The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester is a

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 associ ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

in the Upstate region of

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. sta ...

in the United States. The diocese extends from

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...

through

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

and the

Finger Lakes The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located south of Lake Ontario in an area called the ''Finger Lakes region'' in New York, in the United States. This region straddles the northern and transitional ...

region to part of the

Southern Tier The Southern Tier is a geographic subregion of the broader Upstate New York region of New York State, consisting of counties west of the Catskill Mountains in Delaware County and geographically situated along or very near the northern border ...

region near the

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 * '' ...

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, ...

border. The Diocese of Rochester comprises 12 counties with approximately 350,000 Catholics and over 125 faith communities (parishes and chapels), 22 diocesan elementary schools and seven independent parochial high schools. The bishop of the diocese is currently Salvatore Matano. The metropolitan for the diocese is the archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York, currently Cardinal Timothy Dolan. The

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 denominations ...

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 ...

for the diocese is Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester.

History

Founding

The Diocese of Rochester was erected on March 3, 1868, by

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 ...

. He transferred eight counties ( Monroe, Livingston, Wayne,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Seneca,

Cayuga Cayuga often refers to: * Cayuga people, a native tribe to North America, part of the Iroquois Confederacy * Cayuga language, the language of the Cayuga Cayuga may also refer to: Places Canada * Cayuga, Ontario United States * Cayuga, Illinoi ...

, Yates, and Tompkins) from the

Diocese of Buffalo The Diocese of Buffalo is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church headquartered in Buffalo, New York, United States. It is a suffragan diocese within the metropolitan province of the Archdiocese of New York. The Diocese of Buffalo inc ...

to the new Diocese of Rochester. The pope appointed Monsignor Bernard J. McQuaid, from what was then the Diocese of New York, as the first bishop of Rochester. The new diocese included approximately 54,500 Catholics in 35 parish churches and 29 mission churches. In 1896, Pope Leo XIII transferred four more southern counties ( Schuyler, Tioga, Chemung, and Steuben) from the Diocese of Buffalo to the Diocese of Rochester, forming its current boundaries.

Population growth

The Diocese of Rochester grew as more Catholic immigrants moved to

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

, peaking in the 1960s. Since then, the Catholic population has stabilized while the numbers of ordained presbyters (priests) and

religious sisters A religious sister (abbreviated ''Sr.'' or Sist.) in the Catholic Church is a woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute dedicated to apostolic works, as distinguished from a nun who lives a cloistered monastic life dedicated to pra ...

has fallen. *In 1909, there were 121,000 Catholics in 93 parishes, 36 missions and 53 parish schools with 18,000 pupils. There were 164 priests and more than 500 sisters. *In 1938, there were 223,657 Catholics in 129 parishes, 36 missions and 72 parish schools serving 23,796 pupils. There were 289 active diocesan priests. *In 1966, there were 361,790 Catholics in 155 parishes, 36 mission churches and 99 elementary parish schools serving 45,540 pupils. There were 371 active diocesan priests and 1,549 sisters. *In 1978, there were 358,850 Catholics in 161 parishes, 29 mission churches and 75 schools serving 19,526 pupils. There were 311 active diocesan priests and 1,095 sisters. *In 1992, there were 361,384 Catholics in 162 parishes and 58 elementary schools serving 11,992 pupils. There were 208 active diocesan priests and 842 sisters. On September 22, 2017, the Diocese of Rochester inaugurated its sesquicentennial anniversary marked by a

solemn mass Solemn Mass ( la, missa solemnis) is the full ceremonial form of a Mass, predominantly associated with the Tridentine Mass where it is celebrated by a priest with a deacon and a subdeacon,"The essence of high Mass is not the music but the deacon ...

at Sacred Heart Cathedral. This event marks a year long celebration of the 150 year anniversary and the year of the Eucharist which was proclaimed by Bishop Matano on the Feast of Corpus Christi.

Sex abuse allegations

in May 2002, two men sued the Diocese of Rochester, alleging that they had been sexually abused by Robert O'Neil, pastor of St. Christopher Parish in Chili, New York. The plaintiffs said that O'Neil took them in the 1970's to his cottage in

Chaumont, New York Chaumont ( ) is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States. Its population was 624 at the 2010 census. The village is named for Jacques-Donatien Le Ray de Chaumont, son of Benjamin Franklin's landlord and friend at Passy in France. ...

