The Diocese of Erie ( la, Dioecesis Eriensis) is a
Latin Church
, native_name_lang = la
, image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran
, caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...
ecclesiastical territory or
diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...
of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
in western
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. It was founded on July 29, 1853. It is one of seven
suffragan diocese
A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria ...
s in Pennsylvania that make up the
Ecclesiastical Province of Philadelphia, which is headed by the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Philadelphia is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well a ...
.
Statistics
Erie is geographically the largest diocese in Pennsylvania, covering . Erie diocese covers 13 counties in Northwestern Pennsylvania. About 220,000 Catholics (74,000 families) reside in the diocese. They educate 14,000 children and youth in their religious education programs.
["Facts about the Erie Diocese." Faith Magazine CSA 2010: 3.]
Bishops
Bishops of Erie
#
Michael O'Connor Michael O'Connor may refer to:
Politicians
* Michael O'Connor (Australian politician) (1865–1940), Australian politician
* Michael O'Connor (Wisconsin politician) (1856–1925), Wisconsin State Assemblyman
* Michael J. O'Connor (politici ...
, S.J. (1853–1854), appointed
Bishop of Pittsburgh
#
Joshua Maria Young
Joshua Maria Young (October 29, 1808 – September 18, 1866) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Erie in Pennsylvania from 1854 until his death in 1866.
Biography
Early life
Joshua Youn ...
(1854–1866)
#
Tobias Mullen
Tobias Mullen (March 4, 1818 – April 22, 1900) was an Ireland, Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, Diocese of Erie in Pennsylvania from 1868 to until his death in 1899 ...
(1868–1899)
#
John Edmund Fitzmaurice
John Edmund Fitzmaurice (January 8, 1839 – June 18, 1920) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Erie in Pennsylvania (1899–1920).
Biography
Early life
John Fitzmaurice wa ...
(1899–1920)
#
John Mark Gannon
John Mark Gannon (June 12, 1877 – September 5, 1968) was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Erie from 1920 to 1966, and was given the personal title of Archbishop in 1953. He previously served as an ...
(1920–1966), elevated to
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
(ad personam) in 1953
#
John Francis Whealon
John Francis Whealon (January 15, 1921 – August 2, 1991) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Hartford in Connecticut from 1968 to 1991.
Whealon previously served as an auxilia ...
(1966–1968), appointed
Archbishop of Hartford
#
Alfred Michael Watson (1969–1982)
#
Michael Joseph Murphy
Michael Joseph Murphy (1 July 1915 – 3 April 2007) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Erie, Pennsylvania, from 1982 to 1990.
Early life and education
Michael Murphy was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the only ...
(1982–1990)
#
Donald Walter Trautman
Donald Walter Trautman (June 24, 1936 – February 26, 2022) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, Diocese of Erie in Western Pennsylvania from 1990 to 2011. He previou ...
(1990–2012)
#
Lawrence T. Persico
Lawrence Thomas Persico (born November 21, 1950, Monessen, Pennsylvania) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of the Diocese of Erie in Pennsylvania since 2012.
Biography Early life
Lawrence Persico ...
(2012–present)
Auxiliary Bishops
* John Mark Gannon (1917–1920), appointed Bishop of Erie
*
Edward Peter McManaman
Edward Peter McManaman (May 3, 1900 – July 18, 1964) was a bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Erie from 1948 to 1964.
Biography
Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, McMan ...
(1948–1964)
* Alfred Michael Watson (1965–1969), appointed Bishop of Erie
Other priests of this diocese who became Bishops
*
Thomas Francis Brennan
Thomas Francis Brennan (October 10, 1855 – March 20, 1916) was an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Dallas in Texas from 1891 to 1892 before serving as an auxiliary bishop of the Dioce ...
, appointed Bishop of Dallas in 1891
*
Lawrence Eugene Brandt
Lawrence Eugene Brandt (born March 27, 1939) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Greensburg in Pennsylvania from 2004 to 2015.
Biography
Early life
Lawrence Brandt was born on March 27, 1939, ...
, appointed Bishop of Greensburg in 2004
*
Richard Thomas Guilfoyle
Richard Thomas Guilfoyle (December 22, 1892 – June 10, 1957) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the third bishop of the Diocese of Altoona, Pennsylvania from 1936 to 1957.
