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Diocese of Cleveland

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Diocese of Cleveland
Dioecesis Clevelandensis
Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
Location
Country United States
Territory The counties of Ashland, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Summit and Wayne in northeastern Ohio.
Ecclesiastical province Cincinnati
Statistics
Area 3,414 sq mi (8,840 km2)
Population
Total
Catholics 		(as of 2019)
2,774,113
682,948 (24%)
Parishes 185
Information
Denomination Catholic
Sui iuris church Latin Church
Rite Roman Rite
Established April 23, 1847 (179 years ago)
Cathedral Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
Patron saint St. John the Evangelist
Current leadership
Pope Leo XIV
Bishop Edward Charles Malesic
Metropolitan Archbishop Robert Gerald Casey
Auxiliary Bishops Michael G. Woost
Bishops emeritus Roger William Gries (O.S.B.)[1]
Map
Website
dioceseofcleveland.org

The Diocese of Cleveland (Latin: Dioecesis Clevelandensis) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in northeastern Ohio in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The bishop is Edward Malesic. The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, located in Cleveland, is the mother church.

Territory

The Diocese of Cleveland encompasses the counties of Ashland, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Summit, and Wayne.

History

Early history

During the 18th century, present day Ohio was part of the French colony of New France. The Diocese of Quebec in Quebec City had jurisdiction over the region. However, unlike other parts of the future American Midwest, the French made no attempts to found Catholic missions in Ohio.

In 1763, after the end of the French and Indian War, France ceded all of its colonies west of the Mississippi River to Great Britain.[2] Ohio Country became part of the British Province of Quebec, forbidden from settlement by American colonists.[3] After the American Revolution ended in 1783, Pope Pius VI erected in 1784 the Prefecture Apostolic of the United States, encompassing the entire territory of the new nation.[4] In 1787, the Ohio area became part of the Northwest Territory of the United States. Pius VI created the Diocese of Baltimore, the first diocese in the United States, to replace the prefecture apostolic in 1789.[5][6]

In 1808, Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of Bardstown in Kentucky, with jurisdiction over the new state of Ohio along with the other midwest states.[4] Pope Pius VII on June 19, 1821, erected the Diocese of Cincinnati, taking all of Ohio from Bardstown.[7]

Diocese of Cleveland

1840 to 1870

Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Cleveland on April 23, 1847, with territory taken from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. At that point, the diocese included counties going west to Toledo and south to Youngstown.[8] He named Louis Rappe as the first bishop of Cleveland.[9]

When Rappe took office, the diocese contained 42 churches and 21 priests; the first and only Catholic church in Cleveland was St. Mary's on the Flats.[10] He soon established the city's first parochial school, which doubled as a chapel.[11]

Rappe purchased an episcopal residence in 1848. He converted a frame house on the property into St. Mary's Seminary.[12] Rappe also laid the cornerstone of St. John's Cathedral in 1848. In 1849, Rappe went to Europe to recruit clergy for the diocese. He returned in 1850 with four priests, five seminarians, two Sisters of Charity and six Ursuline nuns.[13] The Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary opened St. Mary's Orphan Asylum for Females in 1851. Rappe in 1852 organized the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, a new religious institute in Cleveland. That same year, the sisters opened St. Joseph's Hospital, the first general hospital in Cleveland[14]

Rappe consecrated St. John's Cathedral on November 7, 1852. The Sisters of Charity of Saint Augustine opened St. Vincent's Asylum for Boys in 1852.[15] Rappe also introduced a contingent of Grey Nuns from Montreal, Quebec, to the diocese in 1856.[15]

In 1865, Rappe established St. Vincent Charity Hospital in Cleveland for wounded veterans of the just-ended American Civil War. It was operated by the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine.[16] In 1869, the Sisters of the Good Shepard opened a convent in Cleveland for young woment.[17] That same year, Rappe invited a contigent of Franciscans to Cleveland from the Kingdom of Saxony to operated St. Bernard's Parish, a German parish in Cleveland.[18] The Little Sisters of the Poor moved into the diocese in 1870, opening a home for the elderly in Cleveland.[19] Rappe retired in 1870 after 33 years as bishop of Cleveland.[9] The Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland in 1871 opened Ursuline College.[20]

1870 to 1900

In 1872, Pope Pius IX appointed Richard Gilmour as the second bishop of Cleveland.[21] In 1873, the Sisters of Charity of Saint Augustine opened St. Ann's Hospital in Cleveland for maternity patients and newborn babies.[22][23]

As bishop, Gilmour founded the Catholic Universe, the diocesan newspaper, in 1874.[24] In 1877, the Cuyahoga County auditor announced plans to tax Catholic churches and schools. Gilmour fought the auditor in court, winning his case six years later.[25] The Sisters of Notre Dame in 1878 opened Notre Dame Academy for girls in Cleveland. It is today Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin High School.[26]

In 1882, Gilmour condemned the Ladies Land League chapter in Cleveland. Founded in Ireland, the League was a women's organization that assisted tenants facing eviction.[27] In 1886, he brought in a group of Jesuits from Buffalo, New York, to open St. Ignatius High School and College.[28] The Order of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration founded St. Michael's Hospital in Cleveland in 1884.[29] Gilmour in 1890 purchased land on the west side of Cleveland to establish St. John Hospital, to be operated by the Sisters of St. Francis.[30]

