Background
Povish, Kenneth Joseph was born on April 19, 1924 in Alpena, Michigan, United States. Son of Joseph Francis and Elizabeth (Jachcik) Povish.
Povish, Kenneth Joseph was born on April 19, 1924 in Alpena, Michigan, United States. Son of Joseph Francis and Elizabeth (Jachcik) Povish.
He received his early education at the parochial school of Saint Anne"s Church, and graduated from Alpena High School in 1942. He studied for the priesthood at Saint Joseph"s Seminary in Grand Rapids and at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1946. He completed his studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, District of Columbia
He served as Bishop of Crookston (1970-1975) and Bishop of Lansing (1975-1995). Povish was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Saginaw on June 3, 1950. His first assignment was as a curate at Saint Ignatius Church in Rogers City, where he remained for two years.
He then served at Saint Hyacinth"s Church in Bay City (1952–1956).
He received his first pastorate at Saint Mary"s Church in Portuguese Sanilac in 1956. He served as pastor of Saint Norbert"s Church in Munger (1957–1960) and a professor at Saint Paul"s Seminary in Saginaw (1960-1966).
From 1966 to 1970, he served as pastor of Saint Stanislaus Church in Bay City. He was named a Prelate of Honor in October 1967.
In addition to his pastoral duties, he served as diocesan director of Catholic Charities and of religious education.
He wrote a weekly column entitled "The Question Box" in The Catholic Weekly from 1954 to 1970, and was active in the Mexican apostolate, League of Catholic Women, and Saint Vincent de Paul Society. Crookston
On July 28, 1970, Povish was appointed the fifth Bishop of Crookston, Minnesota, by Pope Paul VI. He received his episcopal consecration on the following September 29 from Archbishop Luigi Raimondi, with Bishops Francis Frederick Reh and James Aloysius Hickey serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. During his five-year tenure, he implemented the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, establishing parish councils in each parish and a Pastoral Council for the diocese.
He also supported liturgical reform and the ecumenical movement.
Lansing
Following the death of Bishop Alexander M. Zaleski, Povish was named the third Bishop of Lansing in Michigan on October 8, 1975. His installation took place on December 11 of that year.
After governing the diocese for twenty years, Povish retired as Bishop of Lansing due to poor health on November 7, 1995. He then served as Apostolic Administrator of the diocese until the installation of his successor, Bishop Carl Frederick Mengeling in January 1996.
He died from colon cancer in Lansing, at age 79.
As a member of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, he was chairman of the Committee for Catholic Charismatic Renewal and of the Committee on Vocations. He was also a member of the NCCB Executive Board, the Committee for Laity, and the Committee for Communications.