Roman Catholic Diocese Of Scranton
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The Diocese of Scranton 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 ...
. It is a
suffragan see 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, ...
of
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 ...
, established on March 3, 1868. The seat of the
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 ca ...
is St. Peter's Cathedral in the most populated city in the diocese,
Scranton, Pennsylvania 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 ...
. Other cities in the diocese include
Wilkes-Barre Wilkes-Barre ( or ) is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Luzerne County. Located at the center of the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania, it had a population of 44,328 in the 2020 census. It is the secon ...
, Williamsport,
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,
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, Carbondale, and Pittston. The diocese comprises Lackawanna, Luzerne,
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 ...
, Susquehanna, Wayne, Tioga, Sullivan,
Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
, Lycoming,
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, and Monroe counties, all in the northeastern part of
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 area of the diocese is .


Early history

The first
Catholic 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 ...
settlers in the area were principally of
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and
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descent. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Slavic and
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populations attracted by the coal-mining industry came to comprise one-half of the Catholic population. Although many of the early settlers were Catholic immigrants, the first official visit of a priest to this territory of which there is any authentic record was not until 1787. In that year (during the
suppression of the Society of Jesus The suppression of the Jesuits was the removal of all members of the Society of Jesus from most of the countries of Western Europe and their colonies beginning in 1759, and the abolishment of the order by the Holy See in 1773. The Jesuits were ...
) the former
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
James Pellentz (1727–1800) traveled from
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
up the
Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...
as far as
Elmira, New York Elmira () is a city and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. The population was 26,523 at the 2020 cens ...
, ministering to the Catholics scattered through this region. A few years later, the famous French settlement of
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or "Azilum" was founded (1793–94). Planned as a retreat for French nobility, the site chosen was on the banks of the Susquehanna River, opposite the present village of
Standing Stone A menhir (from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large human-made upright rock (geology), stone, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age. T ...
in Bradford County. Today scarcely a trace of this unique settlement remains. The earliest permanent Catholic settlements were at Friendsville and
Silver Lake Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
in Susquehanna County. These, as well as the other Catholic settlers scattered throughout this district, were attended occasionally by priests sent from
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. In 1825 – largely due to the solicitations of Patrick Griffin, father of
Gerald Griffin Gerald Griffin ( ga, Gearóid Ó Gríofa; 12 December 1803 – 12 June 1840) was an Irish novelist, poet and playwright. His novel ''The Collegians'' was the basis of Dion Boucicault's play The Colleen Bawn. Feeling he was "wasting his time" w ...
Francis Kenrick Francis Patrick Kenrick (December 3, 1796 or 1797 – July 8, 1863) was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the third Bishop of the Diocese of Philadelphia (1842–1851) and the sixth Archbishop of the Archdiocese o ...
, Bishop of Philadelphia, sent the Rev.
John O'Flynn John O'Flynn (born 11 July 1982) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker, most recently for Finn Harps in the League of Ireland First Division. He previously played with Barnet, Exeter City, Cork City and Limerick. Playi ...
as the first resident pastor. His work, however, was similar to that of a missionary, as his field of labor comprised thirteen counties in northeastern Pennsylvania and five counties in
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 * '' ...
state. The first church in the diocese was built in 1825 near Silver Lake. Father O'Flynn died at Danville in 1829, and was succeeded by Father Clancy. On February 1, 1836, Henry Fitzsimmons was sent to take charge of this territory and took up his residence in Carbondale, where a church had been built in 1832. In 1838 John Vincent O'Reilly was sent by Kenrick to assist in administering to the Catholics of this extensive territory. He took up his residence at Silver Lake and his charge comprised Susquehanna, Bradford, Tioga, Potter and Sullivan counties in Pennsylvania and the five adjoining counties in New York. The early history of the diocese is intimately bound to the labors of Father O'Reilly and the foundations of many present parishes were the results of his missionary zeal.