, where he would ply them with alcohol and abuse them. Two parishioners complained about O'Neil during that time to Auxiliary Bishop Dennis Hickey. O'Neil was sent away for treatment at some point, then returned to pastoral work. A week before the lawsuit, the diocese stripped O'Neil of his ministerial duties and banned him from diocesan housing. The Diocese of Rochester revealed in June 2018 that it had paid $1.6 million in compensation since 1950 to 20 individuals who had been sexually abused by diocesan clergy. Most of the payments occurred after 2002, although some were decades old. On June 10, 2019, a Rochester man sued the diocese alleging sexual abuse by Francis Vogt. between 1969 and 1971. The plaintiff said that Vogt started abusing him when he was five years old and that the diocese shielded Vogt from potential prosecution. On September 12, 2019, the Diocese of Rochester 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 wake of lawsuits against clergy who served in the diocese. It was the first diocese in New York State to file for bankruptcy and the 20th diocese in the United States. By August 3, 2020, 70 people had filed lawsuits against the diocese, claiming sexual abuse by priests, nuns and lay people. The new wave of lawsuits 21 clergy who had not been identified before by the diocese. By August 19, 2020, 503 people had filed sex abuse lawsuits against the diocese under the 2019 New York Child Victims Act. The diocese announced on April 6, 2021 that 300 more sex abuse lawsuits were filed against the diocese between August 14, 2019, and December 31, 2020 under the 2019 New York Child Victims Act.

Bishops

The following are lists of bishops and their years of service:

Bishops of Rochester

# Bernard J. McQuaid (1868–1909) # Thomas F. Hickey (1909–1928;

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- ...

1905-1909), appointed

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 archdio ...

''ad personam'' upon retirement # John Francis O'Hern (1929–1933) # Edward A. Mooney (1933–1937), archbishop (ad personam), appointed

Archbishop of Detroit 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 archdio ...

(

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, t ...

in 1946) # James E. Kearney (1937–1966) # Fulton J. Sheen (1966-–1969), appointed archbishop ''ad personam'' upon retirement # Joseph Lloyd Hogan (1969–1978) # Matthew H. Clark (1979–2012) # Salvatore Ronald Matano (2013–present)

Former auxiliary bishops

* Lawrence B. Casey (1953–1966), appointed bishop of Paterson *

John Edgar McCafferty John Edgar McCafferty (January 6, 1920 – April 30, 1980) was a Bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rochester from 1968 to 1980. Biography Born in New York City, John McCaffert ...

(1968–1980) * Dennis Walter Hickey (1968–1990)

Other diocesan priests who became bishops

Edward Joseph Hanna Edward Joseph Hanna (July 21, 1860 – July 10, 1944) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of San Francisco from 1915 to 1935. Early life and education Edward Hanna was born in Rochester, New York, to ...

, appointed auxiliary bishop of San Francisco in 1912 and later

archbishop of San Francisco The Archdiocese of San Francisco ( Latin: ''Archdiœcesis Sancti Francisci''; Spanish: ''Archidiócesis de San Francisco'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the ...

* Walter Andrew Foery, appointed

bishop of Syracuse The Archdiocese of Siracusa, also known as Syracuse, ( la, Archidioecesis Syracusana) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Sicily. It became an archdiocese in 1844.

in 1937 *

James Michael Moynihan James Michael Moynihan (July 6, 1932 – March 6, 2017) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the ninth Bishop of Syracuse. Biography James Moynihan was born in Rochester, New York, to Michael Joseph and Carolyn Elizabeth ...