Biography
Early life
Richard Gui ...
, appointed Bishop of Altoona in 1936
*
Mark Leonard Bartchak, appointed Bishop of Altoona-Johnstown in 2011
Vicariates
The diocese is divided into three
vicariates:
:The Eastern Vicariate consists of parishes in
Cameron
Cameron may refer to:
People
* Clan Cameron, a Scottish clan
* Cameron (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
* Cameron (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
;Mononym
* Cam'ron (born 197 ...
,
Clearfield,
Elk
The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The common ...
,
Jefferson Jefferson may refer to:
Names
* Jefferson (surname)
* Jefferson (given name)
People
* Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States
* Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foo ...
,
McKean McKean may refer to:
Places
* McKean, Pennsylvania
* McKean County, Pennsylvania
* McKean Island, island in the Phoenix Islands, Republic of Kiribati
* McKean Township (disambiguation)
Other uses
* McKean (surname), people with the surname ''McKea ...
, and
Potter
A potter is someone who makes pottery.
Potter may also refer to:
Places United States
*Potter, originally a section on the Alaska Railroad, currently a neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, US
* Potter, Arkansas
*Potter, Nebraska
* Potters, New Je ...
counties. It has deaneries at
Bradford
Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...
,
Clearfield,
Dubois, and
St. Mary's.
:The Northern Vicariate consists of parishes in
Erie,
part of Forest, and
Warren
A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...
counties. It has Erie East and Erie West deaneries in Erie, Pennsylvania, plus a deanery in
Warren
A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...
.
:The Western Vicariate consists of parishes in
Clarion
Clarion may refer to:
Music
* Clarion (instrument), a type of trumpet used in the Middle Ages
* The register of a clarinet that ranges from B4 to C6
* A trumpet organ stop that usually plays an octave above unison pitch
* "Clarion" (song), a 2 ...
,
Crawford
Crawford may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crawford Bay Airport, British Columbia
* Crawford Lake Conservation Area, Ontario
United Kingdom
* Crawford, Lancashire, a small village near Rainford, Merseyside, England
* Crawford, South Lanarkshire, a ...
,
part of Forest,
Mercer
Mercer may refer to:
Business
* Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925)
* Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City
* Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader ...
, and
Venango. It has deaneries in
Meadville,
Oil City, and
Sharon
Sharon ( he, שָׁרוֹן ''Šārôn'' "plain") is a given name as well as an Israeli surname.
In English-speaking areas, Sharon is now predominantly a feminine given name. However, historically it was also used as a masculine given name. In I ...
.
Parishes
Historically significant parishes include:
Oldest existing parishes by church dedication dates:
* St. Francis Assisi, Clearfield (Oldest parish community in diocese; original church dedicated by Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick of Philadelphia in 1832)
* St. Philip, Crossingville (Original church dedicated by Bishop Kenrick, 1834)
* St. Nicholas of Tolentino, Crates (Original church dedicated by Bishop Kenrick, 1835)
* St. Michael, the Archangel, Fryburg (Original church dedicated by Bishop Kenrick, 1836)
* St. Hippolyte, Frenchtown (Original church dedicated by Bishop Kenrick, 1837)
Other historically-significant parishes:
* St. Mary's, Erie (German origins, pioneer parish)
* St. Patrick's Pro-Cathedral, Erie (Pioneer parish)
*
St. Peter Cathedral, Erie
St. Peter Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located at 230 West 10th Street (at Sassafras Street) in Erie, Pennsylvania.
History
Plans for the building of St. Peter Cathedral were initiated in 1873 by Bishop Tobias Mullen of the Roman Catholi ...
(Significant edifice)
* St. Stanislaus, Erie (Polish origins)
* St. Mary, St. Marys (Bavarian German origins, over 150 years old)
There are 120 parishes in the Erie diocese today, encompassing 151 churches.
Administrative offices
The diocesan offices are located at St. Mark Catholic Center in
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...
.
Reports of sex abuse
In early 2016, a
grand jury
A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...
investigation, led by
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
Attorney General
Josh Shapiro
Joshua David Shapiro (born June 20, 1973) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the Pennsylvania Attorney General since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the governor-elect of Pennsylvania.
Raised in Montgomery ...
, began an inquiry into sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in six Pennsylvania dioceses:
Allentown,
Scranton,
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...
