The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland (Latin: Dioecesis Clevelandensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ohio. Pope Pius IX erected the diocese April 23, 1847 in territory taken from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The diocese lost territory in 1910 when Pope Pius X erected the Diocese of Toledo, and in 1943 when Pope Pius XII erected the Diocese of Youngstown. It is currently the seventeenth largest diocese in the United States by population, encompassing the counties of Ashland, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Summit, and Wayne. The 11th and current Bishop is Nelson Jesus Perez. The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist located in downtown Cleveland is the mother church of the diocese.
As of 2017, the Diocese had a population of approximately 677,219 Catholics and contained 185 parishes, 22 Catholic high schools, three Catholic hospitals, three universities, two shrines (St. Paul Shrine Church and St. Stanislaus Church), and two seminaries (Centers for Pastoral Leadership). The diocese has 258 active priests and 1,035 nuns in the diocese.
Parish closings
On, March 14, 2009, the diocese announced that 52 parishes in the diocese would close or merge (29 parishes closing, 42 parishes merging to form 18 new parishes) due to the shortage of priests, declining numbers of parishioners in some parishes, the migration of Catholic populations to the suburbs and out of the city cores, and financial difficulties in some parishes. A number of parish schools in the diocese also closed or merged due to declining enrollment, and financial difficulties.
Letters to all of the parishes from Bishop Richard Lennon giving his decision on what parishes and schools were closing or merging, and which parishes and schools would remain open, were read to the parishioners by the church pastors at Masses the weekend of March 14â€"15, 2009. Hardest hit by the closings were downtown Cleveland, downtown Akron, downtown Lorain, and downtown Elyria. Parishioners of thirteen of the parishes then requested appeals from the Congregation for the Clergy in Rome.
On March 8, 2012, the Vatican overturned all thirteen of the church closings (nine in the Greater Cleveland area, one in Lorain and three in Akron) because the Vatican says that Bishop Lennon did not follow procedure or canon law in that he did not consult with the priest advisors, and he did not issue a formal mandate for the closing of the churches. In the mean time, according to canon law, the thirteen closed churches were ordered to be reopened, and be available to parishioners. On April 10, 2012, Bishop Lennon announced that he would not appeal the decision of the Vatican to the Apostolic Signatura in Rome, thus paving the way for the thirteen churches to be reopened. This mandate was implemented starting on June 10, 2012, raising the number of parishes in the diocese from 172 parishes to 185 parishes.
Bishops
The Diocese's ordinaries:
- Louis Amadeus Rappe †(1847â€"1870)
- Richard Gilmour †(1872â€"1891)
- Ignatius Frederick Horstmann †(1891â€"1908)
- John Patrick Farrelly †(1909â€"1921)
- Joseph Schrembs †(1921â€"1945); later created archbishop ad personam by Pope Pius XII in 1939
- Edward Francis Hoban †(1945â€"1966); later created archbishop ad personam by Pope Pius XII in 1951
- Clarence George Issenmann †(1966â€"1974)
- James Aloysius Hickey †(1974â€"1980); later appointed Archbishop of Washington; elevated to Cardinal in 1988
- Anthony Michael Pilla (1980â€"2006); retired, now Bishop Emeritus
- Richard Gerard Lennon (2006â€"2016); resigned, now Bishop Emeritus
- Nelson Jesus Perez (2017-present)
†deceased
Auxiliary Bishops
Several Auxiliary Bishops have served the Diocese of Cleveland:
- Joseph Maria Koudelka †(1907â€"1911) appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Milwaukee
- James A. McFadden †(1932â€"1943) appointed Bishop of Youngstown
- Edward Francis Hoban †(Coadjutor Bishop 1942â€"1945) succeeded
- William Michael Cosgrove †(1943â€"1968) appointed Bishop of Belleville
- John Raphael Hagan †(April â€" September 1946)
- Floyd Lawrence Begin †(1947â€"1962) appointed Bishop of Oakland
- John Joseph Krol †(1953â€"1961) appointed Archbishop of Philadelphia, elevated to Cardinal in 1967
- Clarence George Issenmann †(1954â€"1957) appointed Bishop of Columbus
