Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
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Diocese of Rochester Dioecesis Roffensis | |
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Sacred Heart Cathedral | |
![]() Coat of arms | |
Location | |
Country | ![]() |
Territory | Counties of Monroe, Cayuga, Livingston, Wayne, Tioga, Tompkins, Ontario, Seneca, Schuyler, Yates, Steuben and Chemung, New York |
Ecclesiastical province | Archdiocese of New York |
Statistics | |
Area | 8,772 sq mi (22,720 km2) |
Population - Total - Catholics (including non-members) | (as of 2014) 1,570,000 350,000 (23%) |
Parishes | 106 |
Churches | 172 |
Congregations | 172 |
Schools | 27 |
Information | |
Denomination | Catholic |
Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Established | March 3, 1868 |
Cathedral | Sacred Heart Cathedral |
Patron saint | St. John Fisher[1] |
Secular priests | 251 |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | Salvatore Ronald Matano |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Timothy M. Dolan |
Vicar General | Very Rev. Paul J. Tomasso |
Bishops emeritus | Matthew H. Clark |
Map | |
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Website | |
dor.org |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester is a diocese of the Catholic Church in the Upstate region of New York State in the United States. The diocese extends from Lake Ontario through Rochester, New York and the Finger Lakes region to part of the Southern Tier region near the New York-Pennsylvania border.
The Diocese of Rochester comprises 12 counties with approximately 350,000 Catholics and over 125 faith communities (parishes and chapels), 22 diocesan elementary schools and seven independent parochial high schools. The bishop of the diocese is currently Salvatore Matano. The metropolitan for the diocese is the archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York, currently Cardinal Timothy Dolan. The cathedral parish for the diocese is Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester.
History
Founding
The Diocese of Rochester was erected on March 3, 1868, by Pope Pius IX. He transferred eight counties (Monroe, Livingston, Wayne, Ontario, Seneca, Cayuga, Yates, and Tompkins) from the Diocese of Buffalo to the new Diocese of Rochester. The pope appointed Monsignor Bernard J. McQuaid, from what was then the Diocese of New York, as the first bishop of Rochester. The new diocese included approximately 54,500 Catholics in 35 parish churches and 29 mission churches.
In 1896, Pope Leo XIII transferred four more southern counties (Schuyler, Tioga, Chemung, and Steuben) from the Diocese of Buffalo to the Diocese of Rochester, forming its current boundaries.
Population growth
The Diocese of Rochester grew as more Catholic immigrants moved to Rochester, peaking in the 1960s. Since then, the Catholic population has stabilized while the numbers of ordained presbyters (priests) and religious sisters has fallen.[2]
- In 1909, there were 121,000 Catholics in 93 parishes, 36 missions and 53 parish schools with 18,000 pupils. There were 164 priests and more than 500 sisters.
- In 1938, there were 223,657 Catholics in 129 parishes, 36 missions and 72 parish schools serving 23,796 pupils. There were 289 active diocesan priests.
- In 1966, there were 361,790 Catholics in 155 parishes, 36 mission churches and 99 elementary parish schools serving 45,540 pupils. There were 371 active diocesan priests and 1,549 sisters.
- In 1978, there were 358,850 Catholics in 161 parishes, 29 mission churches and 75 schools serving 19,526 pupils. There were 311 active diocesan priests and 1,095 sisters.
- In 1992, there were 361,384 Catholics in 162 parishes and 58 elementary schools serving 11,992 pupils. There were 208 active diocesan priests and 842 sisters.
On September 22, 2017, the Diocese of Rochester inaugurated its sesquicentennial anniversary marked by a solemn mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral. This event marks a year long celebration of the 150 year anniversary and the year of the Eucharist which was proclaimed by Bishop Matano on the Feast of Corpus Christi.
