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Diocese of Greensburg

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Diocese of Greensburg
Dioecesis Greensburgensis
Catholic
Blessed Sacrament Cathedral
Blessed Sacrament Cathedral
Location
Country United States
Territory Armstrong, Fayette, Indiana, and Westmoreland counties in Western Pennsylvania
Episcopal conference United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Ecclesiastical region Region III
Ecclesiastical province Province of Philadelphia
Metropolitan Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Statistics
Area 3,334 sq mi (8,640 km2)[1]
Population
Total
Catholics 		(as of 2023)
667,700[1]
135,100[1] ( 20.2%)
Parishes 78 (2023)[1]
Information
Denomination Catholic
Sui iuris church Latin Church
Rite Roman Rite
Established March 10, 1951
Cathedral Blessed Sacrament Cathedral
Secular priests 89 (diocesan) (2023)[1]
141 (religious priests)
11 permanent deacons
Current leadership
Pope Leo XIV
Bishop Larry J. Kulick
Metropolitan Archbishop Nelson J. Perez
Map
Website
www.dioceseofgreensburg.org
Sources: [1][2]

The Diocese of Greensburg (Latin: Dioecesis Greensburgensis) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in western Pennsylvania in the United States. Erected in 1951, it is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The mother church is Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg. The bishop is Larry J. Kulick.

Territory

The Diocese of Greensburg is centered in Greensburg, with parishes in Armstrong, Fayette, Indiana, and Westmoreland counties.

History

1700 to 1800

Unlike the other British colonies in America, the Province of Pennsylvania did not ban Catholics from the colony or threaten priests with imprisonment. However, the colony did require any Catholics seeing public office to take an oath to Protestantism.

In 1784, a year after the end of the American Revolution, Pope Pius VI erected the Apostolic Prefecture of United States of America, including all of the new United States.[3][4] In 1789, Pius VI converted the prefecture to the Diocese of Baltimore, covering all of the United States.[5] With the passage of the US Bill of Rights in 1791, Catholics received full freedom of worship. That same year, a small group of Catholic families bought property in Greensburg for the first Catholic church in the city.[6]

In 1790, Theodore Brouwers purchased land near present-day Latrobe to create the first parish in Pennsylvania west of the Allegheny Mountains. It was initially called Sportsman's Hall Parish after the name of the land tract, but was soon renamed as Saint Vincent parish.[7]

1800 to 1950

In 1808, Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of Philadelphia, covering all of Pennsylvania.[8] As the Catholic population grew in Pennsylvania in the 19th century, the Vatican erected the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1843 to cover the western part of the state. The Greenburg region remained part of the Diocese of Pittsburgh for the next 108 years.

In 1846, Saint Vincent Archabbey was established in Latrobe, making it the first Benedictine monastery in the United States.[7] In 1847, the first Catholic Church in Greensburg was established by the missionary John Nepomucene Neumann. It was the forerunner of Blessed Sacrament Cathedral.[6] That same year, The Sisters of Mercy established St. Xavier Academy in Latrobe.[6]

1950 to 1980

On May 28, 1951, Pope Pius XII erected the Diocese of Greensburg, taking its territory from the Diocese of Pittsburgh. The pope named Auxiliary Bishop Hugh L. Lamb of Philadelphia as the first bishop of Greensburg.[9] Under Lamb's direction, the diocese spent nearly $6.5 million on construction or additions to existing facilities. Eight new schools, including Greensburg Central Catholic High School, were created and ten new parishes were established.[10] Lamb helped found Jeannette District Memorial Hospital in Greensburg, donating over $300,000 for its construction and securing the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill to staff it.[11] Lamb died in 1959.

The second bishop of Greensburg was William G. Connare of Pittsburgh, named by Pope John XXIII in 1960.[12] He founded the diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Accent, in 1961 and presided over the first diocesan synod that same year.[13] He also expanded educational programs in parishes and opened the diocesan office of Catholic Charities.[14] Connare said that his greatest accomplishment was the renovation of Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in 1972 to accommodate the liturgical reforms from the Second Vatican Council.[15]

1980 to present

Connare retired in 1987 after 27 years as bishop. His replacement that same year was Auxiliary Bishop Anthony G. Bosco.[16] Bosco changed diocese policy on sacraments to combine the sacrament of confirmation and the first eucharist for children on the same day. He created the diocesan Department of Education and Spiritual Formation. Bosco retired in 2004.[17]

In 2004, John Paul II appointed Monsignor Lawrence Brandt from the Diocese of Erie as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg.[17] In 2010, Brandt established the Diocesan Poverty Relief Fund for direct aid to the poor in the diocese.[17] In 2014, Brandt sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service over a provision in the Affordable Care Act that required certain religious institutions to provide contraceptive coverage in employer health insurance plans. The suit characterized this provision as an infringement on religious liberty.[18] Brandt retired in 2015.