After Gilmour died in 1891, Pope Leo XIII named Ignatius Horstmann of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as the new bishop of Cleveland. In the early 1890s, Horstmann faced a schism within the diocese. Polish parishioners at St. Stanislaus Parish in Cleveland, led by the priest Anton Kolaszewski, were demanding more control over their parish and more sensitivity to their customs. Despite Horstmann's refusal, Kolaszewski continued to press for independence and accused the bishop of sexual abuse crimes.[31]

In 1892, Horstmann relieved Kolaszewski of his post. When the new pastor arrived at St. Stanislaus Church for his first mass, a brawl broke out among the parishioners. In 1894, a group of parishioners started a new independent parish, Immaculate Heart of Mary, with Kolaszewski as pastor; Horstmann excommunicated all of them. Years later, after the deaths of both men, the diocese accepted the new church.[31] Ellen Donavan, a lay woman in Cleveland, opened the Home of the Holy Family in that city to aid orphans and poor children.[32]

1900 to 1920

In 1906, the diocese opened the St. Anthony Home for Working Boys in Cleveland.[17] This was followed in 1907 by the establishment of The Catherine Horstmann Home, a residence for homeless women in Cleveland.[17]

In 1907, Horstmann faced a second schism, this time with Slovenian Catholics. After removing Kasimir Zakrajsek as pastor of St. Vitus Parish in Cleveland, he faced violent protests. After the parish rectory was stoned, the replacement priest was forced to flee. Over 100 people were arrested. On September 22, 1907, 5,000 Polish protesters marched on Horstmann's residence, demanding Zakrajsek's reinstatement and home rule for St. Vitus.[33] Horstmann died in 1908.[34]

Pope Pius IX named John Farrelly of the Diocese of Nashville as bishop of Cleveland in 1909.[35] The next year, Pius IX erected the Diocese of Toledo, removing the Toledo area counties from the Diocese of Cleveland. During his 12-year-long tenure as bishop, Farrelly improved the parochial school system; organized Catholic Charities; and erected 47 churches and schools. Cathedral Latin High School was founded in Chardon in 1916, staffed by teaching brothers of the Society of Mary. Today it is Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin High School[36]

After the American entry into World War I in 1917, Farrelly was appointed by Cleveland Mayor Harry L. Davis to the Cleveland War Commission.[37] Farrelly also ordered English to be spoken at all German-language churches and schools in the diocese.[38]

1920 to 1945

Farrelly died in 1921.[35] Bishop Joseph Schrembs of the Diocese of Toledo was appointed bishop of Cleveland in 1921 by Pope Pius XI.[39] In 1925, the pope presented the relics of St. Christine to Schrembs. Christina of Bolsena was a 13-year-old girl who was martyred for her Catholic faith around 300 AD. Her relics were moved from the Catacombs of Rome to St. John's Cathedral in Cleveland. The diocese had previously donated money to the Vatican for the establishment of the House of Catacombs outside Rome.[40] The diocese in 1928 opened Sisters College in Cleveland to train nurses. By 1935, it had become St. John's College, a four-year accredited institution.[41] That same year, St. Ignatius College completed its move from Cleveland to a new campus in University Heights. It now became John Carroll University.[42]

During his tenure, Schrembs erected 27 parishes in Cleveland and 35 outside the city. In 1942, as Schrembs' diabetes worsened, Pope Pius XII named Bishop Edward Hoban from the Diocese of Rockford as Schrembs' coadjutor bishop to help him with his duties.[43] In 1943, Pius XII erected the Diocese of Youngstown, taking counties from the Youngstown area away from the Diocese of Cleveland.[44]

1945 to 2000

After Schrembs died in 1945, Hoban automatically succeeded him as bishop of Cleveland.[43] As bishop, Hoban encouraged European refugees displaced by World War II to settle in Cleveland.[45] He also established national and ethnic parishes, but insisted that their parochial schools only teach in English.[45] He helped rebuild and remodel St. John's Cathedral, and enlarged St. John's College.[46] Hoban centralized Parmadale Family Services and constructed additional nursing homes. Hoban opened Holy Family Cancer Home, a hospice in Parma.[46] Hoban in 1953 opened the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, a minor seminary, in Cleveland.[46] He also expanded the Newman Apostolate for Catholic students attending public universities and colleges.[46]

During Hoban's 21-year-long tenure, the number of Catholics in the diocese increased from 546,000 to 870,000.[46] Hoban also established 61 parishes, 47 elementary schools, and a dozen high schools.[46] Pope Paul VI appointed Bishop Clarence Issenmann of the Diocese of Columbus as coadjutor bishop of Cleveland on October 7, 1964.[47] When Hoban died in 1966, Issenmann automatically became his replacement in Cleveland.[47]

In November 1968, Issenmann asked all adults attending mass in the diocese to sign petitions of support for Humanae vitae, Pope Paul VI's 1969 encyclical against artificial birth control. Issenmann was the only bishop in the country to make that request of parishioners.[48] issenmann retired as bishop of Cleveland in 1974 due to poor health.[49] Pope Paul VI in 1974 named Auxiliary Bishop James Hickey of the Diocese of Saginaw as the new bishop of Cleveland. Six years later, in 1980, the pope named him as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington.[50] John Paul II appointed Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Pilla to replace Hickey as bishop of Cleveland in 1980.[51]

