Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis
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The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis ( la, Archidioecesis Indianapolitana) is a division of the
Roman 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 United States. When it was originally erected as the Diocese of Vincennes on May 6, 1834, it encompassed all of
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
as well as the eastern third of
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
. It was renamed the Diocese of Indianapolis on March 28, 1898. Bishop Francis Silas Chatard, who had been living in Indianapolis since 1878 when he was appointed Bishop of Vincennes, became the first Bishop of Indianapolis. It was elevated from 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 associa ...
to a
metropolitan archdiocese A metropolis religious jurisdiction, or a metropolitan archdiocese, is an episcopal see whose bishop is the metropolitan bishop or archbishop of an ecclesiastical province. Metropolises, historically, have been important cities in their provinces. ...
on October 21, 1944. Per the 2000 census, the archdiocese contained 2,430,606 people, 233,273 of whom were Catholic. The archdiocese covers 39 counties in central and southern Indiana, with a total area of 13,757 square miles. Charles Thompson has been the Archbishop of Indianapolis since 2017.


Bishops


Bishops of Vincennes

# Simon Bruté de Rémur (1834–1839) #
Célestine Guynemer de la Hailandière Celestine is a given name and a surname. People Given name * Pope Celestine I (died 432) * Pope Celestine II (died 1144) * Pope Celestine III (c. 1106–1198) * Pope Celestine IV (died 1241) * Pope Celestine V (1215–1296) * Antipope Ce ...
(1839–1847) #
John Stephen Bazin John Stephen Bazin (October 15, 1796–April 23, 1848) was the third Roman Catholic Bishop of Vincennes (now the Archdiocese of Indianapolis). Life Jean Etienne Bazin was born at Duerne, near Lyon, on October 15, 1796, the fourth of nine chi ...
(1847–1848) #
Jacques-Maurice De Saint Palais Jacques-Maurice des Landes d’Aussac de Saint Palais (November 15, 1811 – June 28, 1877) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the fourth Bishop of Vincennes, from 1848 until his death. Biography De Saint Palais ...
(1848–1877)


Bishops of Indianapolis

# Francis Silas Chatard (1878–1918) #
Joseph Chartrand Joseph Chartrand (May 11, 1870 – December 8, 1933) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the 6th Bishop of Indianapolis, serving from 1918 until his death in 1933. Biography Joseph Chartrand was born in St. Louis, Missouri, ...
(1918-1933; coadjutor bishop 1910–1918) #
Joseph Ritter Joseph Elmer Ritter (July 20, 1892 – June 10, 1967) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in Missouri from 1946 until his death in 1967, and was created a cardinal in 1 ...
(1934-1944), elevated to Archbishop ( John T. McNicholas, O.P. was appointed in 1925; did not take effect.)


Archbishops of Indianapolis

# Joseph Ritter (1944–1946), appointed Archbishop of Saint Louis ( Cardinal in 1961) # Paul C. Schulte (1946–1970) #
George Biskup George Biskup (August 23, 1911 – October 17, 1979) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Des Moines, Iowa (1965–1967) and Archbishop of Indianapolis (1970–1979). Biography Early life and ministry Georg ...
(1970–1979;
coadjutor archbishop The term coadjutor (or coadiutor, literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence. These include: * Coad ...
1967–1970) # Edward T. O'Meara (1979–1992) # Daniel M. Buechlein, O.S.B. (1992–2011) # Cardinal
Joseph William Tobin Joseph William Tobin, CSsR, (born May 3, 1952) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. A member of the Redemptorist order, he has been the archbishop of Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey, since 2017. He previously served as the ...
, C.Ss.R. (2012–2017), appointed
Archbishop of Newark The Archdiocese of Newark is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jerse ...
while he was Cardinal-designate # Charles C. Thompson (2017–present)


Auxiliary bishops

* Denis O'Donaghue (1900–1910), appointed Bishop of Louisville *
Joseph Ritter Joseph Elmer Ritter (July 20, 1892 – June 10, 1967) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in Missouri from 1946 until his death in 1967, and was created a cardinal in 1 ...
(1933–1934), appointed Bishop and later Archbishop of Indianapolis (see above); future Cardinal * Christopher J. Coyne (2011–2015), appointed Bishop of Burlington


Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

*
Herman Joseph Alerding Herman Joseph Alerding (April 13, 1845 – December 6, 1924) was a German-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne in Indiana from 1900 until his death in 1924. Biography Early life ...
, appointed Bishop of Fort Wayne in 1900 * Emmanuel Boleslaus Ledvina, appointed Bishop of Corpus Christi in 1921 *
Alphonse John Smith Alphonse John Smith, (November 14, 1883 – December 16, 1935) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Nashville in Tennessee from 1923 to 1935. Biography Alphonse Smith was born on November 14, 1 ...
, appointed Bishop of Nashville in 1923 * Gerald Andrew Gettelfinger, appointed Bishop of Evansville in 1989 *
Paul Etienne Paul Dennis Étienne (born June 15, 1959) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle in Washington State since 2019. Previously, Etienne was bishop of the Diocese of Chey ...
, appointed Bishop of Cheyenne in 2009, Archbishop of Anchorage in 2016, Coadjutor Archbishop of Seattle in 2019 and subsequently succeeded to latter see


History

Before the Archdiocese of Indianapolis was erected in 1944, the episcopal see passed through three other ecclesiastical jurisdictions: the Diocese of Quebec,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, until 1789; the Diocese of Baltimore,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, from 1789 to 1808; and the
Diocese of Bardstown The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown was a Catholic diocese in the United States established in Bardstown, Kentucky on April 8, 1808, along with the Diocese of Boston, Diocese of New York, and Diocese of Philadelphia, comprising the former ...
,
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 ...
, from 1808 to 1834. The archdiocese was the Diocese of Vincennes from 1834 to 1898, and the Diocese of Indianapolis from 1898 to 1944.


Early mission (1675–1834)

The origins of the Catholic mission churches in the area that is now Indiana date to the late seventeenth century, when the Catholic parishes in the area were under the authority of the Diocese of Quebec. It is believed that French Jesuit missionaries first arrived in the area that included present-day
Vincennes, Indiana Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the lower Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state, nearly halfway between Evansville and Terre Haute. Founded in 1732 by French fur ...
, around 1675. Vincennes was the first seat for the episcopal see.Alerding and Chatard, p. 50. The earliest Catholic church at Vincennes was established around 1732 as
Saint Francis Xavier Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December ...
, and served as the cathedral church for the Diocese of Vincennes from 1834 to 1898. Father Sebastian Louis Meurin, Saint Francis Xavier's first resident priest, arrived in May 1748. The parish's earliest records date from April 21, 1749. Following Father Meurin's departure from Vincennes in 1753, several itinerant priests visited the Catholic parish, including Father Pierre Gibault, who served as resident priest at Saint Francis Xavier from 1785 to 1789. In these early years, the Catholic communities in the area experienced hardships during the
American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
, conflicts with Native Americans, and suffered from epidemics that swept through the frontier. They also lacked financial resources and sufficient priests. On November 6, 1789, Pope Pius VI erected the Diocese of Baltimore, the first Catholic diocese in the United States, and the area that became Indiana fell under the authority of John Carroll, Bishop of Baltimore. In 1791 Bishop Carroll sent Father
Benedict Joseph Flaget Benedict Joseph Flaget (November 7, 1763 – February 11, 1850) was a French-born Catholic bishop in the United States. He served as the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown between 1808 and 1839. When the see was transferred to L ...
to succeed Father Gibault at the fledgling Saint Francis Xavier Parish.Kennedy, p. 9. Father Flaget, who arrived at Vincennes in 1792, opened a school and held classes at Saint Francis Xavier before he was recalled to Baltimore in 1795. John Francis Rivet, who came to Vincennes in 1796 as Father Flaget's successor, received an annual teacher's salary of $200 from the
U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...
, making him the first public school teacher in the Northwest Territory. In 1808, Pope Pius VII divided the Catholic churches in the United States and its territories into five dioceses. the Catholic parishes in the northwest territories came under the jurisdiction of the
Diocese of Bardstown The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown was a Catholic diocese in the United States established in Bardstown, Kentucky on April 8, 1808, along with the Diocese of Boston, Diocese of New York, and Diocese of Philadelphia, comprising the former ...
, with Benedict Flaget appointed as its first bishop. In 1832, Bishop Flaget and Bishop
Joseph Rosati Joseph Rosati (30 January 1789 – 25 September 1843) was an Italian-born Catholic missionary to the United States who served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Saint Louis between 1826 and 1843. A member of the Congregation of the Mission, ...
, the first bishop of the Diocese of Saint Louis,
Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
, petitioned the
Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
to name Father Simon Bruté de Rémur as the first Bishop of Vincennes.Kennedy, pp. 12–15.Alerding and Chatard, p. 94.