Edward C. Malesic was named as the next bishop of Greensburg in 2015.[19] On July 1, 2020, Malesic announced the Saint Pope John Paul II Tuition Opportunity Partnership (TOP) to provided $4.1 million in scholarships and tuition assistance to Catholic schools in the diocese. In 2020, he was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland.[20]

As of 2023, the bishop of Greensburg is Larry J. Kulick from Greensburg, named by Pope Francis in 2021.[21][22]

Bishops

Bishops of Greensburg

  1. Hugh L. Lamb (1951–1960)
  2. William G. Connare (1960–1987)
  3. Anthony G. Bosco (1987–2004)
  4. Lawrence E. Brandt (2004–2015)
  5. Edward C. Malesic (2015–2020), appointed Bishop of Cleveland.[23]
  6. Larry J. Kulick (2021–present)

Former auxiliary bishop

Norbert F. Gaughan (1975–1984), appointed Bishop of Gary

Other diocesan priests who became bishops

Parishes

As of 2025, the Diocese of Greensburg was serving 135,000 Catholics in 77 parishes (some of them partnered) in seven deaneries.[24][25] A diocesan strategic planning process began in 2006 resulted in closures of parishes and chapels, as well as partnering of parishes that have remained open. The last of these changes occurred in 2013.[26][27]

Schools

As of 2025, the Diocese of Greensburg has 15 schools.[28]

Diocesan schools

High schools

As of 2025, the diocese operates two high schools:[28]

Sex abuse

1980 to 2010

The diocese received complaints in May 1981 that Roger Sinclair had sexually abused two boys in 1980. Although the diocese reported the priest to local police, no action was taken until June 1981, when Bishop Connare sent him to therapy. In 1984, the diocese gave Sinclair a good recommendation to join the US Air Force Chaplain Corps. In 1991, Topeka State Hospital in Topeka, Kansas, fired Sinclair for attempting to take young male patients on an unauthorized outing. After an abuse allegation appeared in 2002, the Diocese of Greensburg removed Sinclair's ministerial privileges and he was laicized.[29][30]

2010 to 2020

In early 2016, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro convened a special grand jury investigation into sexual abuse of children by clergy in six Pennsylvania dioceses, including the Diocese of Greensburg.[31] According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, in 2017 the Dioceses of Harrisburg and Greensburg attempted to shut down the grand jury investigation.[32][33]

In July 2018, John T. Sweeney, a diocesan priest, pleaded guilty to abusing a fourth grade boy between September 1991 and June 1992.[34] Immediately following Sweeney's plea, the diocese made a statement pledging future cooperation,[35] agreeing to continue educating both children and adults in the Diocese of Greensburg on issues of abuse.[35] The diocese also agreed to report any alleged incident of sexual abuse to the "PA Childline and the appropriate district attorney."[35] In December 2018, Sweeney received a sentence of up to five years in prison.[36]

In August 2018, Bishop Malesic acknowledged numerous reports of sex abuse of children between the 1950s and 1980s, and announced that the diocese would release the names of the accused clergy when the grand jury report was published.[37][38] The Pennsylvania grand jury report, published in August 2018, showed that 20 diocesan clergy had credible accusations of sexual abuse.[39]

2020 to present

In August 2020, Malesic announced that the diocese found credible sexual abuse allegations against Emil Payer.[40] The statute of limitations prevented authorities from filing criminal sexual abuse charges against Payer.[40]

Canonical status and jurisdiction

Diocese of Greensburg is a diocese of the catholic church of the Catholic Church.[41]