2000 to 2010

In 2005, 36 lay members of the diocese sued Pilla, accusing him of allowing $2 million in diocesan funds to be stolen. The judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying that the plaintiffs did not have the legal standing to sue in this case.[52] In 2004, Pilla received an anonymous letter accusing Joseph Smith, the assistant treasurer for the diocese, of theft. After meeting with Pilla, the bishop put Smith administrative leave; Smith later resigned his position.[53] In 2005, 36 parishioners sued the diocese, claiming that Smith and two other diocesan officials had diverted $2 million of diocese funds to their own businesses. After 26 years as bishop, Pilla resigned as bishop of Cleveland in 2006.[51] On April 5, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI named Auxiliary Bishop Richard Lennon of the Archdiocese of Boston as the tenth bishop of Cleveland.[54]

In August 2007, Smith and Anton Zgoznik, a consultant hired by the diocese, were charged with 17 counts of money laundering and tax evasion. Smith steered contracts worth $17.5 to Zgonik, who gave Smith kickbacks of $784,000. Zgoznik was convicted in October 2007 of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud.[55] In December 2008, Smith was acquitted of embezzlement, but convicted of tax evasion; he received one year in federal prison.[56]

In 2009, the diocese announced the closing or merging of 52 parishes, due to the shortage of priests, the migration of Catholics to the suburbs, and the financial difficulties of some parishes.[57] The diocese also closed or merged several number of parish schools.[58] The hardest hit were urban parishes in Cleveland, Akron, Lorain, and Elyria. Parishioners from 13 urban parishes appealed Lennon's action to the Congregation for the Clergy in Rome.

2010 to present

In 2012, the Congregation for the Clergy overturned all 13 urban parish closings in Cleveland because Lennon did not follow proper procedure or canon law.[59] Lennon resigned as bishop of Cleveland in 2016 due to poor health.[54]

Pope Francis in 2017 appointed Auxiliary Bishop Nelson J. Perez of the Diocese of Rockville Centre to replace Lennon. Three years later, the pope name Perez as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.[60] Francis in 2023 appointed Bishop Edward C. Malesic of the Diocese of Greensburg as bishop of Cleveland.[61]

Malesic in 2023 issued a set of policies regarding the treatment of transgender students in the diocesan schools. These included the banning of the use of preferential pronouns and the notification of parents if a student starts changing their appearance to that of the opposite sex. Malesic emphasized that transgender students were welcomed in the schools.[62]

In May 2025, a group of religious sisters launched the Women Religious Archives Collaborative, an initiative in Cleveland to preserve and store the histories of women's religious groups in the United States.[63]

Reports of sex abuse

In July 2011, an Ohio man sued Pilla and the diocese, saying that their negligence allowed a priest to sexually abuse him when he was a minor.[64] The plaintiff said that Patrick O'Connor, a diocesan priest at St. Jude Parish in Elyria, abused him from 1997 to 1999. Pilla knew that O'Connor had abused a child during the 1980s at St. Joseph Parish in Cuyahoga Falls. The diocese settled with that victim in 2003 and sent O'Connor to another parish Elyria. He resigned from the priesthood in 2008. O'Connor pleaded guilty to corruption of a minor in 2009 and was sentenced to 90 days in prison.[64][65]

In July 2019, the diocese added 22 more names to its list of "credibly accused" clergy.[66] In March 2002, Bishop Pilla published a list of 28 priests accused of sexual abuse of minors. Fifteen of them were active priests, whom Pilla suspended from ministry.[67]

In December 2019, Robert McWilliams was arrested at St. Joseph Parish in Strongsville on four counts of possessing child pornography.[68] Bishop Perez had called for McWilliams's arrest, describing the case as a "painful situation."[69] McWilliams pleaded guilty in July 2021 to sex trafficking of youths, sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography. Sentenced to life in prison in November 2021, McWilliams committed suicide in February 2022.[70]

Former priest Luis J. Barajas had been indicted in November 2023 on six counts of gross sexual imposition.[71] He was arrested in October 2023 and released in January 2024 after posting bond.[72] He had also been arrested in 2019 on charges of misconduct with a minor.[72]

Statistics

As of 2023, the Diocese of Cleveland had a population of approximately 613,000 Catholics and contained 185 parishes, three Catholic hospitals, three universities, two shrines (St. Paul Shrine Church and St. Stanislaus Church), and two seminaries (Centers for Pastoral Leadership).[73]

Bishops

Bishops of Cleveland

  1. Louis Amadeus Rappe (1847–1870)
  2. Richard Gilmour (1872–1891)
  3. Ignatius Frederick Horstmann (1891–1908)
  4. John Patrick Farrelly (1909–1921)
  5. Joseph Schrembs (1921–1945), appointed Archbishop ad personam by Pope Pius XII in 1939
  6. Edward Francis Hoban (1945–1966; coadjutor bishop 1942–1945), appointed Archbishop ad personam by Pope Pius XII in 1951
  7. Clarence George Issenmann (1966–1974; coadjutor bishop 1964–1966)
  8. James Aloysius Hickey (1974–1980), appointed Archbishop of Washington (Cardinal in 1988)
  9. Anthony Michael Pilla (1980–2006)
  10. Richard Gerard Lennon (2006–2016)
  11. Nelson Jesus Perez (2017–2020), appointed Archbishop of Philadelphia
  12. Edward Charles Malesic (2020–present)

