The Most Reverend George Avis Fulcher, S.T.D.

George A. Fulcher was born January 30, 1922, in Columbus, the oldest of eight children of George Fulcher, Sr., and Mary Lennon Fulcher. George was baptized at St. Patrick Church and attended St. Patrick and St. Aloysius grade schools. He attended St. Charles Preparatory School, Columbus, and continued there at St. Charles College, where he earned a bachelor's degree. He then attended Mt. St. Mary of the West Seminary, Norwood, Ohio, and the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.

George was ordained to the Roman Catholic Priesthood on February 28, 1948, by Bishop Michael J. Ready. His first assignment was assistant pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Newark. He then studied at the Angelicum in Rome, earning his doctorate in sacred theology. Upon his return to Columbus, Fr. Fulcher served as assistant pastor or administrator at several parishes. He was the founding pastor of St. Anthony in Columbus from 1963 to 1975. In 1975 he became pastor of St. Joseph Cathedral. Fr. Fulcher also served the Diocese as a presiding judge on the Diocesan Tribunal, diocesan liaison officer with the Catholic Conference of Ohio, and editor of The Catholic Times from 1958 to 1967.

On May 24, 1976, Pope Paul VI appointed Fr. Fulcher Titular Bishop of Morosbisdo and Auxiliary Bishop of Columbus. He was ordained a bishop by Bishop Edward J. Herrmann on July 18, 1976, in St. Joseph Cathedral. As auxiliary bishop, he was named vicar general of the Diocese. He also served as chairman of the Diocesan Commission on Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs and held the chair of the Metropolitan Area Church Board for two terms.

The National Conference of Catholic Bishops named Bishop Fulcher to the five-member committee, headed by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, that wrote the bishops' peace pastoral "The Challenge of Peace: God's Promise and Our Response," which was approved by U.S. bishops in 1983. After its completion, Bishop Fulcher served as chairman of the bishops' follow-up committee on the pastoral that saw to its implementation.

On February 8, 1983, Bishop Fulcher was named Bishop of Lafayette, Indiana, and installed there in St. Mary Cathedral April 14, 1983. He established that diocese's Presbyteral Council as recommended by the 1983 Code of Canon Law. He also remained active in the ecumenical movement.

On January 25, 1984, Bishop Fulcher was driving back to Lafayette from a speaking engagement when he died after his car left the road and crashed. The cause of the accident (about 35 miles south of Terre Haute, Indiana) remains unknown. He was buried at St. Mary Cemetery in Lafayette.