The Diocese of Allentown ( la, Diœcesis Alanpolitana) 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 jurisdiction 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 ...
, located in
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 United ...
in the
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...
region of eastern
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, ...
. The Diocese of Allentown is a
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 ...
in the
ecclesiastical province
An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction
Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...
of the
metropolitan
Metropolitan may refer to:
* Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories
* Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England
* Metropolitan county, a typ ...
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 ...
in the
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, commonly referred to as the American East, Eastern America, or simply the East, is the region of the United States to the east of the Mississippi River. In some cases the term may refer to a smaller area or the East C ...
.
Its
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
is the
Cathedral Church of Saint Catharine of Siena, located in
Allentown Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them:
* Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California
* Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County
* Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in T ...
. It was announced on December 9, 2016 that Pope Francis had transferred Allentown Bishop
John O. Barres to the Diocese of Rockville Centre in Long Island, New York.
As the fifth bishop of Allentown, Pope Francis, on June 27, 2017 appointed Monsignor
Alfred A. Schlert
Alfred Andrew Schlert (born July 24, 1961) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Allentown in Pennsylvania since 2017.
Biography
Early life and education
Alfred Schlert was b ...
. Bishop Schlert is the first priest ordained for the Diocese of Allentown to be appointed bishop of the diocese. He was ordained a bishop and installed as Bishop of Allentown on August 31, 2017.
Catholics form the largest single religious group in the five counties of the diocese. In the 80 parishes of the diocese, there are more than 252,000 registered Catholics, representing more than 20 percent of the general population.
Statistics
![Catholic Diocese of Allentown](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Catholic_Diocese_of_Allentown.jpg)
The diocese covers the
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, ...
counties of
Berks,
Carbon
Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent
In chemistry, the valence (US spelling) or valency (British spelling) of an element is the measure of its combining capacity with o ...
,
Lehigh,
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
and
Schuylkill. It has a Catholic population of 258,997 as of 2015, approximately 20.4% of the total population; it maintains 80
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
es, 30
Catholic elementary schools, and 7
Catholic high school
Catholic schools are pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered under the aegis or in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest religious, non-governmental school syste ...
s.
History
The diocese was founded on January 28, 1961 by
Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...
splitting it from 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 ...
; the first bishop, Joseph Mark McShea, was installed on April 11 of that year. During his 22-year tenure, he oversaw the construction, purchase, and renovation of over 300 church buildings. In 1964, McShea, together with the
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales
The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (Latin: ''Oblati Sancti Francisci Salesii'', O.S.F.S.) are a congregation of Roman Catholic priests and brothers who follow the teachings of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal. The community was foun ...
, founded
Allentown College
DeSales University (DSU) is a private Catholic university in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. The university offers traditional, online, and hybrid courses and programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Named for St. Francis de Sales, the un ...
(currently known as DeSales University).
He convened the first diocesan
synod
A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...
in May 1968.
McShea founded "Operation Rice Bowl" which began in the form of a small cardboard box in the parishes of the diocese to receive alms directed to relieving a famine in Africa. In 1976 it was adopted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as a national program, and the following year assigned to Catholic Relief Services. He helmed the founding of Holy Family Manor, a nursing and rehabilitation center at the former
Eugene Grace
Eugene Gifford Grace (August 27, 1876 – July 7, 1960) was the president of Bethlehem Steel Corporation from 1916 to 1945, and chairman of the board from 1945 until his retirement in 1957. He also served as president of the American Iron and Steel ...
mansion in
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethlehem had a total population of 75,781. Of this, 55,639 were in Northampton County and 19, ...
. He also established Holy Family Villa, a retirement home for priests.
Bishop McShea was followed by Bishop Thomas Welsh, formerly Bishop of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia.
Welsh established the first Youth Ministry Office in the diocese and raised $13 million in an endowment campaign for diocesan schools and other educational efforts. He was a member of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of the
National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a large minor Catholic basilica and national shrine in the United States in Washington, D.C., located at 400 Michigan Avenue Northeast, adjacent to Catholic University.
...
in Washington, D.C.
Walsh gained recognition for his work to improve relations between Catholics and Jews. He established a diocesan newspaper, the AD Times and founded the Catholic Distance University.