Auxiliary Bishops of Cleveland

  1. Joseph Maria Koudelka (1907–1911), appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Milwaukee and later Bishop of Superior
  2. James A. McFadden (1922–1943), appointed Bishop of Youngstown
  3. William Michael Cosgrove (1943–1968), appointed Bishop of Belleville
  4. John Raphael Hagan (1946)
  5. Floyd Lawrence Begin (1947–1962), appointed Bishop of Oakland
  6. John Joseph Krol (1953–1961), appointed Archbishop of Philadelphia (Cardinal in 1967)
  7. Clarence Edward Elwell (1962–1968), appointed Bishop of Columbus
  8. John Francis Whealon (1961–1966), appointed Bishop of Erie and later Archbishop of Hartford
  9. Gilbert Ignatius Sheldon (1976–1992), appointed Bishop of Steubenville
  10. Michael Joseph Murphy (1976–1978), appointed Bishop of Erie
  11. James Anthony Griffin (1979–1983), appointed Bishop of Columbus
  12. James Patterson Lyke O.F.M. (1979–1990), appointed Archbishop of Atlanta
  13. Anthony Michael Pilla (1979–1980), appointed Bishop of Cleveland
  14. Anthony Edward Pevec (1982–2001)
  15. Alexander James Quinn (1983–2008)
  16. Martin John Amos (2001–2006), appointed Bishop of Davenport
  17. Roger William Gries, O.S.B. (2001–2013)
  18. Michael Gerard Woost, (2022–present)

Other affiliated bishops

Education

As of 2025, the Diocese of Cleveland had 20 high schools and 88 elementary schools with a total enrollment exceeding 39,000 students.[74]

In 2023, the diocese stated that students and employees at diocesan schools could not show expressions of LGBTQ identity.[75] Several independent Catholic schools chose not to follow the policy.[76]

High schools

High school Location Founded Gender Administered by
Archbishop Hoban High School[77] Akron 1953 Co-ed Congregation of Holy Cross
Beaumont School[78] Cleveland Heights 1850 Girls Order of Saint Ursula
Benedictine High School[79] Cleveland 1927 Boys Benedictine Order
Cleveland Central Catholic High School[80] Cleveland 1968 Co-ed Diocese of Cleveland
Elyria Catholic High School[81] Elyria 1949 Co-ed Diocese of Cleveland
Gilmour Academy[82] Gates Mills 1946 Co-ed Congregation of the Holy Cross
Holy Name High School[83] Parma Heights 1914 Co-ed Diocese of Cleveland
Lake Catholic High School[84] Mentor 1917 Co-ed Diocese of Cleveland
Magnificat High School Rocky River 1955 Girls Sisters of the Humility of Mary
Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School[85] Chardon 1988 Co-ed Sisters of Notre Dame
Our Lady of the Elms School[86] Akron 1923 Girls Sisters of St. Dominic
Padua Franciscan High School[87] Parma 1961 Co-ed Franciscans
Saint Edward High School[88] Lakewood 1949 Boys Congregation of Holy Cross
Saint Ignatius High School[89] Cleveland 1886 Boys Society of Jesus
Saint Joseph Academy[90] Cleveland 1890 Girls Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph
Saint Martin de Porres High School[91] Cleveland 2004 Co-ed Society of Jesus, Sisters of the Humility of Mary, Cristo Rey
Saint Vincent-Saint Mary High School[92] Akron 1972 Co-ed Society of Mary
Trinity High School[93] Garfield Heights 1973 Co-ed Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Third Order of Saint Francis
Villa Angela-Saint Joseph High School[94] Cleveland 1990 Co-ed Diocese of Cleveland
Walsh Jesuit High School[95] Cuyahoga Falls 1964 Co-ed Society of Jesus

Closed high schools

  • Cathedral Latin High School - Cleveland (all-boys) Closed in 1979.
  • Lorain Catholic High School – Lorain (co-ed) Closed in 2004.[96]
  • Nazareth Academy – Parma Heights (girls), (Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph 1957–1980). Closed in 1978, Holy Name High School moved into its building.[97]
  • Regina High School – South Euclid (girls), (Sisters of Notre Dame), Closed in 2010.[98]
  • St. Augustine Academy – Lakewood (girls) Closed in 2005. Now Lakewood Catholic Academy elementary school.[99]
  • St. Peter Chanel High School – Bedford (co-ed) (Marist Fathers 1957–1973; Diocese of Cleveland 1973–2013). Closed in 2013.[100]

Canonical status and jurisdiction

Diocese of Cleveland is a diocese of the catholic church of the Catholic Church.[101]

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

The Diocese of Cleveland (Clevelandensis), established 23 April, 1847, comprises all that part of Ohio lying north of the southern limits of the Counties of Columbiana, Stark, Wayne, Ashland, Richland, Crawford, Wyandot, Hancock, Allen, and Van Wert, its territory covering thirty-six counties, an area of 15,032 square miles.