- Clarence Edward Elwell †(1962â€"1968) appointed Bishop of Columbus
- John Francis Whealon †(1961â€"1966) appointed Bishop of Erie
- Clarence George Issenmann †(Coadjutor Bishop 1964-1966) succeeded
- Gilbert Ignatius Sheldon †(1976â€"1992) appointed Bishop of Steubenville
- Michael Joseph Murphy †(1976â€"1978) appointed Bishop of Erie
- James Anthony Griffin †(1979â€"1983) appointed Bishop of Columbus
- James Patterson Lyke †O.F.M. (1979â€"1990) appointed Archbishop of Atlanta
- Anthony Michael Pilla (1979â€"1980) appointed Bishop of Cleveland, now Bishop Emeritus
- Anthony Edward Pevec †(1982â€"2001)
- Alexander James Quinn †(1983â€"2008)
- Martin John Amos (2001â€"2006) appointed Bishop of Davenport (2006â€"2017) resigned
- Roger William Gries O.S.B. (2001â€"2013) retired
†deceased
Other Affiliated Bishops
Additionally, the following bishops began their priestly ministry as priests of the Diocese of Cleveland (the years in parentheses refer to their years in Cleveland):
- Thomas Charles O'Reilly †Bishop of Scranton (1898â€"1927)
- Edward Mooney †Archbishop of Detroit (1909â€"1926); Cardinal in 1946
- Charles Hubert Le Blond †Bishop of Saint Joseph (1909â€"1933)
- Michael Joseph Ready †Bishop of Columbus (1918â€"1944)
- John Patrick Treacy †Bishop of La Crosse (1918â€"1945)
- Joseph Patrick Hurley †Archbishop ad personam and Bishop of Saint Augustine (1919â€"1940)
- John Francis Dearden †Archbishop of Detroit (1932â€"1948)
- Paul John Hallinan †Archbishop of Atlanta (1937â€"1958)
- Raymond Joseph Gallagher †Bishop of Lafayette (1939â€"1965)
- Timothy P. Broglio Titular Archbishop and Apostolic Nuncio to the Dominican Republic (1977â€"2001) Appointed Archbishop for the Military Services of the United States, 2008.
†deceased
High schools
A listing of all Catholic high schools within the Diocese. Note: Some schools are private, i.e., not operated by the Diocese.
- Archbishop Hoban High School, Akron/Summit County (Co-ed), (Holy Cross)
- Beaumont School, Cleveland Heights/Cuyahoga County (Girls), (Ursuline)
- Benedictine High School, Cleveland/Cuyahoga County (Boys), (Benedictine)1941
- Cleveland Central Catholic High School, Cleveland/Cuyahoga County (Co-ed)1969, (Diocese of Cleveland)
- Elyria Catholic High School, Elyria/Lorain County (Co-ed), (Diocese of Cleveland)
- Gilmour Academy, Gates Mills/Cuyahoga County(Co-ed), (Holy Cross), (Boarding School)
- Holy Name High School, Parma Heights/Cuyahoga County (Co-ed), (Diocese of Cleveland)
- Lake Catholic High School, Mentor/Lake County (Co-ed), (Diocese of Cleveland)
- Magnificat High School, Rocky River/Cuyahoga County (Girls), (Sisters of the Humility of Mary)
- Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School, Chardon/Geauga County (Co-ed), (Sisters of Notre Dame)
- Our Lady of the Elms High School, Akron/Summit County (Girls), (Sisters of St. Dominic)
- Padua Franciscan High School, Parma/Cuyahoga County (Co-ed/Cuyahoga County), (Franciscan) 1961
- St. Edward High School, Lakewood/Cuyahoga County (Boys), (Holy Cross)
- St. Ignatius High School, Cleveland/Cuyahoga County (Boys) (Jesuit) 1886
- St. Joseph Academy, Cleveland/Cuyahoga County (Girls), (Sisters of St. Joseph)
- St. Vincentâ€"St. Mary High School, Akron/Summit County (Co-ed), (Marianist)
- Trinity High School, Garfield Heights/Cuyahoga County (Co-ed), (Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis)1973.
- Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School, Cleveland/Cuyahoga County (Co-ed).(Diocese of Cleveland)
- Walsh Jesuit High School, Cuyahoga Falls/Summit County (Co-ed), (Jesuit)
Closed schools
- Nazareth Academy, Parma Heights/ Cuyahoga County (Girls)(run by the Congregation of Saint Joseph 1957-1980), (Diocese of Cleveland). Merged with Holy Name High School in 1980.
- St. Peter Chanel High School, Bedford/Cuyahoga County (Co-ed)(Marist Fathers 1957-1973); (Diocese of Cleveland 1973-2013). Closed 2013
- St. Augustine Academy, Lakewood/Cuyahoga County (Girls) Closed 2005. Now Lakewood Catholic Academy elementary school.
- Lorain Catholic High School, Lorain/Lorain County (Co-ed) Closed 2004.
Catholic radio stations
- WILB AM 1060 "Living Bread Radio Network"
- WCCR AM 1260 "The Rock"
See also
- Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States
References
External links
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland official website