,
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
,
Greensburg, an
Erie The
Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown and the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Philadelphia is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well a ...
were not included, as they had been the subjects of earlier investigations.
In April 2018, th
Diocese of Eriepublished a list of 34 priests and 17 laypeople who had been "credibly accused" of sexually abusing children.
By July, the list had grown to include 64 names.
On July 27, 2018, the
Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered that a redacted copy of the grand jury report be released to the public.
The grand jury report was published on August 14, 2018, and revealed that at least 41 clergy in Diocese of Erie were accused of sexually abusing children.
Thirty nine of the accused had their names publicly shown and only two had their names redacted.
Bishop Persico, who received praise from Shapiro, acknowledged there was a cover-up in the church.
Former bishop Donald Trautman, who was criticized in the report alongside former bishop Michael Murphy for allowing "predator priest" Chester Gawronski to remain in the Diocese despite numerous allegations of sexual abuse,
criticized Shapiro's portrayal of him in the report and noted that he had established guidelines in 1993 concerning how to deal with sexual abuse and later established the Diocesan Office for the Protection of Children and Youth in 2003 to protect children from sex abuse. Nevertheless, it was acknowledged that both Murphy and Trautman reassigned Gawronski multiple times between 1987 and 2002 and that Trautman renewed Gawronski's five-year term as a chaplain in St Mary's Home in Erie in 2001.
Former Erie priest and current bishop of Altoona-Johnstown
Mark Bartchak
Mark Leonard Bartchak (born January 1, 1955) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church serving as bishop of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown in Pennsylvania since 2011.
Biography
Early life and education
Mark Bartchak was born on J ...
was also criticized in the report for his handling of 2005 investigation against former Erie priest William Presley.
Bartchak was assigned by the Vatican during this time to investigate claims against Presley, who served in the Erie Diocese between 1963 and 1986, and continuously re-interviewed a male victim who previously disclosed his alleged abuse to the diocese in 1982, 1987 and 2002.
On August 25, 2005, Bartchak sent a secret memo to then-Erie Bishop Donald Walter Trautman.
Parts of the memo read "I was not surprised to learn from other witnesses from the Elk County area, that there are likely to be other victims" and that "it is likely that there may be others who were also of the age for the offenses to be considered delicts, but to what end is it necessary to follow every lead?"
Bartchak also stated in another secret memo following a meeting with Trautman on August 29, 2005: "Bishop Trautman decided that in order to preclude further scandal, these additional witnesses should not be contacted, especially given the fact that it is not likely that they will lead to information concerning delicts involving minors under 16 years of age."
On October 17, 2018, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro accepted a guilty plea from former Diocese of Erie priest David Lee Poulson on charges of corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children. Poulson had been accused of repeatedly sexually abusing one boy and attempting to sexually abuse another.
Both are third-degree felonies, but also require a 10 year registration period as a sex offender.
On January 11, 2019, Poulson, who was also one of two priests in the state of Pennsylvania charged following the grand jury report,
was given a 2 1/2 to 14 year prison sentence, which he immediately began serving.
On March 15, 2019, Bishop Persico announced that Pope Francis had issued an order defrocking Poulson on March 5, 2019.
On July 18, 2020, it was revealed that the Diocese of Erie was undergoing a potential new sex abuse lawsuit alleging that Diocese's compensation fund had yet to pay victims of abuse allegedly committed at St. Hedwig Catholic Church and its long-closed school. On July 24, 2020, a woman alleging that Rev. Michael G. Barletta, who was among the 301 “predator priests” named in the grand jury report, sued the Diocese of Erie on allegations that it shielded Barletta from potential prosecution after Barletta molested her when she was in grade school in the 1970s.
By this point in time, at least three other sex abuse lawsuits were filed against the Diocese of Erie in between July 15, 2020, as well.
On August 16, 2020, it was revealed that a total of 21 lawsuits were filed against the Diocese of Erie since the 2018 grand jury report was released.
Religious institutes
Men
*
Benedictines
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
*
Franciscan
The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
s
*
Marists
*
Redemptorists
Women
*
Bridgettines
*
Felicians
*
Sisters of the Humility of Mary
The Sisters of the Humility of Mary is a Roman Catholic religious congregation, founded at Dommartin-sous-Amance, France, in 1855. The community immigrated to the United States in 1864, and established themselves near New Bedford, Pennsylvania. Th ...
