Archbishop Emeritus of Cincinnati Daniel Pilarczyk dies at 85

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Pilarczyk started his tenure as archbishop of Cincinnati from Dec. 20, 1982, until 2009. At the time of his retirement, Pilarczyk was the longest-serving archbishop in the U.S., according to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

He was born in Dayton on Aug. 12, 1934, and ordained as a priest in 1959, serving the Roman Catholic Church for 50 years.

Pilarczyk ordained 84 priests and three bishops. He confirmed more than 74,000 people since becoming a bishop in 1974.

Pilarczyk wrote nearly two dozen books, including “Twelve Tough Issues and More: What the Church Teaches and Why” and “When God Speaks: Reflections on the First Readings of the Sunday Lectionary.”