Bishops


Current Bishop

On February 23, 2010,
Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
appointed Monsignor Joseph C. Bambera the tenth Bishop of Scranton. Bambera was ordained and installed as bishop on April 26, 2010, at St. Peter's Cathedral. Cardinal Justin Rigali,
Archbishop 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 ...
, served as principal consecrator and
James Timlin James Clifford Timlin (born August 5, 1927) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Scranton from 1984 to 2003. Timlin was accused in a 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report of covering up sexual ...
, Bishop Emeritus of Scranton, and John Dougherty, former Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton, served as co-consecrators. Pietro Sambi, the
Apostolic Nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international ...
(papal ambassador) to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, read the papal appointment letter.


Bishops of Scranton

The following bishops have served as the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Scranton. # William O'Hara (1868–1899) # Michael Hoban (1899–1927;
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 ...
1896–1899) # Thomas C. O'Reilly (1927–1938) # William Hafey (1938–1954; coadjutor bishop 1937–1938) # Jerome Hannan (1954–1965) # J. Carroll McCormick (1966–1983) # John O'Connor (1983–1984), appointed
Archbishop of New York The Archbishop of New York is the head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, who is responsible for looking after its spiritual and administrative needs. As the archdiocese is the metropolitan bishop, metropolitan see of the ecclesiastic ...
(
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
in 1985) #
James Timlin James Clifford Timlin (born August 5, 1927) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Scranton from 1984 to 2003. Timlin was accused in a 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report of covering up sexual ...
(1984–2003) # Joseph Martino (2003–2009) #
Joseph Bambera Joseph Charles Bambera (born March 21, 1956) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the tenth and current Bishop of Scranton, serving since April 26, 2010. Biography Early life and education Joseph Bambera was born in C ...
(2010–present)


Former auxiliary bishops

* Andrew Brennan (1923–1926), appointed Bishop of Richmond * Martin O'Connor (1942–1946), appointed
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 the
Pontifical North American College The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Pri ...
and later President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and
Apostolic Nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international ...
and
Titular Archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...
* Henry Klonowski (1947–1973) *
James Timlin James Clifford Timlin (born August 5, 1927) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Scranton from 1984 to 2003. Timlin was accused in a 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report of covering up sexual ...
(1976–1984), appointed Bishop of Scranton * Francis X. DiLorenzo (1988–1994), appointed Bishop of Honolulu and later Bishop of Richmond * John Dougherty (1995–2009)


Other priests in the diocese who became bishops

* Eugene Augustine Garvey, appointed Bishop of Altoona in 1901 * Joseph Kopacz, appointed Bishop of Jackson in 2013 * Jeffrey Walsh, appointed Bishop of Gaylord in 2021


Education

Catholic education in the diocese began with the pioneer Father O'Reilly. In the autumn of 1842, he opened a college at St. Joseph's, Susquehanna County. Under his supervision, it grew and flourished and, in the 22 years of its existence, the college educated two bishops and over 20 priests. It was destroyed by fire on January 1, 1864, and was never rebuilt. St. Thomas College was established in 1888 and came under the direction of the Christian Brothers. In 1938, it was elevated to become the
University of Scranton The University of Scranton is a private Jesuit university in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1888 by William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. In 1938, the college was elevated to university status and took t ...
. The
Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
took charge of its governance in 1942.
Marywood University Marywood University is a private Catholic university in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Established in 1915 by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Marywood currently enrolls more than 2,800 students in a variety of undergraduate, grad ...
, also in Scranton, was founded and is operated by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. King's College in Wilkes-Barre is operated by the Congregation of the Holy Cross. And, in
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
,
Misericordia University Misericordia University is a private Roman Catholic university in Dallas, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Religious Sisters of Mercy in 1924 as College Misericordia; in 2007 it became a university and changed its name. The university offers ...
was founded by the
Religious Sisters of Mercy The Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Michigan is a religious institute of pontifical right dedicated to the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. It was established in 1973 in response to the renewal called for in the Second Vatican Council. ...
in 1924. In the 1940s, it opened the South Scranton Catholic High School, later Bishop Klonowski High School. The school closed in 1982. ''Note:'' This includes Due to rapidly declining enrollment and mounting financial obligations, Joseph Martino employed the Meitler Consultants to assess the Catholic schools and provide recommendations to restructure the education system. The final decisions, made in January 2007, resulted in the consolidation of all schools as under direct diocesan control. It created four regional systems (as shown below), and closed many individual schools. All of the secondary education centers in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties were closed and replaced by two regional schools: Holy Cross High School to serve Lackawanna County and Holy Redeemer High School to serve Luzerne County. The curriculum of the diocese was standardized to promote continuity and uniformity in the education of the students, and improvements have been visible in the results of college attendance and standardized test results, which consistently rank well above the area's public schools. In April 2010, Bishop Joseph Bambera announced an adjustment of the diocesan school system, which dealt with financial contributions, marketing, and promotion of the schools, and the closure of four elementary school sites. As of the 2011-2012 school year, the Diocese of Scranton operates six early childhood centers, sixteen elementary schools and four high schools, as shown below (in alphabetical order of the municipality in which they occur). Regional Systems are delineated and high school centers are in boldface.