Sex abuse allegations
in May 2002, two men sued the Diocese of Rochester, alleging that they had been sexually abused by Robert O'Neil, pastor of St. Christopher Parish in Chili, New York. The plaintiffs said that O'Neil took them in the 1970's to his cottage in Chaumont, New York, where he would ply them with alcohol and abuse them. Two parishioners complained about O'Neil during that time to Auxiliary Bishop Dennis Hickey. O'Neil was sent away for treatment at some point, then returned to pastoral work. A week before the lawsuit, the diocese stripped O'Neil of his ministerial duties and banned him from diocesan housing.[3]
The Diocese of Rochester revealed in June 2018 that it had paid $1.6 million in compensation since 1950 to 20 individuals who had been sexually abused by diocesan clergy.[4] Most of the payments occurred after 2002, although some were decades old. On June 10, 2019, a Rochester man sued the diocese alleging sexual abuse by Francis Vogt. between 1969 and 1971. The plaintiff said that Vogt started abusing him when he was five years old and that the diocese shielded Vogt from potential prosecution.[5]
On September 12, 2019, the Diocese of Rochester filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the wake of lawsuits against clergy who served in the diocese.[6][7] It was the first diocese in New York State to file for bankruptcy and the 20th diocese in the United States.[7]
By August 3, 2020, 70 people had filed lawsuits against the diocese, claiming sexual abuse by priests, nuns and lay people. The new wave of lawsuits 21 clergy who had not been identified before by the diocese.[8] By August 19, 2020, 503 people had filed sex abuse lawsuits against the diocese under the 2019 New York Child Victims Act.[9] The diocese announced on April 6, 2021 that 300 more sex abuse lawsuits were filed against the diocese between August 14, 2019, and December 31, 2020 under the 2019 New York Child Victims Act.[10]
Bishops
The following are lists of bishops and their years of service:
Bishops of Rochester
- Bernard J. McQuaid (1868–1909)
- Thomas F. Hickey (1909–1928; coadjutor bishop 1905-1909), appointed archbishop ad personam upon retirement
- John Francis O'Hern (1929–1933)
- Edward A. Mooney (1933–1937), archbishop (ad personam), appointed Archbishop of Detroit (Cardinal in 1946)
- James E. Kearney (1937–1966)
- Fulton J. Sheen (1966-–1969), appointed archbishop ad personam upon retirement
- Joseph Lloyd Hogan (1969–1978)
- Matthew H. Clark (1979–2012)
- Salvatore Ronald Matano (2013–present)
Former auxiliary bishops
- Lawrence B. Casey (1953–1966), appointed bishop of Paterson
- John Edgar McCafferty (1968–1980)
- Dennis Walter Hickey (1968–1990)
Other diocesan priests who became bishops
- Edward Joseph Hanna, appointed auxiliary bishop of San Francisco in 1912 and later archbishop of San Francisco
- Walter Andrew Foery, appointed bishop of Syracuse in 1937
- James Michael Moynihan, appointed bishop of Syracuse in 1995
Schools
Name | Tenure |
---|---|
Sr. Roberta Tierney, SSND[11] | 1976–1978 |
Timothy Leahy | 1978–1979 |
Rev. Richard C. Kinsky, CSB | 1979–1981 |
Sr. Edwardine Weaver, RSM | 1981–1986 |
Br. Brian Walsh, CFC[12] | July 1986–1 July 1991 |
Sr. Mary Ann Binsack, RSM[13] | 1991–1992 |
