 1923 to 1960. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Patrick John Ryan on June 1, 1901. He then served as a curate at Saint Joseph"s Church in Girardville and afterwards at Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia.
He briefly served at Saint Mary"s in Philadelphia before going to Vigan City, Philippines, in 1903.
He served as vicar general of the Diocese of Nueva Cáceres from 1910 to 1919. He was named a Domestic Prelate by Pope Benedict XV in 1915, and returned to Philadelphia in 1919.
He then served as rector of the Cathedral of Steamship Peter and Paul. On June 21, 1923, Gercke was appointed the third Bishop of Tucson, Arizona, by Pope Pius XI. He received his episcopal consecration on the following November 6 from Cardinal Dennis Joseph Dougherty, with Bishops John Bernard MacGinley and James Paul McCloskey serving as co-consecrators.
He was the first-American born head of the Tucson diocese.
After thirty-seven years as bishop, he retired on September 28, 1960. He was named Titular Archbishop of Cotyaeum by Pope John XXIII on the same date. Gercke later died at age 89.