The Diocese of Wilmington ( la, Dioecesis Wilmingtoniensis) 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 the eastern

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 ...

and comprises the entire

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

and the

Eastern Shore of Maryland The Eastern Shore of Maryland is a part of the U.S. state of Maryland that lies mostly on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay. Nine counties are normally included in the region. The Eastern Shore is part of the larger Delmarva Peninsula that ...

(i.e. the parts of the

Delmarva Peninsula The Delmarva Peninsula, or simply Delmarva, is a large peninsula and proposed state on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by the vast majority of the state of Delaware and parts of the Eastern Shore regions of Maryland and Virginia ...

not in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

: the nine Maryland counties included here are Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester). The Diocese of Wilmington is one of four Catholic dioceses in the United States to have territory in more than one federal entity; the Diocese of Gallup and the

Diocese of Norwich The Diocese of Norwich is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Church of England that forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. History It traces its roots in an unbroken line to the diocese of the Bishop of the Eas ...

each span two states while the Archdiocese of Washington spans

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

and five counties of Maryland. On Thursday, April 30, 2021, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of

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 ...

William Francis Malooly and appointed

William Edward Koenig William Edward Koenig (born August 17, 1956) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as the tenth bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington in Delaware since 2021. Biography Early life William Koenig was born on ...

as his successor.

History

Rev. Patrick Kenney established the first Roman Catholic mission in Delaware was in 1804 on the site of the Coffee Run Cemetery in Mill Creek, Delaware. The

Coffee Run Mission Site Coffee Run Mission Site, also known as Coffee Run Church and St. Mary's Church, is a historic mission church site and national historic district located at Hockessin, New Castle County, Delaware. It encompasses two contributing buildings, both no ...

was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1973. On 3 March 1868,

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

erected the Diocese of Wilmington with territory consisting of the state of Delaware taken from the

Diocese 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 as ...

, Caroline,

Cecil Cecil may refer to: People with the name * Cecil (given name), a given name (including a list of people and fictional characters with the name) * Cecil (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Canada *Cecil, Alberta, ...

, Dorchester,

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, Queen Anne's,

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

Talbot Talbot was an automobile marque introduced in 1902 by English-French company Clément-Talbot. The founders, Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury and Adolphe Clément-Bayard, reduced their financial interests in their Clément-Talbot ...

, Wicomico, and

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...

counties of the

and Accomack and Northampton counties on the

Eastern Shore of Virginia The Eastern Shore of Virginia consists of two counties ( Accomack and Northampton) on the Atlantic coast detached from the mainland of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The region is part of the Delmarva Peninsula and is se ...

taken from the

Archdiocese of Baltimore The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore ( la, link=no, Archidiœcesis Baltimorensis) is the premier (or first) see of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the United States. The archdiocese comprises the City of Baltimore and nine of M ...

. The pope designated the new diocese, which encompassed the entire

, as a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore. On 28 May 1974,

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

transferred both counties in Virginia to the

Diocese of Richmond The Diocese of Richmond ( la, Diœcesis Richmondiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. Its current territory encompasses all of central and southern Virginia, Hampton Roads ...

, establishing the present territory of the diocese, consisting of the entire state of Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Sexual abuse cases

In 2009, the diocese filed for

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 ...

in the face of financial liabilities from lawsuits regarding sexual abuse by priests. In 2011, 150 victims received an average of $310,000 each, totaling $77.425 million. Defendants in the cases were not identified.

Bishops

Bishops of Wilmington

Thomas Albert Andrew Becker Thomas Albert Andrew Becker (December 20, 1832 – July 29, 1899) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington (1868–1886) and the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Savannah in ...

(1868–1886), appointed

Bishop of Savannah The Diocese of Savannah is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising 90 of the southern counties of the state of Georgia.

# Alfred Allen Paul Curtis (1886–1896) # John James Joseph Monaghan (1897–1925) #

Edmond John Fitzmaurice Edmond John Fitzmaurice (June 24, 1881 – July 26, 1962) was an Irish-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington in Delaware from 1925 to 1960. Biography Early life and education Edm ...

(1925–1960), appointed Archbishop ''ad personam'' upon retirement in 1960
- Hubert James Cartwright (

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 ...

1956–1958); died before succession #

Michael William Hyle Michael William Hyle (October 13, 1901 – December 26, 1967) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington in Delaware from 1960 until his death in 1967. Biography Early life Micha ...

(1960–1967; coadjutor bishop 1958–1960) # Thomas Joseph Mardaga (1968–1984) #

Robert Edward Mulvee Robert Edward Mulvee (February 15, 1930December 28, 2018) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Mulvee served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Manchester in New Hampshire (1977-1985), as bishop of the Diocese of Wilmi ...

(1985–1995), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Providence and later succeeded to that see # Michael Angelo Saltarelli (1995–2008) # William Francis Malooly (2008–2021) #

(2021-present)

Other priests of the diocese who became bishops

Benjamin Joseph Keiley Benjamin Joseph Keiley (October 13, 1847 – June 17, 1925) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Savannah in Georgia from 1900 to 1922. Biography Early life and education Benjamin Keiley was born ...

(priest here 1873–1886), appointed

in 1900 * James C. Burke, O.P., was Territorial Prelate of Chimbote (1965-1978, being consecrated bishop in 1967) before serving here 1978-1994 * John Barres, appointed Bishop of Allentown in 2009 and later Bishop of Rockville Centre

Churches

High schools

Padua Academy Padua Academy is an all-girls Catholic high school in Wilmington, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington. The school strongly emphasizes college preparation, leadership, civic responsibility, and spiritual ...

, Wilmington, DE * Saints Peter and Paul High School, Easton, MD * St. Elizabeth High School, Wilmington, DE * St. Mark's High School, Wilmington, DE

Closed schools

* St. Thomas More Preparatory, Magnolia, DE

References

;Notes ;Citations

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington Official Site

''The Dialog''
newspaper published by The Diocese {{authority control Wilmington Wilmington Catholic Church in Delaware Catholic Church in Maryland Religious organizations established in 1868 Wilmington 1868 establishments in Delaware Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009