, appointed

in 1995

Schools

Primary schools

Former primary schools

Over the years, as Catholic populations moved to the suburbs, the Diocese of Rochester has closed parishes and their schools. These include the former Holy Apostles, Holy Redeemer, Holy Rosary, Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Victory, Sacred Heart, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Augustine, St. Casimir, St. Francis Xavier, St. Helen, St. John the Evangelist, St. Joseph, St. Lucy, St. Mary, St. Michael, St. Patrick, Ss. Peter and Paul, St. Stanislaus, and St. Theresa. In 2008, facing growing deficits and declining enrollments, the diocese closed the following schools: *Holy Family School, Dansville *All Saints Catholic Academy, Gates *Catherine McAuley, Greece *St. Margaret Mary, Irondequoit *Holy Trinity, Webster *St. John of Rochester, Fairport *St. John the Evangelist, Spencerport *Good Shepherd,

Henrietta Henrietta may refer to: * Henrietta (given name), a feminine given name, derived from the male name Henry Places * Henrietta Island in the Arctic Ocean * Henrietta, Mauritius * Henrietta, Tasmania, a locality in Australia United States * Henrie ...

*Holy Cross, Rochester (reopened in 2011) *Holy Family, Rochester *Corpus Christi, Rochester *St. Andrews, Rochester *St. Boniface, Rochester *St. Monica, Rochester In May 2020, the diocese announced that Siena Catholic Academy would close at the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

High schools

The diocese has five traditionally Catholic high schools (or combined junior/senior high schools). These schools were founded by various

religious orders A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious pract ...

and operate independently of the diocese itself. File:Aquinas Institute front entrance.JPG, Aquinas Institute File:Bishop Kearney High School.JPG, Bishop Kearney High School File:McQuaidJesuitHighSchoolFrontEntranceB.JPG, McQuaid Jesuit High School File:GreeceOdysseyAcademyFrontEntrance.JPG, The former Cardinal Mooney High School

Former high schools

*Academy of the Sacred Heart, Rochester, 1855–1969 * Cardinal Mooney High School, Greece, 1962–1989 * DeSales High School, Geneva, 1912–2012 * Nazareth Academy, Rochester, 1871–2010 *St. Agnes High School, Rochester, 1954–1982 *King's Preparatory, Rochester, 1967–1970 *St. Anthony of Padua College Prep School, Watkins Glen, 1949–1970 *Holy Family High School, Auburn, 1904–1957 *Mt. Carmel High School, Auburn, 1957–1970

Former seminaries

*St. Andrew's Preparatory Seminary, 1870–1967 *

Saint Bernard's Seminary Saint Bernard's Seminary is a historic former Catholic seminary complex located at Rochester in Monroe County, New York. The educational institution formerly inhabiting the complex changed its name to St. Bernard's Institute and moved to the camp ...

, 1893–1981

Former liberal arts colleges

* Nazareth College, became independent in the 1970s *

St. John Fisher College St. John Fisher University is a private liberal arts college in Pittsford, New York. It is named after John Fisher, an English Catholic cardinal and saint. It was named St. John Fisher College until July 1, 2022. History St. John Fisher Univers ...

, became independent in 1968

Former charitable institutions

*St. Ann's Home (now St. Ann's Community) *St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum (later St. Joseph's Villa, now Villa of Hope) *St. Mary's Boys' Home *St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester, Monroe County *St. Patrick's Girls' Home

Counties

This is a list of the counties in

that fall into the Diocese of Rochester: * Monroe *

Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American customs ...

* Wayne *

* Seneca *

Yates Yates may refer to: Places United States * Fort Yates, North Dakota *Yates Spring, a spring in Georgia, United States *Yates City, Illinois * Yates Township, Illinois *Yates Center, Kansas * Yates, Michigan * Yates Township, Michigan *Yates, Misso ...

* Tompkins * Schuyler (added in 1896) * Tioga (added in 1896) * Chemung (added in 1896) * Steuben (added in 1896)

Publishing

The Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. (RCPA) is a New York 501(c)3 organization that serves as the publishing arm of the Diocese of Rochester. The RCPA publishes the monthly
Catholic Courier
' newspaper'','' the Spanish-language
El Mensajero Católico
'' the ''Official Directory of the Diocese of Rochester'' and related digital media. The ''Courier'' was founded in 1889 as ''The Catholic Journal.'' The paper became the Catholic Courier in 1989, its 100th anniversary.' The Rochester Diocese took ownership of the newspaper during the Great Depression. The ''Courier'' has won state and national awards for journalistic excellence.

Arms

References

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester Official Site''Catholic Courier'' Official Site
* {{authority control Religious organizations established in 1868 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 19th century 1868 establishments in New York (state) Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019