*
Sisters of St. Joseph
The Sisters of St. Joseph, also known as the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, abbreviated CSJ or SSJ, is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, in 1650. This congregation, named for S ...
*
Sisters of Mercy
Charities
Erie Diocese has many charities throughout all of the parishes. There are 9 main charities within the diocese: Better Homes for Erie,
Christ the King ManorCounseling & Adoption Services
Foreign Missions
A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a M ...
,
Harborcreek Youth ServicesSaint John XXIII Home Donate to Mission of Friendship,
Parish Care and Concern,
Prince of Peace CenterRefugee MinistrySt. Martin Center
Schooling
The diocese has 33 elementary schools and 2 middle schools.
The following high schools are operated by the diocese:
*
Cathedral Preparatory School
Cathedral Preparatory School (often referred to simply as Prep) is a private, Roman Catholic, college-preparatory high school for boys in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. It was established in 1921 by Archbishop John Mark Gannon and is located ...
, Erie
*
Central Catholic High School, DuBois
*
Elk County Catholic High School
Elk County Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in St. Marys, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie.
Background
Elk County Catholic High School was established in 1962 by the C ...
, St. Marys
*
Kennedy Catholic High School, Hermitage
*
Mercyhurst Preparatory School
Mercyhurst Preparatory School, commonly called Mercyhurst Prep or MPS, is a Catholic, coeducational secondary school located in Erie, Pennsylvania. In the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, the school is located behind Mercyhurst University on East ...
, Erie
*
Venango Catholic High School
Venango Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Oil City, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie
The Diocese of Erie ( la, Dioecesis Eriensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or d ...
, Oil City
*
Villa Maria Academy, Erie
The diocese also founded
Gannon University
Gannon University is a private Catholic university in Erie, Pennsylvania. Gannon University has approximately 4,500 students and 46,000 alumni. Its intercollegiate athletics include 18 athletic programs for men and women competing at the NCAA Di ...
in Erie.
Cemeteries
* Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum, 3325 West Lake Road, Erie
* Gate of Heaven Cemetery and Mausoleum, 5711 West Lake Road, Erie
* Mary, Queen of Peace Cemetery and Mausoleum, 6000 Lake Pleasant Road, Erie
*
Trinity Cemetery
Trinity Cemetery was founded on Trinity Sunday (20 June) in 1869 as the first cemetery of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. It is located on West Lake Road in Erie, Pennsylvania. The parish cemeteries of Holy Trinity and St. Stanislaus were incor ...
2971 West Lake Road, Erie
See als
Erie Diocesan Cemeteries
See also
*
Catholic Church by country
The Catholic Church is "the Catholic Communion of Churches, both Roman and Eastern, or Oriental, that are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome (the pope)." The church is also known by members as the People of God, the Body of Christ, the " ...
*
Catholic Church in the United States
With 23 percent of the United States' population , the Catholic Church is the country's second largest religious grouping, after Protestantism, and the country's largest single church or Christian denomination where Protestantism is divided i ...
*
Ecclesiastical Province of Philadelphia
*
Global organisation of the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church is "the Catholic Communion of Churches, both Roman and Eastern, or Oriental, that are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome (the pope)." The church is also known by members as the People of God, the Body of Christ, the ...
*
List of Roman Catholic archdioceses (by country and continent)
*
List of Roman Catholic dioceses (alphabetical)
This is a growing list of territorial Catholic Church, Catholic dioceses and ordinariates in communion with the Holy See. There are approximately 3,000 actual (i.e., non-titular) dioceses in the Catholic Church (including the eparchies of the Ea ...
(including archdioceses)
*
List of Roman Catholic dioceses (structured view)
As of October 5, 2021, the Catholic Church in its entirety comprises 3,171 ecclesiastical jurisdictions, including over 652 archdioceses and 2,248 dioceses, as well as apostolic vicariates, apostolic exarchates, apostolic administrations, apost ...
(including archdioceses)
*
List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States
This is the list of the Catholic dioceses and archdioceses of the United States which includes both the dioceses of the Latin Church, which employ the Roman Rite and other Latin liturgical rites, and various other dioceses, primarily the eparchi ...
References
External links
Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie Official Site
{{authority control
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie
Erie
Erie
1853 establishments in Pennsylvania