Roman Catholic Cardinal. He entered Saint Francis Seminary of his native city, later pursuing his studies at the State University of Wisconsin and the Universities of Fribourg, Louvain, Oxford, Cambridge and La Sorbonne. Ordained priest in Milwaukee in June 1913, he joined the teaching staff of Saint Francis's Seminary there, becoming its rector in 1929, a position he held until 1935 when on August 10, he was appointed the third bishop of the diocese of Fargo. Receiving his episcopal consecration on October 15, 1935, he served as military vicar delegate of the United States of America Armed Forces in Germany, being furthermore named apostolic visitor in Germany by Pope Pius XII on the recommendation of the newly created Cardinal Samuel Stritch. Regent of the apostolic nunciature in Germany between 1949 and 1951, Muench received the personal title of archbishop on October 1950. With the nunciature in Germany vacant since the death of Archbishop Cesare Orsenigo in 1946, Muench automatically assumed the role of nuncio upon his appointment, receiving later the official title on March 6, 1951. Promoted to titular archbishopric see of Selimbria on December 9, 1959, he was created cardinal priest five days later by Pope John XXIII with the title of San Bernardo alle Terme. A longtime sufferer of Parkinson's disease, Muench died of a circulatory cardiac collapse while recovering at the Salvador Mundi Hospital in Rome, shortly after receiving a special blessing from Pope John XXIII. Following the celebration of a funeral at St. Peter's Patriarchal Vatican Basilica presided by the Pontiff himself, postponing the opening session of the Central Ecumenical Council Committee so that all the Conciliar Fathers could attend the funeral, his body was flown back to the United States, where following the celebration of further rites in Milwaukee and Fargo, the Cardinal was laid to rest in the latter's Holy Cross Cemetery, with the local seminary being soon renamed after him. The Cardinal Muench Seminary eventually came to its end in May 2011. In its forty-nine-year history, nine hundred twenty three young men participated in the various programs, three hundred sixty four graduated from high school or college programs, and, as of 2013, one hundred twenty three candidates had been ordained priests. The premises have since been demolished for housing development.