Early childhood centers

*Saint Gregory Early Childhood Center, Clarks Green *Saint Vincent DePaul Pre-School, Milford *Saint Catherine Pre-School, Moscow *Saint John Neumann Early Childhood Center, Muncy *Domiano Early Childhood Center, Scranton *Immaculate Care Pre-School, Scranton


Holy Cross School System

* Holy Cross High School, Dunmore *Our Lady of Peace Elementary, Clarks Summit *Saint Mary of Mount Carmel Elementary, Dunmore *LaSalle Academy, Dickson City & Jessup *Epiphany Elementary, Sayre *All Saints Academy, Scranton *Saint Clare/Saint Paul Elementary, Scranton *Saint Agnes Elementary, Towanda


Holy Redeemer School System

*
Holy Redeemer High School Holy Redeemer High School is a high school of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton. It is located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States. It is currently the only Catholic high school in Luzerne County Luzerne County is a county in th ...
, Wilkes-Barre *Holy Rosary Elementary School, Duryea * Wyoming Area Catholic Elementary School, Exeter *Holy Family Academy, Hazleton *Good Shepherd Academy, Kingston *Saint Nicholas/Saint Mary Elementary School, Wilkes Barre *Saint Jude Elementary School, Mountain Top


Notre Dame School System

* Notre Dame High School, East Stroudsburg *Monsignor McHugh Elementary, Cresco *Notre Dame (Elementary and Middle), East Stroudsburg


Saint John Neumann School System

* St. John Neumann Regional Academy High School, Williamsport *Saint John Neumann Regional Academy Elementary, Williamsport


Non-diocesan

*
Scranton Preparatory School Scranton Preparatory School is a co-educational Jesuit high school located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States. History Scranton Prep opened its doors in 1944. At the request of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton and of Catholic families ...
, Scranton (Society of Jesus)