[
Bishop Edward Cullen was the third bishop of the Diocese of Allentown. In 2008, Cullen, under the direction of the metropolitan archbishop, Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, carried out a program to restructure many of the parishes in the diocese. As part of this program, 47 parishes were closed; this reduced the number of parishes from 151 to 104. Some of the closed churches were then sold.
]John Barres
John Oliver Barres ( ; born September 20, 1960) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, who has been serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York State since January 2017. He previously served as bishop of t ...
was bishop for seven years before being appointed to the Diocese of Rockville Centre. During his tenure, Bishop Barres established the Saint Thomas More Society for lawyers, and expanded the diocese's Hispanic ministry and evangelization. He was succeeded by the archdiocese vicar general, Alfred Andrew Schlert.
Bishops
Bishops of Allentown
# Joseph Mark McShea
Joseph Mark McShea (February 22, 1907 – November 28, 1991) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Allentown in Pennsylvania from 1961 to 1983.
Biography
Early life
Joseph McShea w ...
(1961–1983)
# Thomas Jerome Welsh
Thomas Jerome Welsh (December 20, 1921 – February 19, 2009) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Arlington in Virginia (1974–1983) and as bishop of the Diocese of Allentown in Pennsylv ...
(1983–1997)
# Edward Peter Cullen
Edward Peter Cullen (born March 15, 1933) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop (Catholic Church), bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown, Diocese of Allentown in Pennsylvania from 1998 to 2009 and ...
(1997–2009)
# John Oliver Barres (2009–2016), appointed Bishop of Rockville Centre
# Alfred A. Schlert
Alfred Andrew Schlert (born July 24, 1961) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Allentown in Pennsylvania since 2017.
Biography
Early life and education
Alfred Schlert was b ...
(2017–present)
Other priests of this diocese who became bishops
* Ronald William Gainer
Ronald William Gainer (born August 24, 1947) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has been serving as the bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg in Pennsylvania since 2014. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Lexing ...
, appointed Bishop of Lexington in 2002 and later Bishop of Harrisburg
The Diocese of Harrisburg is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that covers 15 counties of South Central Pennsylvania: Adams, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mi ...
* Joseph Edward Kurtz
Joseph Edward Kurtz (born August 18, 1946) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville, Archdiocese of Louisville in Kentucky from 2007 to 2022. He previously ...
, appointed Bishop of Knoxville in 1999 and later Archbishop of Louisville
* David B. Thompson
David Bernard Thompson (May 29, 1923 − November 24, 2013) was an Americans, American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, Bishop of Charleston, South Carolina from 1990 to 1999.
Biography
Thompson w ...
, appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Charleston in 1989 and later Bishop of Charleston
Reports of sexual 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
Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U ...
, 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, and Erie
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 ...
. The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown
In 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 provinces were administratively associat ...
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.
On August 1, 2018, Matt Kerr, spokesman for the Diocese of Allentown, announced that the diocese would cooperate with a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling and publish a list containing names of clergy suspected of taking part in sexual abuse of children. On August 14, 2018, a grand jury report named thirty-seven priests in the Allentown diocese accused of sexual misconduct. The allegations cover a period of several decades. Bishop Schlert issued an apology on behalf of the Allentown Diocese. Schlert stated that the cases of sexual abuse in the diocese date back decades and that most of the accused priests in the diocese are either deceased or no longer active in the ministry.
Schlert also stated that the diocese has had a zero tolerance policy for sexual abuse since 2003.
"Excerpts from the report depict Schlert as someone quick to confront priests who were the subject of abuse complaints. He, along with a fellow monsignor, helped facilitate several resignations and retirements from priests suspected of sexually abusing children. His inquiry with one accused priest triggered the process of that priest being laicized, or defrocked." Shapiro said that over time, Schlert was promoted for his role in handling the sex abuse allegations.[mcall.com Scathing Pennsylvania grand jury report accuses hundreds of priests of sexually abusing more than 1,000 children]
''The Morning Call'', August 14, 2018 Commenting on the grand jury report at the time of its release, Schlert noted that "much has changed in the past 15 years, notably, that the diocese immediately removes accused priests from ministry and reports allegations to law enforcement."