Early History

The Jesuit Fathers Potier and Bonnecamp were the first missionaries to visit the territory now within the limits of Ohio. They came from Quebec in 1749 to evangelize the Huron Indians living along the Vermilion and Sandusky Rivers in Northern Ohio. Two years later they received the assistance of another Jesuit, Father de la Richardie, who had come from Detroit, Michigan, to the southern shore of Lake Erie. Shortly after his arrival he induced a part of the Huron tribe to settle near the present site of Sandusky, where he erected a chapel -- the first place of Catholic worship within the present limits of Ohio. These Hurons assumed the name of Wyandots when they left the parent tribe. Although checked for a time by Father Potier, they took part in the Indian-French War. Soon they became implicated in the conspiracy of Pontiac, in consequence of which the Jesuits were unjustly forced in 1752 to leave the territory of Ohio, Father Potier being the last Jesuit missionary among the Western Hurons. The Indian missions, established and cared for by the Jesuits for nearly three years, had now to depend exclusively on the chance visits of the priests attached to the military posts in Canada and Southern Michigan. Despite the spiritual deprivation which this implied, the Hurons (Wyandots) kept the Faith for many years, although their descendants were ultimately lost to the Church through the successful efforts of Protestant missionaries. After the forced retirement of the Jesuits no systematic efforts were made to continue the missionary work begun by them until 1795, when the Rev. Edmund Burke, a secular priest from Quebec, came as chaplain of the military post at Fort Meigs, near the present site of Maumee. Father Burke remained at the post until February, 1797, ministering to the Catholic soldiers at the fort, and endeavouring though with little success, to Christianize the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, in the neighbourhood.

In the meantime the See of Bardstown was erected (1810), embracing the entire State of Ohio, as well as Michigan and Kentucky. Bishop Flaget sent (1817) the Rev. Edward Fenwick, O.P. (later first Bishop of Cincinnati), from the Dominican monastery at Somerset, Ohio, to attend the few families who had settled in Columbiana and Stark Counties, in the north-eastern part of Ohio. From that time forward he and other Dominican Fathers, especially the Revs. Nicholas D. Young and John A. Hill, continued to visit at regular intervals the Catholic families in that section of Ohio (notably in Columbiana, Stark, Mahoning, and Wayne Counties), then very sparsely settled. It is, therefore, from this period that Catholicity in Northern Ohio really dates its beginning. In the course of time the Dominican Fathers gradually gave up to the secular clergy their pastoral charges in the above-named counties until, in 1842, they withdrew altogether. St. John's, Canton, was their last mission. Meanwhile the central portion of Northern Ohio (Huron, Erie, Sandusky, and Seneca Counties) had received a considerable influx of Catholic immigrants, principally from Germany. Similar conditions were obtaining elsewhere in the State, and the need of more compact organization to minister to growing wants made Cincinnati an episcopal see in 1822, with the entire State for its jurisdiction. Little seems to have been done, however, for the northern part of the State, and but little could be done, as Catholics were so few, until the advent of its second bishop, John B. Purcell. He succeeded (13 Oct., 1833) the saintly Bishop Fenwick, who, while engaged in a confirmation tour, died at Wooster, Ohio (26 September, 1832) of cholera, then raging in Ohio. In 1834 Bishop Purcell commissioned the Redemptorist Fathers, who had just arrived in America, to take charge of the widely scattered German missions then existing in these counties, and to organize others where needed. The Rev. Francis X. Tschenhens, C.SS.R., was the first priest assigned to this task. Later on he was assisted by other members of his community, among them the Revs. Peter Czakert, Francis Haetscher, Joseph Prost, Simon Saenderl, Louis M. Alig, and John N. Neumann (later Bishop of Philadelphia). The Redemptorists remained in Northern Ohio until November, 1842. They were succeeded, January, 1844, by seven Sanguinist Fathers, (the Revs. Francis S. Brunner, M.A. Meier, J. Wittmer, J. Van den Broek, P.A. Capeder, J. Ringele, and J.B. Jacomet), who came from Europe at that time at the solicitation of Bishop Purcell. They settled at St. Alphonsus church, Peru, Huron County, whence they attended all the missions formerly under the care of the Redemptorists. They also accepted charge of the scattered missions in Lorain, Medina, and Wayne Counties, besides attending the Catholic Germans in Cleveland. Their advent was hailed with delight wherever they went, and their priestly labours were signally blessed. Under their vigilant care religion flourished, so that the healthy growth of Catholicity in Northern Ohio may justly, under God, be ascribed in large measure to their untiring zeal and self-sacrifice.

