The Diocese of Ogdensburg ( la, Dioecesis Ogdensburgensis) 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 ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. It was founded on February 15, 1872. It comprises the entirety of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties and the northern portions of Hamilton and Herkimer counties. On February 23, 2010, the Most Reverend Terry Ronald LaValley was appointed diocesan bishop by Pope Benedict XVI on February 23, 2010, and was installed on April 30, 2010. The Diocese of Ogdensburg 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

Archdiocese of New York The Archdiocese of New York ( la, Archidiœcesis Neo-Eboracensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in the State of New York. It encompasses the boroug ...

History

Beginnings

The area covered by the Diocese of Ogdensburg was originally inhabited by the

Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

. The 1600s saw the arrival of French, Dutch, and English fur-traders. Initially Catholics in the North Country were served by priests from Quebec. In 1749, the Mission of The Holy Trinity was established by

Sulpician The Society of Priests of Saint-Sulpice (french: Compagnie des Prêtres de Saint-Sulpice), abbreviated PSS also known as the Sulpicians is a society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men, named after the Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris, ...

Abbé

François Picquet François Picquet (; 4 December 1708 – 15 July 1781) was a French Sulpician priest who emigrated to Montreal, Canada, in 1734. Early life Picquet was born in Bourg-en-Bresse, France, on 4 December 1708, the son of André Picquet and Marie-Philipp ...

from Montreal, who built a mission fort named

Fort de La Présentation The Fort de La Présentation (; "Fort of the Presentation"), a mission fort, was built in 1749 and so named by the French Sulpician priest, Abbé Picquet. It was also sometimes known as Fort La Galette (). It was built at the confluence of the O ...

near the junction of the

Oswegatchie River The Oswegatchie River ( moh, Kaniatarahòn:tsi) is a river in northern New York that flows from the Adirondack Mountains north to the Saint Lawrence River. The Oswegatchie River begins at Partlow Lake in Hamilton County, New York. The river co ...

and the St Lawrence River. Bishop de Pontbriand of Quebec visited in 1752. During the French and Indian War the fort was garrisoned by French-Canadian military, but abandoned in favor of

Fort Lévis Fort Lévis, a fortification on the St. Lawrence River, was built in 1759 by the French. They had decided that Fort de La Présentation was insufficient to defend their St. Lawrence River colonies against the British. Named for François Gaston d ...

Diocese of Baltimore

During the Colonial Period and until the end of the American Revolution, the Church in New York State was under the jurisdiction of the Vicariate of London. The first settlers in the region were Protestants from New England. It was only towards 1790 that Acadian Catholic immigrants occupied lands around Corbeau, now Coopersville, near Lake Champlain, where they were occasionally visited by missionaries from Fort Laprairie, Canada. After the Revolution the area came under the Apostolic Prefecture of the United States, which became in 1789 the Diocese of Baltimore.

Diocese of New York

In 1808 the area became part of the new Diocese of New York. In 1818, a colony of French and German Catholics was brought to Jefferson County by Jacques Leray, son of Count

Jacques-Donatien Le Ray de Chaumont Jacques-Donatien Le Ray de Chaumont (1 September 1726 – 22 February 1803) was a French "Father of the American Revolution", but later an opponent of the French Revolution. His son of the same name, known also in America as James Le Ray, ev ...

, who built for them, and also for an Irish settlement, several Catholic churches. At the same time Irish and French Canadian immigrants began to arrive and soon there arose several Catholic missions. By 1833 there were congregations established in Ogdensburg, Carthage, and Plattsburgh, although Carthage did not as yet have a church. Each of them served a number of mission stations, while

Minerva, New York Minerva is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 809 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. The town is located in the southwestern corner of the county. By road, it is no ...

was served by Father J. Quinn, who travelled from

Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany a ...

, 100 miles away.

Diocese of Albany

In 1847 the northern section of the Diocese of New York was split off to become the newly created Diocese of Albany, and an influx of Irish immigrants saw an increase in parishes throughout the area. Missions were established at Antwerp, Belleville, Canton, and many other places. Under Bishop

John McCloskey John McCloskey (March 10, 1810 – October 10, 1885) was a senior-ranking American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the first American born Archbishop of New York from 1864 until his death in 1885, having previously served as Bishop of ...

new parishes were founded at Cape Vincent, Hogansburg, Keeseville, and elsewhere. In 1860, Bishop McCloskey put the parish at Carthage under interdict for two years, when disputes between factions resulted in violent confrontations. In 1864 McCloskey established St. Joseph's Seminary as Provincial Seminary at

, which trained priests for the Archdiocese until it was relocated to Dunwoodie in 1896.

Diocese of Ogdensburg

On February 16, 1872, the Diocese of Ogdensburg was established. First Bishop of Ogdensburg was Edgar Philip Prindle Wadhams. In 1892,

Henry Gabriels Henry Gabriels (October 6 1838 – April 23 1921) was a Belgian-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Ogdensburg in Northern New York from 1892 until his death in 1921. Biography Early life Henry Gab ...

, Rector of St Joseph's Seminary in

, was appointed second Bishop of Ogdensburg.