Three Allentown priests have been removed from ministry since the grand jury wrapped up its investigation, with one being reinstated when the allegation was determined to be unfounded. On August 22, 2018, Diocese priest Rev. Kevin Lonergan, who was not among those listed, was charged with indecent assault and corruption of minors after inappropriately touching a 17-year-old girl and sending nude images of himself to her. One accused priest was also revealed to have transferred to the Diocese of Orlando
The Diocese of Orlando ( la, Dioecesis Orlandensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Florida. It encompasses about spanning Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Marion, Lake, Volusia, Brevard, Polk, and Sumt ...
in Florida. In February 2020, Lonergan was sentenced to 1–2 years prison after being convicted.
Bishop Schlert suspended the priestly faculties of Father David C. Gillis pending the outcome of the investigation. Detectives in Berks County, Pennsylvania began investigating Gillis after the father of a girl reported she had been abused at a Catholic school where he used to work. The Berks County District Attorney's Office said, "As a result of our thorough investigation, it has been determined the allegation of child sexual abuse against Reverend Gillis was false. The alleged victim disclosed to our detectives, in an interview, that she was not sexually abused by Reverend Gillis." District Attorney John T. Adams said, "It is unfortunate that the accusation of child sexual abuse against Reverend Gillis was made public by the Diocese of Orlando before the outcome of this investigation could be determined."[
On May 20, 2020, it was revealed that Timothy Paul McGettigan, a former parishioner of the St. Catharine of Siena in Reading who was now living in Texas, had filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Allentown. In his court paperwork, which was filed in Lehigh County McGettigan stated that in the 1970s, he was sexually abused by two priests, Rev. Joseph Grembocki and Rev. David A. Soderlund, as well as several other priests whom he cannot identify.] Grembocki died in 2016, while Soderlund was defrocked in 2005. Though Soderlund was named in the Pennsylvania grand jury report, Grembocki was not.
On August 14, 2020, it was revealed that the Diocese of Scranton, along with the Diocese of Allentown, as well as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and fellow suffragan Dioceses in Pittsburgh and Scranton, was enduring the bulk of 150 new lawsuits filed against all eight Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses. On August 14, 2020, it was announced that the Diocese of Allentown now had 20 new sex abuse lawsuits.
Catholic education
Higher education
* DeSales University
DeSales University (DSU) is a private Catholic university in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. The university offers traditional, online, and hybrid courses and programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Named for St. Francis de Sales, the un ...
, Center Valley
* Alvernia University
, mottoeng = To Learn, To Love, To Serve
, established = 1958
, type = Private
, affiliation = Franciscan Roman Catholic
, president = John R. Loyack
, city = Reading
, state = Pennsylvania
, country = U.S.
, students = 2,900 (1,500 unde ...
, Reading
High schools
* Allentown Central Catholic High School
Allentown Central Catholic High School (ACCHS) is a private, parochial school located at 301 North Fourth Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown, ACCHS predominantly serves students from the Lehigh Va ...
* Bethlehem Catholic High School
Bethlehem Catholic High School, more commonly referred to as Becahi or just Beca, is a parochial high school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The school is within the Diocese of Allentown and is located at 2133 Madison Avenue in Bethlehem in t ...
* Berks Catholic High School
Berks Catholic High School is a four-year comprehensive coeducational Roman Catholic preparatory secondary school located in Reading, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It was formed out of a merger of Holy Name High School and Reading Central Ca ...
, Reading
* Marian Catholic High School, Tamaqua
* Nativity BVM High School
Nativity B. V. M. High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown.
Background
Nativity B.V.M. (Blessed Virgin Mary) High School is a Catholic four-year co-e ...
, Pottsville
* Notre Dame High School, Easton
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
The following is a current list of Catholic archdioceses ordered by continent and country (for the Latin Church) and by liturgical rite (for the Eastern Catholic Churches).
Many smaller countries, as well as large countries with small Catholic po ...
(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
Sources and external links
Official website
{{coord, 40, 36, 06, N, 75, 28, 38, W, source:plwiki, display=title
1961 establishments in Pennsylvania
Christian organizations established in 1961
Culture of Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them:
* Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California
* Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County
* Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in T ...
Allentown Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them:
* Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California
* Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County
* Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in T ...