Religious institutes

* Religious Sisters of Mercy of the Americas (RSM) * Congregation of Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM),
Marywood University Marywood University is a private Catholic university in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Established in 1915 by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Marywood currently enrolls more than 2,800 students in a variety of undergraduate, grad ...
*
Sisters of Christian Charity The Sisters of Christian Charity (S.C.C.), officially called Sisters of Christian Charity, Daughters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception, is a Roman Catholic papal congregation of consecrated Religious Sisters. They were founded ...
(SCC) *
Sisters of Sts. Cyril and Methodius A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...
(ScCM) *
Congregation of Notre Dame The Congrégation de Notre Dame (CND) is a religious community for women founded in 1658 in Ville Marie (Montreal), in the colony of New France, now part of Canada. It was established by Marguerite Bourgeoys, who was recruited in France to creat ...
(CND) *
Bernardine Sisters of St. Francis The Bernardine Sisters of St. Francis are a Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic apostolic congregation of pontifical right, based in Reading, Pennsylvania. The order was founded in 1894 by Mother Veronica Grzedowska, a Poland, Polish nun from Za ...
(OSF) *
Little Sisters of the Poor The Little Sisters of the Poor (french: Petites Sœurs des pauvres) is a Catholic religious institute for women. It was founded by Jeanne Jugan. Having felt the need to care for the many impoverished elderly who lined the streets of French towns ...
*
Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
(SJ, Jesuits),
University of Scranton The University of Scranton is a private Jesuit university in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1888 by William O'Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, as St. Thomas College. In 1938, the college was elevated to university status and took t ...
and
Scranton Preparatory School Scranton Preparatory School is a co-educational Jesuit high school located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States. History Scranton Prep opened its doors in 1944. At the request of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton and of Catholic families ...
*
Congregation of Holy Cross , image = Congregation of Holy Cross.svg , image_size = 150px , abbreviation = CSC , formation = , founder = Blessed Fr. Basile-Antoine Marie Moreau, C.S.C. , founding_location = ...
(CSC), King's College *
Congregation of the Passion The Passionists, officially named Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ (), abbreviated CP, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men, founded by Paul of the Cross in 1720 with a special emphasis on and de ...
(CP-Passionists), St. Ann's Basilica and Monastery *
Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...
,
Misericordia University Misericordia University is a private Roman Catholic university in Dallas, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Religious Sisters of Mercy in 1924 as College Misericordia; in 2007 it became a university and changed its name. The university offers ...
*
Oblates of St. Joseph , abbreviation = OSJ , founded = , founder = Bishop Joseph Marello , founding_location = Asti, Italy , headquarters = Rome, Italy , type = Clerical Religious Congregation , num_member ...
(OSJ-Italian) * Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP-North American District Headquarters) *
Religious Teachers Filippini The Pontifical Institute of the Religious Teachers Filippini (abbreviated as M.P.F. from the it, Maestre Pie Filippini), known also as the Sisters of St. Lucy Filippini, or simply the Filippini Sisters, is a Catholic religious institute devoted t ...
(MPF),
SS. Anthony and Rocco Convent, Dunmore SS is an abbreviation for ''Schutzstaffel'', a paramilitary organisation in Nazi Germany. SS, Ss, or similar may also refer to: Places * Guangdong Experimental High School (''Sheng Shi'' or ''Saang Sat''), China *Province of Sassari, Italy (veh ...
*
Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...
(SMOM)


Sex abuse investigation

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: Scranton,
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 Taze ...
,
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 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 ...
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 July 27, 2018, the
Pennsylvania Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System. It also claims to be the oldest appellate court in the United States, a claim that is disputed by the Massachusetts Supreme J ...
ordered that a redacted copy of the grand jury report be released to the public. On August 6, 2018, the Diocese released a statement stating that Bishop Bambera would cooperate with the investigation and publish the list of "credibly accused clergy" when the grand jury report is published. The grand jury report was published on August 14, 2018 and showed that 301 clergy were accused of sexually abusing of children, with 59 coming from the Diocese of Scranton. On August 31, 2018, Bishop Bambera forbade former bishop
James Timlin James Clifford Timlin (born August 5, 1927) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Scranton from 1984 to 2003. Timlin was accused in a 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report of covering up sexual ...
from representing the diocese in public, given Timlin's failure to protect children from abusers. Bambera himself had served as the Vicar for Priests for the Diocese of Scranton from 1995 to 1998, and he admitted that during that time he had helped then-Bishop Timlin reassign a priest who had abused a minor, although the decision was made by Timlin. Bambera emphasized that since becoming bishop in 2010, he has pursued a zero-tolerance policy toward clerical abuse. On August 14, 2020, it was revealed that the Diocese of Scranton, along with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and fellow suffragan Dioceses in Pittsburgh and Allentown, was enduring the bulk of 150 new lawsuits filed against all eight Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses. Of these new lawsuits, 30 were filed against the Diocese of Scranton.


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, th ...
*
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 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 Eastern Catholic Ch ...
(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 eparc ...


References


Books

* * * * * * * *


External links


Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic Diocese Of Scranton Scranton, Pennsylvania Religious organizations established in 1868
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 ...
Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 19th century, Scranton 1868 establishments in Pennsylvania