Catholic Summer School of America The Catholic Summer School of America originated at the end of the nineteenth century. A Catholic summer school is an assembly of Roman Catholics, both clergy and laity, held during the summer months. It aims to foster intellectual culture in harmon ...

first took form in the Champlain Summer School which was founded at New London, Connecticut, 1892, and located more permanently in 1893 at Cliff Haven, New York. Bishop

was responsible for the growth and development of the Catholic Summer School at Cliff Haven near

Plattsburgh Plattsburgh ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is a city in, and the seat of, Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surrounding ...

, (10,000 people annually), which was a strong influence in Catholic education for many years. (Advance news., October 20, 1968, Page 15, Image 15).

Joseph Henry Conroy Joseph Henry Conroy (November 8, 1858 – March 20, 1939) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Ogdensburg in Northern New York from 1921 until his death in 1939. He previously serv ...

served as Bishop from 1921 until his death in 1939. He was made an Honorary Life member of the

, Cliff Haven, N.Y. On March 24, 1924, the Board of Governors elected him Honorary member of the Catholic Writers of America.

Sex abuse

On February 19, 2020, Diocese of Ogdensburg communications director Darcy Fargo revealed that the Diocese was considering

Chapter 11 bankruptcy Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, whe ...

due to dozens of pending sex abuse lawsuits, stating "Chapter 11 reorganization has been a positive vehicle through which other diocese have been able to address the needs of claims while continuing to undertake their vital mission as church." The Diocese had already nearly $5.5 million in compensation to settle some previous sex abuse lawsuits, and even partook in healing masses and reconciliation therapy as well. By this point in time, 23 more lawsuits had been filed since the 2019 New York Child Victims Act went into effect. At the time of Fargo's announcement, one law firm alone stated it already has 30 more lawsuits in waiting. On May 8, 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo extended the Child Victims Act's statute of limitation deadline to file sex abuse lawsuits from August 14, 2020 to January 14, 2021. On July 1, 2020, it was revealed that 20 additional sex abuse lawsuits where filed against the Diocese. Fargo responded by stating “I cannot comment on specific allegations or pending litigation. The Diocese of Ogdensburg takes all allegations of abuse seriously, and these new allegations will be investigated.”

Bishops

Bishops of Ogdensburg

# Edgar Philip Prindle Wadhams (1872–1891) #

(1892–1921), former

Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of St Joseph's Seminary in

(1921–1939) # Francis Joseph Monaghan (1939–1942;

coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...

1936–1939) #

Bryan Joseph McEntegart Bryan Joseph McEntegart (January 5, 1893 – September 30, 1968) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Ogdensburg in Northern New York (1943–1953), rector of the Catholic University of Amer ...

(1943–1953), appointed

The Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private university, private Catholic church, Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution ...

and later

Bishop of Brooklyn The Diocese of Brooklyn is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the U.S. state of New York. It is headquartered in Brooklyn and its territory encompasses the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. ...

and

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) #

Walter P. Kellenberg Walter Philip Kellenberg (June 3, 1901 – January 11, 1986) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg, Diocese of Ogdensburg in Northern New York (1954–1957) and bi ...

(1954–1957), appointed in 1957 Bishop of Rockville Centre # James Johnston Navagh (1957–1963), appointed Bishop of Paterson #

Leo Richard Smith Leo Richard Smith (August 31, 1905 – October 9, 1963) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Ogdensburg in New York for five months in 1963. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop ...

(1963) #

Thomas Andrew Donnellan Thomas Andrew Donnellan (January 24, 1914 – October 15, 1987) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the ninth bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg, Diocese of Ogdensberg in New York from 1964 to 1968, an ...

(1964–1968), appointed Archbishop of Atlanta # Stanislaus Joseph Brzana (1968–1993) # Paul Stephen Loverde (1994–1999), appointed

Bishop of Arlington The Diocese of Arlington ( la, Dioecesis Arlingtonensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Mid-Atlantic United States. The Diocese of Arlington comprises 70 parishes across 21 counties and se ...

# Gerald Michael Barbarito (2000–2003), appointed Bishop of Palm Beach # Robert Joseph Cunningham (2004–2009), appointed Bishop of Syracuse # Terry R. LaValley (2010–present)

Former auxiliary bishops

(1912-1921), appointed bishop of this diocese

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

* Douglas John Lucia, appointed Bishop of Syracuse in 2019

Deaneries

There are eight deaneries in the diocese: # Adirondack (Northern Essex County and southern Franklin County) # Clinton (Northeastern Essex and all of its namesake county) # Essex (The remainder of its namesake county) # Franklin (The remainder of its namesake county) # Hamilton/Herkimer (The remainder of

namesake A namesake is a person, geographic location, or other entity bearing the name of another. History The word is first attested around 1635, and probably comes from the phrase "for one's name's sake", which originates in English Bible translations ...

counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

not occupied by the Diocese of Albany) # Jefferson # Lewis # St. Lawrence

Parishes

High schools

* Immaculate Heart Central High School, Watertown * Seton Catholic Central High School, Plattsburgh

References

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg Official Site
* {{Coord, 44, 42, 02, N, 75, 28, 52, W, source:plwiki, display=title Ogdensburg Ogdensburg 1872 establishments in New York (state) Ogdensburg