Timothy W. Dwyer[13] | 1992–2001 |
Sr. Elizabeth Meegan, OP[12] | 2001–2006 |
Sr. Elaine Poitras, CSC[12] | 2006–January 2008 |
Sr. Janice Morgan, CSJ[14] | January 2008–August 2008 |
Anne Willkens Leach | August 2008–July 2013 |
Anthony S. Cook III[15] | 1 July 2013–August 2019 |
James Tauzel[16] | September 2019 – Present |
Primary schools
School | Parish | Location | Established | Grades |
---|---|---|---|---|
All Saints Academy | St. Mary | Corning | Pre-K through Grade 8 | |
Holy Cross School | Holy Cross | Rochester | 2011 | Pre-K through Grade 6 |
Holy Family Primary School | St. Mary | Elmira | Pre-K through Grade 6 | |
St. Agnes School | St. Agnes | Avon | 1878 | Pre-K through Grade 6 |
St. Francis de Sales - St. Stephen School | Our Lady of Peace | Geneva | Pre-K through Grade 8 | |
St. Ambrose Academy | St. John the Evangelist | Irondequoit | Pre-K through Grade 6 | |
St. Joseph Elementary School | St. Joseph | Auburn | Pre-K through Grade 5 | |
St. Joseph School | St. Joseph | Penfield | 1960 | Pre-K through Grade 6 |
St. Kateri School | Christ the King | Irondequoit | Pre-K through Grade 6 | |
St. Lawrence School | St. Lawrence | Greece | Pre-K through Grade 6 | |
St. Louis School | St. Louis | Pittsford | Pre-School through Grade 6 | |
St. Mary School | St. Mary | Canandaigua | 1849 | K through Grade 8 |
St. Mary Our Mother School | St. Mary Our Mother | Horseheads | Pre-K through Grade 6 | |
St. Michael School | St. Michael | Penn Yan | 1882 | Pre-K through Grade 5 |
St. Pius X School | St. Pius X | Chili | 1954 | Pre-K through Grade 5 |
St. Rita School | St. Rita | Webster | 1957 | Pre-K through Grade 5 |
Seton Catholic School | Our Lady of Lourdes/St. Anne | Brighton | 1948 | Pre-K through Grade 6 |
Siena Catholic Academy | St. Thomas More | Brighton | 1993 | Grades 6, 7, and 8 |
Former primary schools
Over the years, as Catholic populations moved to the suburbs, the Diocese of Rochester has closed parishes and their schools. These include the former Holy Apostles, Holy Redeemer, Holy Rosary, Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Victory, Sacred Heart, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Augustine, St. Casimir, St. Francis Xavier, St. Helen, St. John the Evangelist, St. Joseph, St. Lucy, St. Mary, St. Michael, St. Patrick, Ss. Peter and Paul, St. Stanislaus, and St. Theresa.
In 2008, facing growing deficits and declining enrollments, the diocese closed the following schools:[18]
- Holy Family School, Dansville
- All Saints Catholic Academy, Gates
- Catherine McAuley, Greece
- St. Margaret Mary, Irondequoit
- Holy Trinity, Webster
- St. John of Rochester, Fairport
- St. John the Evangelist, Spencerport
- Good Shepherd, Henrietta
- Holy Cross, Rochester (reopened in 2011)
- Holy Family, Rochester
- Corpus Christi, Rochester
- St. Andrews, Rochester
- St. Boniface, Rochester
- St. Monica, Rochester
In May 2020, the diocese announced that Siena Catholic Academy would close at the end of the 2019-2020 school year.[19]
High schools
The diocese has five traditionally Catholic high schools (or combined junior/senior high schools). These schools were founded by various religious orders and operate independently of the diocese itself.
