The Diocese of Owensboro ( la, Dioecesis Owensburgensis) 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 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 associa ...

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 ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

. , the diocese contained of 78 parishes and two

Newman Centers Newman Centers, Newman Houses, Newman Clubs, or Newman Communities are Catholic campus ministry centers at secular universities. The movement was inspired by the writings of Cardinal John Henry Newman encouraging societies for Catholic stude ...

in 32

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 ...

western Kentucky Western Kentucky is the western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It generally includes part or all of several more widely recognized regions of the state. ;Always included * The Jackson Purchase, the state's westernmost generally recogniz ...

. The current

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

, William Medley, was the pastor of Saint Bernadette Parish of the

Archdiocese of Louisville The Archdiocese of Louisville is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church that consists of twenty-four counties in the central American state of Kentucky, covering . As of 2018, the archdiocese contains appro ...

prior to his consecration which took place February 10, 2010. The Diocese of Owensboro is a suffragan diocese in the

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian Churches with traditional hierarchical structure, including Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity. In general, an ecclesiastical province consists of seve ...

of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Louisville.

History

Pope Pius XI erected the Diocese of Owensboro in territory taken from the

Diocese of Louisville The Archdiocese of Louisville is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church that consists of twenty-four counties in the central American state of Kentucky, covering . As of 2018, the archdiocese contains app ...

on 9 December 1937, simultaneously elevating the latter to a Metropolitan Archdiocese and designating the new diocese as one of its suffragans. The original

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 denominatio ...

for the diocese was to be established in

Henderson, Kentucky Henderson is a home rule-class city along the Ohio River and is the county seat of Henderson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 28,757 at the 2010 U.S. census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area, locally known as t ...

at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, but was changed to the city of

Owensboro Owensboro is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Daviess County, Kentucky, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in the state by population. Owensboro is located on U.S. Route 60 and Interstate 165 about southwest of Lou ...

. The diocese's cathedral is named after St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

Sexual abuse

In April 2019, the Diocese of Owensboro released a list of 15

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

s who were accused of sexually abusing children while serving in the diocese. Two of these priests, Joseph J. Pilger and Louis Francis Piskula, were convicted, with Pilger receiving a five-year probation sentence in 1995 and Piskula receiving a five-year prison sentence in 2014. Piskula later died in prison in 2018. Two other credibly accused priests, Richard M. Powers and Joseph Robert "Bob" Willet, were forced to pay settlements in 1999. Pilger also was ordered to pay a $5.2M settlement to at least 27 accusers in 2003, the same year he was murdered. In 2018, the diocese removed Gerald Baker from active ministry in the diocese after determining that sexual abuse accusations against him were credible. In March 2019, the diocese temporarily suspended Joseph Edward "Ed" Bradley after allegations of sexual abuse of a minor were made. In May 2019, the diocese recommended that Bradley be permanently removed from public service. As of October 2019, the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...

has not ruled on the recommendation.

Bishops

Bishops of Owensboro

Francis Ridgley Cotton Francis Ridgley Cotton O.P. (September 19, 1895—September 25, 1960) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Owensboro in Kentucky from 1938 to 1960. Biography Early life On ...

(1937-1961) # Henry Joseph Soenneker (1961-1982) # John Jeremiah McRaith (1982-2009) # William Francis Medley (2009–present)

High schools and university

Owensboro Catholic High School Owensboro Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Owensboro, Kentucky, United States. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro. History Owensboro Catholic opened in September 1951, replacing the closin ...

, Owensboro * St. Mary High School, Paducah *

Trinity High School Trinity High School is the name of high schools: United Kingdom * Trinity High School, Renfrew, Renfrewshire, Scotland * Trinity High School, Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, Scotland * Trinity High School and Sixth Form Centre, in Redditch, England *Trini ...

, Whitesville *

Brescia University Brescia University is a private Roman Catholic university in Owensboro, Kentucky. It was founded as a junior college for women and is now a coeducational university offering undergraduate and master's programs. History Brescia University trace ...

, Owensboro

References

External links

Diocese of Owensboro Official Site
Christian organizations established in 1937 Catholic Church in Kentucky

Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Louisville 1937 establishments in Kentucky {{US-RC-diocese-stub