The secular clergy are no less deserving of mention, as they, too, laboured in this part of the Lord's vineyard, amid trials and difficulties, often side by side with their brethren of the religious orders, and more often alone in the widespread missions of Northern Ohio. They did yeoman service, blazing the way for those who succeeded them, and laying the foundations for many missions, which have long since developed into vigorous and prosperous congregations. The first of these secular clergy was the Rev. Ignatius J. Mullen of Cincinnati. Between 1824 and 1834 he frequently attended the missions in Stark, Columbiana, Seneca, and Sandusky Counties. Other pioneer secular priests of prominence were the Revs. Francis Marshall (1827), John M. Henni (later Bishop and Archbishop of Milwaukee), resident pastor of Canton (1831-34), Edmund Quinn, at Tiffin (1831-35), William J. Horstmann, at Glandorf (1835-43), James Conlon, at Dungannon (1834-53), Matthias Wuerz, at Canton (1835-45), John Dillon, first resident pastor of Cleveland (1835-36), Basil Schorb, in charge of missions in Stark, Wayne, and Portage Counties (1837-43), Patrick O'Dwyer, second pastor of Cleveland (1836-38), where he built the first church in 1838, Michael McAleer, in Stark and Columbiana Counties (1838-40), Joseph McNamee, at Tiffin (1839-47), Projectus J. Machebeuf (later Bishop of Denver), at Tiffin and Sandusky (1839-51), Amadeus Rappe (later first Bishop of Cleveland), stationed at Maumee for a short time, and then, as first resident pastor, at Toledo (1840-47), Louis de Goesbriand (later Bishop of Burlington, Vermont), at Louisville, Toledo, and Cleveland (1840-53), Peter McLaughlin, resident pastor of Cleveland (1840-46), Maurice Howard, at Cleveland and later at Tiffin (1842-52), John J. Doherty, at Canton (1843-48), John H. Luhr, at Canton, and later at Cleveland (1844-58), John O. Bredeick, founder of Delphos and its first pastor (1844-58), Cornelius Daley, first resident pastor of Akron, and later stationed at Doylestown (1844-47), Philip Foley, at Massillon and Wooster (1847-48). The Rev. Stephen Badin, proto-priest of the thirteen original United States, and the Rev. Edward T. Collins occasionally came from Cincinnati, between 1835 and 1837, to attend the missions in Northern Ohio, the former those of Canton, Fremont, and Tiffin, and the latter those of Dungannon, Toledo, and along the Maumee River. The first permanent church in Northern Ohio was erected near the present village of Dungannon, in 1820, under the direction of the Rev. Edward Fenwick, O.P., the "Apostle of Ohio," and later the first Bishop of Cincinnati. Until 1847 churches of brick or wood were built in the following places: Canton (St. John's, 1823), Chippewa (1828), Randolph, Canal Fulton (1831), Tiffin (St. Mary's, 1832), Glandorf, Navarre, New Riegel (1833), Peru (1834), Louisville, La Porte (1835), Shelby Settlement (1836), McCutchenville (1837), Thompson (1839), Cleveland, East Liverpool (1840), Toledo, Maumee, New Washington, Norwalk (1841), Sandusky (Holy Angels), Landeck, Liberty, Liverpool, Sheffield (St. Stephen's, 1842), Delphos, Massillon (St. Mary's), Akron (St. Vincent's), Fremont (St. Anne's), French Creek (1844), Canton (St. Peter's), Harrisburg, New Berlin, Tiffin (St. Joseph's), Providence (1845), Sherman (1846), Poplar Ridge (1847).

From 1922 until October, 1847, Northern Ohio was part of the Diocese of Cincinnati, of which the first bishop was Edward Fenwick (1822-32), and its second bishop, John B. Purcell, who succeeded in October, 1833. He petitioned the Holy See, in 1846, for a division of his jurisdiction, then comprising the entire State of Ohio. The petition was granted (23 April, 1847), by the appointment of the Rev. Louis Amadeus Rappe as the first Bishop of Cleveland, and the assignment to his jurisdiction of "all that part of Ohio lying north of 40 degrees and 41 minutes, N.L." As this division intersected several counties it was changed in January, 1849, to the present limits, as described at the beginning of this article.

Bishops of Cleveland

(1) LOUIS AMADEUS RAPPE, consecrated 10th October, 1847, was born 2 Feb., 1801, at Andrehem, France. He was ordained priest at Arras, France, 14 March, 1829. His cathedral church was St. Mary's on the "Flats," Cleveland, the first, and at that time the only, church in his episcopal city. In November, 1852, he completed the present cathedral, an imposing brick structure of Gothic architecture, still ranking with the many fine churches of the diocese. During his administration of the diocese, which ended in August, 1870, he convoked five diocesan synods (1848, 1852, 1854, 1857, 1868). He established the diocesan seminary (1848), St. John's College, Cleveland (1854), St. Louis College, Louisville (1866); these two colleges, however, being closed a few years later, owing to lack of patronage. Under his direction the following educational and charitable institutions were also established: in Cleveland, the Ursuline Academy; St. Vincent's Orphanage, for boys; St. Mary's Orphanage, for girls (1861); St. Joseph's Orphanage, for girls (1862); Charity Hospital (1865); House of the Good Shepherd (1869); Home for the Aged Poor (1870).

In Toledo, Ursuline Academy (1854), St. Vincent's Orphanage (1855); in Tiffin, Ursuline Academy (1863), St. Francis' Asylum and Home for the Aged (1867). He founded the community of Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine (1851), whose work is the care of orphans, waifs, and the sick. In 1869 he introduced into the diocese the Franciscan and Jesuit Fathers, giving to the former the care of St. Joseph's church, Cleveland, and to the latter St. Mary's, Toledo. Wherever possible he insisted on the support of parish schools. He was a strong advocate of total abstinence, which he practised from the time he was a missionary priest in North-Western Ohio until his death. He never spared himself in the discharge of his manifold and exacting duties. By his affability and disinterestedness he gained the love of his people, as also the respect of his fellow-citizens regardless of creed. He resigned his see in August, 1870, and retired to the Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, where he did missionary work almost to the day of his death (8 September, 1877). Between the time of Bishop Rappe's resignation and the appointment of his successor, the Very Rev. Edward Hannin administered the affairs of the diocese.

