Diocesan map of Ohio with the Diocese of Cleveland in tan.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland (Latin: Dioecesis Clevelandensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ohio. It was erected on April 23, 1847 by Pope Pius IX. The Diocese lost territory in 1910 when the Diocese of Toledo was erected by Pope Pius X, and in 1943 when the Diocese of Youngstown was erected by Pope Pius XII. It is currently the seventeenth largest diocese in the United States, encompassing the counties of Ashland, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Summit, and Wayne.

There about 800,000 Roman Catholics in the Diocese of Cleveland, which contains 225 parishes, 22 Catholic high schools, 3 Catholic hospitals, 3 universities, 2 shrines (St. Paul Shrine Church and St. Stanislaus Church), and 2 seminaries (Center for Pastoral Leadership). The diocese's cathedral is the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, located in downtown Cleveland. As of December 2008, there were 257 priests and 500 nuns in the diocese. On Saturday, March 14, 2009, it was announced that 55 parishes in the diocese would be closed or merged (29 parishes closing, 44 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^[1]. A number of parish schools in the diocese will also be closed or merged due to declining enrollment, and financial difficulties^[2]. By July 1, 2010, there will only be 175 parishes in the diocese. 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 would remain open, were read to the parishioners by the church pastors at the Saturday Vigil Mass, and at all Sunday Masses. Hardest hit by the closings are downtown Cleveland, downtown Akron, downtown Lorain, and downtown Elyria.

[edit] Bishops

The Diocese of Cleveland has had ten Ordinaries:

1. Bishop Louis Amadeus Rappe (1847–1870) retired died
2. Bishop Richard Gilmour (1872–1891) died
3. Bishop Ignatius Frederick Horstmann (1891–1908) died
4. Bishop John Patrick Farrelly (1909–1921) died
5. Archbishop Joseph Schrembs (1921–1945) died, was created Archbishop ad personam by Pope Pius XII in 1939
6. Archbishop Edward Francis Hoban (1945–1966) died, was created Archbishop ad personam by Pope Pius XII in 1951
7. Bishop Clarence George Issenmann (1966–1974) retired; died 1982
8. Bishop James Aloysius Hickey (1974-1980) appointed Archbishop of Washington; elevated to Cardinal in 1988; retired 2000; died 2004
9. Bishop Anthony Michael Pilla (1980–2006) retired now Bishop Emeritus
10. Bishop Richard Gerard Lennon (since 2006)

[edit] Auxiliary Bishops

The Diocese of Cleveland has had numerous Auxiliary Bishops:

1. Joseph Maria Koudelka (1907–1911) appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Milwaukee died
2. James Augustine McFadden (1932–1943) appointed Bishop of Youngstown died
3. Edward Francis Hoban (Coadjutor Bishop 1942–1945) succeeded died
4. William Michael Cosgrove (1943–1968) appointed Bishop of Belleville died
5. John Raphael Hagan (April – September 1946) died
6. Floyd Lawrence Begin (1947–1962) appointed Bishop of Oakland died
7. John Joseph Krol (1953–1961) appointed Archbishop of Philadelphia, elevated to Cardinal in 1967 died
8. Clarence George Issenmann (1954–1957) appointed Bishop of Columbus died
9. Clarence Edward Elwell (1962–1968) appointed Bishop of Columbus died
10. John Francis Whealon (1961–1966) appointed Bishop of Erie died
11. Clarence George Issenmann (Coadjutor Bishop 1964-1966) succeeded died
12. Gilbert Ignatius Sheldon (1976–1992) appointed Bishop of Steubenville died
13. Michael Joseph Murphy (1976–1978) appointed Bishop of Erie died
14. James Anthony Griffin (1979–1983) appointed Bishop of Columbus
15. James Patterson Lyke O.F.M. (1979–1990) appointed Archbishop of Atlanta died
16. Anthony Michael Pilla (1979–1980) appointed Bishop of Cleveland, now Bishop Emeritus
17. Anthony Edward Pevec (1982–2001) retired
18. Alexander James Quinn (1983–2008) retired
19. Martin John Amos (2001–2006) appointed Bishop of Davenport
20. Roger William Gries O.S.B. (since 2001)

In recent years, each Auxiliary Bishop has been assigned to a region in the Diocese, Bishop Quinn in the Western Region, Bishop Gries in the Center City and Eastern Regions, and Bishop Amos was in the Akron Region until his appointment to Davenport. Bishop Edward Pevec governed the Eastern Region until his retirement in 2001.

[edit] Affiliated Bishops

Additionally, the following men began the service as priests in the Diocese of Cleveland (the years in parenthesis refer to their years in Cleveland):

• John Patrick Carroll, Bishop of Helena (1889–1904) died
• Thomas Charles O'Reilly, Bishop of Scranton (1898–1927) died
• Edward Aloysius Cardinal Mooney, Archbishop of Detroit (1909–1926)died
• Charles Hubert Le Blond, Bishop of Saint Joseph (1909–1933) died
• Michael Joseph Ready, Bishop of Columbus (1918–1944) died
• John Patrick Treacy, Bishop of La Crosse (1918–1945) died
• Joseph Patrick Hurley, Archbishop ad personam and Bishop of Saint Augustine (1919–1940) * John Francis Cardinal Dearden, Archbishop of Detroit (1932–1948) died
• Paul John Hallinan, Archbishop of Atlanta (1937–1958) died
• Raymond Joseph Gallagher, Bishop of Lafayette (1939–1965) died
• Timothy Paul Andrew Broglio, Titular Archbishop and Apostolic Nuncio to the Dominican Republic (1977–2001) Appointed Archbishop for the Military Services of the United States, 2008.

[edit] High schools

A listing of all Catholic high schools in the Diocese. Note that not all are actually 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)
• Cleveland Central Catholic High School, Cleveland/Cuyahoga County (Co-ed)
• Elyria Catholic High School, Elyria/Lorain County (Co-ed)
• Gilmour Academy, Gates Mills/Cuyahoga County(Co-ed), (Holy Cross), (Boarding School)
• Holy Name High School, Parma Heights/Cuyahoga County (Co-ed)
• Lake Catholic High School, Mentor/Lake County (Co-ed)
• Magnificat High School, Rocky River/Cuyahoga County (Girls), (Sisters of the Humility of Mary)
• Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin High School, Chardon/Geauga County (Co-ed), (Sisters of Notre Dame)
• Our Lady of the Elms High School, Akron/Summit County (Girls), (Dominican)
• Padua Franciscan High School, Parma/Cuyahoga County (Co-ed/Cuyahoga County), (Franciscan)
• Regina High School, South Euclid (Girls), (Sisters of Notre Dame)
• St. Edward High School, Lakewood/Cuyahoga County (Boys), (Holy Cross)
• St. Ignatius High School, Cleveland/Cuyahoga County (Boys) (Jesuit)
• St. Joseph Academy, Cleveland/Cuyahoga County (Girls), (Sisters of St. Joseph)
• St. Martin de Porres High School, Cleveland/Cuyahoga County (Co-ed)
• St. Peter Chanel High School, Bedford/Cuyahoga County (Co-ed)(Marist Father 1957-94)
• St. Vincent – St. Mary High School, Akron/Summit County (Co-ed)
• Trinity High School, Garfield Heights/Cuyahoga County (Co-ed), (Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Third Order of Saint Francis).
• Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School, Cleveland/Cuyahoga County (Co-ed)
• Walsh Jesuit High School, Cuyahoga Falls/Summit County (Co-ed), (Jesuit)

[edit] External links

• Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Home Page

[edit] References