School | Founding Religious Order | Location | Established | Grades |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aquinas Institute | Basilian | Rochester | 1902 | Grades 6 to 12 |
Bishop Kearney High School | Christian Brothers, Sisters of Notre Dame | Irondequoit | 1962 | Grades 7 to 12 |
McQuaid Jesuit High School | Jesuits | Brighton | 1954 | Grades 6 to 12 |
Notre Dame High School | Sisters of Mercy | Elmira | 1955 | Grades 7 to 12 |
Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women | Sisters of Mercy | Brighton | 1928 | Grades 6 to 12 |
Former high schools
- Academy of the Sacred Heart, Rochester, 1855–1969
- Cardinal Mooney High School, Greece, 1962–1989
- DeSales High School, Geneva, 1912–2012
- Nazareth Academy, Rochester, 1871–2010
- St. Agnes High School, Rochester, 1954–1982
- King's Preparatory, Rochester, 1967–1970
- St. Anthony of Padua College Prep School, Watkins Glen, 1949–1970
- Holy Family High School, Auburn, 1904–1957
- Mt. Carmel High School, Auburn, 1957–1970
Former seminaries
- St. Andrew's Preparatory Seminary, 1870–1967
- Saint Bernard's Seminary, 1893–1981
Former liberal arts colleges
- Nazareth College, became independent in the 1970s
- St. John Fisher College, became independent in 1968
Former charitable institutions
- St. Ann's Home (now St. Ann's Community)
- St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum (later St. Joseph's Villa, now Villa of Hope)[20]
- St. Mary's Boys' Home
- St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester, Monroe County
- St. Patrick's Girls' Home
Counties
This is a list of the counties in New York State that fall into the Diocese of Rochester:
- Monroe
- Livingston
- Wayne
- Ontario
- Seneca
- Cayuga
- Yates
- Tompkins
- Schuyler (added in 1896)
- Tioga (added in 1896)
- Chemung (added in 1896)
- Steuben (added in 1896)
Publishing
The Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. (RCPA) is a New York 501(c)3 organization that serves as the publishing arm of the Diocese of Rochester. The RCPA publishes the monthly Catholic Courier newspaper, the Spanish-language El Mensajero Católico, the Official Directory of the Diocese of Rochester and related digital media.
The Courier was founded in 1889 as The Catholic Journal. The paper became the Catholic Courier in 1989, its 100th anniversary.[21] The Rochester Diocese took ownership of the newspaper during the Great Depression. The Courier has won state and national awards for journalistic excellence.[22]
Arms
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References
- ^ https://www.stmartinrochester.org/documents/thomas-more-and-john-fisher[bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester - Diocesan History". Retrieved Jul 1, 2020.
- ^ Tokasz, Jay (May 8, 2002). ""Several new calls" accuse priest" (PDF). Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- ^ Andreatta, David. "Andreatta: Diocese of Rochester has paid $1.6 million to 20 sex abuse victims". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ WHAM (2019-06-11). "Victim sues Diocese of Rochester over claims of sexual abuse by priest". WHAM. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ Orr, Steve (September 12, 2019). "Diocese bankruptcy: Matano says it was 'a very difficult and painful decision'". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- ^ a b Orr, Steve. "Rochester diocese, facing flood of sex-abuse claims, files for bankruptcy protection". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-04-09.
- ^ "Democrat and Chronicle".
- ^ "More than 500 sex abuse claims filed against Diocese of Rochester". 19 August 2020.
- ^ "More than 300 sex abuse claims against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester". 6 April 2021.
- ^ "Sr. Roberta Tierney; directed education - Catholic Courier". www.catholiccourier.com. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
- ^ a b c "New schools head brings fresh ideas - Catholic Courier". www.catholiccourier.com. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
- ^ a b Cullivan, Rob (May 28, 1992). "Schools superintendent to stress long view" (PDF). Catholic Courier. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ^ "DOR Catholic: Update on Sister Janice Morgan". DOR Catholic. 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
- ^ http://www.dor.org/index.cfm/news/news-docs/new-schools-superintendent-named/
- ^ "Diocese of Rochester names James Tauzel as Catholic schools leader". 18 February 2020.
- ^ "Discover Our Schools". Catholic Schools Diocese of Rochester. Rochester, New York: Diocese of Rochester. 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-02.
- ^ "As Bishop Announces Closures, Catholic High Schools Plan to Expand", Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, New York, 2008-01-19, ISSN 1088-5153, retrieved 2013-01-02[dead link] Alt URL
- ^ "Enrollment woes intensified by pandemic to shutter Siena Academy". May 2020.
- ^ "Villa of Hope History". Organization website. Rochester, New York: Villa of Hope. 2020. Retrieved 2020-02-28.
- ^ "About Us". Catholic Courier. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
- ^ Mosley, Jim (2022-07-11). "'Catholic Courier' wins 23 honors, including best newspaper". Catholic Courier. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
- ^ "Bishop Clark". Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
External links
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester Official Site
- Catholic Courier Official Site
- Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. .
Coordinates: 43°09′56″N 77°36′41″W / 43.16556°N 77.61139°W
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