(2) RICHARD GILMOUR, consecrated 14 April, 1872. In November of the same year he convoked the Sixth Diocesan Synod, in which many of the statutes by which the diocese is at present governed were promulgated. It also embodied considerable of the legislature of previous synods, notably that of 1868. This synod made provision for a diocesan fund for the support of the seminary, bishop, etc., and another for the support of sick and disabled priests, by annual assessments on the parishes of the diocese. Among other diocesan statutes published then were those urging anew the support of parochial schools, regulating the financial affairs of parishes, and the manner of electing parish councilmen and of conveying church property. Bishop Gilmour established "The Catholic Universe," its first issue appearing 4 July, 1874. In 1875 he organized "The Catholic Central Association," composed of representatives from all the parishes and church societies in Cleveland; its influence for the betterment of social and religious conditions and for the defence of Catholic interests was soon felt not only in Cleveland, but elsewhere as well, and continued during almost its entire existence of nearly eighteen years. It also proved a tower of strength to its organizer in his forced contention for the civic rights of Catholics, in the face of bitter opposition from bigotry and a hostile press. In 1875 the Catholic school property in Cleveland was placed on the tax duplicate in spite of the decision (1874) of the Supreme Court of Ohio, that such property was not taxable. A suit of restraint was entered by the bishop, and finally carried to the Supreme Court, which reaffirmed its former decision. The present episcopal residence was begun in 1874 and completed two years later. It serves also as the residence of the cathedral clergy.

In 1872 the Sisters of St. Joseph, and in 1874 the Sisters of Notre Dame, were welcomed to the diocese. Both communities have flourishing academies in connexion with their convents, besides supplying many parish schools with efficient teachers. The same also is the case with the Ursulines of Cleveland, Tiffin, Toledo, and Youngstown, and the Sisters of the Humility of Mary.

The following institutions were established between 1873 and 1891: St. Anne's Asylum and House of Maternity, Cleveland (1873); Ursuline Convent, Youngstown (1874); St. Vincent's Hospital, Toledo (1876); St. Joseph's Franciscan College, Cleveland (1876-80); Convent of Poor Clares (1877); Ursuline Academy, Nottingham (1877); St. Alexis' Hospital, Cleveland (1884); St. Louis' Orphanage, Louisville (1884); Little Sisters of the Poor, Toledo (1885); St. Ignatius' College, Cleveland (1886); St. Joseph's Seminary, for young boys, Nottingham (1886). The diocesan seminary was remodelled and considerably enlarged in 1884-85. A diocesan chancery office was established (1877) for the transaction of the official business of the diocese. In 1878 the first attempt was made to gather historical data in connexion with every parish and institution in the diocese, and in a few years a great mass of matter, covering the history of Catholicity in Northern Ohio and the Diocese of Cleveland as far back as 1817, was collected and is now a part of the diocesan archives. In May, 1882, the Seventh Diocesan Synod was held, which resulted in the legislation at present in force. With the exception of about half a dozen of its 262 statutes, it is in perfect harmony with the decrees of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, held in November, 1884. Like his predecessor, Bishop Gilmour made it obligatory on every parish at all financially able to support a parochial school. In consequence, the Diocese of Cleveland has more parochial schools, in proportion to its number of churches and its population, than any other diocese in the United States, and many of its school buildings vie, in size, appointments, and beauty of architecture, with the public-school buildings. With very few exceptions the parish schools are in charge of teachers belonging to male and female religious communities, Bishop Gilmour had an eventful episcopate, lasting nineteen years. He left his strong, aggressive personality indelibly stamped, upon the diocese he had ruled. During the interim between his death (13 April, 1891) and the appointment of his successor, the Rev. Monsignor F.M. Boff was administrator of the diocese.

(3) IGNATIUS FREDERICK HORSTMANN, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was appointed to succeed Bishop Gilmour. Born in Philadelphia, 16 December, 1840, after graduating from the Central High School, he attended St. Joseph's College and then entered the diocesan Seminary. In 1860 he was sent by Bishop Wood to the American College, Rome, where he was ordained priest, 10 June, 1865. In the following year he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity and returning to Philadelphia became a professor in St. Charles's Seminary where he remained eleven years and was then appointed rector of St. Mary's church, Philadelphia. In 1885 he was made chancellor. His consecration as Bishop of Cleveland took place in Philadelphia, 25 February, 1892. He died suddenly of heart disease on 13 May, 1908, while on an official visit to Canton, Ohio. He had proved himself a zealous pastor of souls, a wise and prudent ruler, a fearless defender of truth. Among the noteworthy accomplishments of his episcopate were the founding of Loyola High School, Cleveland (1902); St. John's College, Toledo (1898); and the establishment of the diocesan band of missionaries -- the first in any diocese of the United States. He was foremost in encouraging every missionary movement, and his zeal for Christian education was one of the dominant purposes of his life. He served as a trustee of the Catholic University and in spite of many duties found time to contribute to the "American Catholic Review" and other periodicals and to edit the American edition of "The Catholic Doctrine As Defined by the Council of Trent" and "Potter's Catholic Bible."