References

  1. Back to citation occurrence 1.0 Back to citation occurrence 1.1 Back to citation occurrence 1.2 Back to citation occurrence 1.3 Back to citation occurrence 1.4 Back to citation occurrence 1.5 "Diocese of Greensburg". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. September 7, 2025.
  2. Back to citation "Diocese of Greensburg". GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. March 30, 2026.
  3. Back to citation Carden, Terry (July 7, 2005). Coming of Age In Scranton: Memories of a Puer Aeternus. iUniverse. ISBN 978-0-595-80765-9.
  4. Back to citation Weis, Frederick Lewis (1978). The Colonial Clergy of the Middle Colonies, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, 1628-1776. Genealogical Publishing Com. ISBN 978-0-8063-0799-2.
  5. Back to citation "Catholic Encyclopedia: Archdiocese of New York". New Advent. Archived from the original on January 21, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2006.
  6. Back to citation occurrence 6.0 Back to citation occurrence 6.1 Back to citation occurrence 6.2 "Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg". www.dioceseofgreensburg.org. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  7. Back to citation occurrence 7.0 Back to citation occurrence 7.1 "The Beginning". Saint Vincent Archabbey. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  8. Back to citation "A Brief History of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia". Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  9. Back to citation "Bishop Hugh Louis Lamb". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. May 19, 2025.
  10. Back to citation "Bishop Hugh. L Lamb, First Bishop of Greensburg (1952-59)". Diocese of Greensburg. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011.
  11. Back to citation "Westmoreland Hospital: Past and Present". Downtown Greensburg Project. June 13, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  12. Back to citation "Bishop William Graham Connare". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. May 19, 2025. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  13. Back to citation "Bishop William G. Connare, Second Bishop of Greensburg (1960-87)". Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg.
  14. Back to citation Vercellotti, Tim (June 19, 1986). "Golden leader: 'Parish priest' Connare marks 50th year". Pittsburgh Press.
  15. Back to citation "Bishop William G. Connare, Second Bishop of Greensburg (1960-87)". Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg.
  16. Back to citation Gjebre, Wash (April 15, 1987). "Bosco named bishop at Greensburg". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
  17. Back to citation occurrence 17.0 Back to citation occurrence 17.1 Back to citation occurrence 17.2 "Previous Bishops". www.dioceseofgreensburg.org. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  18. Back to citation "Diocese, bishop sue over HHS rule for violating 'core Catholic beliefs'". National Catholic Reporter. June 3, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  19. Back to citation Hill, William (July 16, 2015). "New Greensburg, Pa., bishop ready 'to serve the Lord with gladness'". Catholic Philly. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  20. Back to citation "Previous Bishops". www.dioceseofgreensburg.org. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  21. Back to citation "Pope Francis Names Monsignor Larry Kulick of Diocese of Greensburg as Bishop of Greensburg". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  22. Back to citation "Monsignor Kulick appointed new bishop of the Greensburg Diocese". Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  23. Back to citation Pinckard, Cliff (July 16, 2020). "Pope names Pa. bishop head of Catholic Diocese of Cleveland". Cleveland.com.
  24. Back to citation "Deaneries - Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg". www.dioceseofgreensburg.org. March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  25. Back to citation "Parish Demographics and Statistics - Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg". www.dioceseofgreensburg.org. June 19, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  26. Back to citation "Parish Restructuring". Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  27. Back to citation "Parish Information Directory". Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
  28. Back to citation occurrence 28.0 Back to citation occurrence 28.1 "School Directory - Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg". www.dioceseofgreensburg.org. April 13, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  29. Back to citation LAUER, CLAUDIA; HOYER, MEGHAN (October 5, 2019). "Former Pennsylvania priest escapes sex abuse charges, moves to Oregon, preys on disabled young man". oregonlive. Associated Press. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  30. Back to citation "Father Roger A. Sinclair" (PDF). Office of the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. August 14, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  31. Back to citation Couloumbis, Angela (June 17, 2018). "Pa. report to document child sexual abuse, cover-ups in six Catholic dioceses". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  32. Back to citation Smith, Peter; Navratil, Liz; Couloumbis, Angela (June 29, 2018). "Two Pa. dioceses tried to block grand jury probe into clergy sex abuse, documents show". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  33. Back to citation Navratil, Liz; Smith, Peter (August 1, 2018). "Harrisburg Diocese releases names of accused priests, removes bishops' names from buildings". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  34. Back to citation "Retired Greensburg Priest Pleads Guilty In Child Sex Assault Case". July 31, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  35. Back to citation occurrence 35.0 Back to citation occurrence 35.1 Back to citation occurrence 35.2 "Greensburg Diocese stands ready help to abuse survivors 'in their healing'". Archived from the original on August 5, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  36. Back to citation "Retired priest sentenced to prison for abusing 10-year-old boy". WPXI. December 21, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  37. Back to citation "'It wasn't your fault': Greensburg Catholic diocese apologizes to child sex abuse victims and releases its own report". WTAE. August 9, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  38. Back to citation Smith, Peter. "Greensburg diocese issues apology; to release names of accused clerics". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  39. Back to citation Marroni, Steve (August 14, 2018). "20 offenders revealed in grand jury report in Greensburg Diocese". pennlive. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  40. Back to citation occurrence 40.0 Back to citation occurrence 40.1 Tierney, Jacob (August 26, 2020). "Greensburg Diocese reveals 'credible' sex abuse claims against priest convicted of theft". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  41. Back to citation Diocese of Greensburg, official website
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