A few months before he died he asked for an auxiliary bishop, with jurisdiction over the growing foreign population, especially of the Slav races, in the diocese. The Rev. Joseph M. Koudelka, rector of St. Michael's church, Cleveland, was named, 29 Nov., 1907, and consecrated, 25 Feb., 1908, being the first auxiliary bishop of special jurisdiction appointed for the United States. He was born in Bohemia, 15 August, 1852, and emigrated to the United States when sixteen years of age. After making his studies at St. Francis's Seminary, Milwaukee, he was ordained priest, 8 October, 1875. He was for some time editor of "Hlas" (Voice), a Bohemian Catholic weekly paper, and compiled a series of textbooks for Bohemian Catholic schools.

Recent Times

In 1894 the "St. Vincent's Union," composed of the laity who contribute towards the support of St. Vincent's Orphanage, Cleveland, was organized; and it has proved of great financial assistance to that institution. In 1893 Bishop Horstmann opened the Calvary Cemetery, which covers nearly 250 acres, near the southern limits of Cleveland. About fifty acres of the cemetery's whole area are improved. In 1892 the Cleveland Apostolate was established, an association of secular priests, having for its object the giving of lectures and missions to non-Catholics. Besides making many converts this association has removed much prejudice and brought about a kindlier feeling towards the Church and its members. The Golden Jubilee of the diocese was celebrated, 13 October, 1897. It was a memorable event, observed with great religious pomp in Cleveland, Toledo, and elsewhere. At the bishop's solicitation the Jesuit Fathers of Toledo opened (September, 1898) St. John's College. In the same city a home for fallen women was established (1906) by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. A fine school building was erected (1906) in connexion with St. Vincent's Asylum, Cleveland, in which the boys have every facility for a thorough education. The diocese is in a prosperous condition, spiritually and financially, and healthy growth is apparent in every direction.

Causes of Growth

The growth of the diocesan population down to 1860 was due chiefly to emigration from Ireland and Germany. Since 1870 it has been receiving other large accessions, but from quite another source. The Slav race, manifold in its divisions, has been pouring in, more notably since 1895. The early immigrants were drawn hither by the market for their labour which the opening of a new country offered. The Irish found employment on public works, such as the construction of canals and railroads; the Germans turned more to agriculture. The various branches of the Slav race are engaged in foundries, mills, and factories, and many are also employed as longshoremen and at common labour. The same holds also for the Italians, of whom there is a large percentage. Nearly all the recent immigration has settled in cities like Cleveland, Toledo, Youngstown, Lorain, and Ashtabula, where employment is had in abundance and at a fair wage.

Statistics

In December, 1907, the clergy numbered 388, of whom 315 were diocesan priests and 73 regulars (Sanguinists, Franciscans, and Jesuits). There were 21 Brothers of Mary and 5 Christian Brothers, teaching in 6 parochial schools. The Sisters (Sanguinists, Ursulines, Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, Sisters of Notre Dame, Franciscans, Sisters of St. Joseph, Ladies of the Sacred Heart of Mary, Sisters of the Humility of Mary, Grey Nuns, Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Poor Clares, Little Sisters of the Poor, Dominicans, Sisters of St. Agnes, Sisters of Charity, Sisters of Loretto, Felician Sisters, Sisters of St. Benedict, Sisters-Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) number 1141, of whom 684 teach in 138 parochial schools. The parishes with resident pastors number 241; mission churches, 60; parochial schools, 186; attendance, 43,544; 1 diocesan seminary with 96 students; diocesan students in colleges and other seminaries, 45; colleges and academies for boys, 4; attendance, 515 pupils; academies for girls, 11; attendance, 2113 pupils; 9 orphanages and one infant asylum, total number of inmates, 1251; hospitals, 9; homes for the aged, 3; Houses of Good Shepherd, 2.

The Catholic population is about 330,000, and is composed of 13 nationalities, exclusive of native Americans, viz., Irish, German, Slovak, Polish, Bohemian, Magyar, Slovenian, Italian, Lithuanian, Croatian, Rumanian, Ruthenian, Syrian.

SHEA, Catholic Missions (New York, 1854), 293, and in Catholic Universe (Cleveland, 13 September, 1881); IDEM, Hist. of the Catholic Church in the United States (New York, 1889, 1892); Leben u. Wirken des hochw. Franz Sales Brunner, C.PP.S.; The Catholic Miscellany (Charleston, S.C., 1824-30); The Catholic Telegraph (Cincinnati, 1831-47); HOUCK, A History of Catholicity in Northern Ohio and Diocese of Cleveland (Cleveland, 1902); IDEM, The Church in Northern Ohio (Cleveland, 1889); Reminiscences of the Right Rev. P.J. Machebeuf in the Catholic Universe (18 Oct., 1883, and 31 Jan., 1889); Reminiscences of the Right Rev. Louis de Goesbriand in The Catholic Universe (27 December, 1888.)

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41°28′56″N 81°40′11″W / 41.48222°N 81.66972°W

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