Diocese of Vincennes (1834–1898)

On May 6, 1834,
Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He ...
issued a Papal Bull to erect the Diocese of Vincennes, the first episcopal see in Indiana. Father Bruté was consecrated as the first Bishop of Vincennes on October 28, 1834, at Saint Louis. At the time of his installation there were only three priests in his diocese, which covered all of Indiana and the eastern third of Illinois.Kennedy, p. 12–15. Bishop Bruté made a point to visit each Catholic family in the new diocese, regardless of the distance from his rectory at Vincennes.Kennedy, p. 17. In 1837, he founded a college at Vincennes, and connected it to a local theological seminary that had been established under the Eudists. Bishop Bruté's devotion to the diocese also contributed to his demise. He became ill while attending a provincial council in
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 ...
, Maryland. The illness weakened the bishop's immune system, but he continued his duties until his death at Vincennes on June 26, 1839. Father Célestine Guynemer de la Hailandière, Bishop Bruté's vicar general, was consecrated as Bishop of Vincennes on August 18, 1839. Among the new bishop's most significant achievements were completing Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral, which he consecrated on August 8, 1841, and construction of a library at Vincennes to house Bishop Bruté's collection of more than 5,000 books and religious documents. Under Bishop Hailandière's leadership the diocese also expanded its services. The Sisters of Providence established its order within the diocese and the Brothers of the Holy Cross to established schools for boys. Father
Edward Sorin Edward Frederick Sorin (French: Édouard Sorin), C.S.C. (February 6, 1814October 31, 1893) was a French-born priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross and the founder of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and of St. Edward's University in Au ...
, founder of the
University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...
, and Mother
Théodore Guérin Anne Thérèse Guérin (2 October 1798 – 14 May 1856), designated by the Vatican as Saint Theodora, was a French-American saint and the foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, a congregation of Catholic sisters at S ...
, founder of
Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods are an apostolic congregation of Catholic women founded by Saint Theodora Guerin (known colloquially as Saint Mother Theodore) at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, in 1840. Mother Theodo ...
, also joined Bishop Hailandière in Indiana. Despite Bishop Hailandière's efforts, Indiana's population grew slowly and the institutions he helped to establish experienced many problems. In 1843 the diocese was divided and the Illinois portion became the Diocese of Chicago. Bishop Hailandière resigned in 1847.Kennedy, p. 21. John Stephen Bazin, Bishop Hailandière's successor, was appointed Bishop of Vincennes on September 3, 1847. Bishop Bazin's consecration took place at Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral on October 24, 1847, making him the first bishop to be ordained in Indiana. Poor health shortened his service to the diocese. The new bishop quickly appointed Jacques Maurice de St. Palais, his
vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop' ...
, as the diocesan administrator. Bishop Bazin died at Vincennes on April 23, 1848, having served the diocese for six months.Kennedy, p. 25. Bishop Bazin's successor, Jacques Maurice de St. Palais, was consecrated as Bishop of Vincennes on January 14, 1849, at Vincennes. During his tenure as bishop, St. Palais had to contend with unresolved monetary issues from Hailandière's episcopacy, a cholera epidemic, and expanding the educational and ministerial opportunities within the diocese. In 1849, Mother Theodore Guerin established an orphanage in Vincennes, and in 1853, monks from
Einsiedeln, Switzerland Einsiedeln () is a municipality and district in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland known for its monastery, the Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey, established in the 10th century. History Early history There was no permanent settlement in the area p ...
, founded Saint Meinrad abbey and seminary in southern Indiana, but plans to open a school for African Americans were never carried out.Kennedy, pp. 27–30. In 1857, the
Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
established the Diocese of Fort Wayne, a suffragan diocese in the northern half of Indiana at Fort Wayne. During the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
, Bishop St. Palais had to contend with the call for soldiers, and several priests from the diocese served as
chaplains A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...
. In 1864, one priest from the diocese, Father Ernest Audran, was drafted as a soldier. Bishop St. Palais did not address the topic of the Emancipation Proclamation because he feared that doing so would venture too far into politics.Kennedy, p. 32. Although Bishop St. Palais recognized that Indianapolis had become a major city (the eighth largest in the United States by 1870), he deferred the decision to move the seat of the diocese to his successor, Silas Chatard.Kennedy, p. 35. At the time of the bishop's death in 1877, the diocese had grown to include 151 churches, 117 priests, and 90,000 parishioners. Silas Chatard, Indiana's first American-born bishop, was consecrated as Bishop of Vincennes in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, on May 12, 1878.Alerding and Chatard, pp. 215–16.Kennedy, p. 37. Bishop Chatard also obtained permission from
Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
to move the bishop's residence and
diocesan chancery A diocesan chancery is the branch of administration which handles all written documents used in the official government of a Catholic or Anglican diocese. It is in the diocesan chancery that, under the direction of the bishop or his representativ ...
to Indianapolis in 1878, but the episcopal see remained at Vincennes.Divita, p. 5.Alerding and Chatard, p. 217. Anticipating the eventual relocation of the episcopal see to Indianapolis, Bishop Chatard established Saints Peter and Paul Parish as a new parish on the city's near north side, where he planned to construct a new cathedral. Chatard's tenure as bishop was also marked by his poor health.Kennedy, p. 39.


Diocese of Indianapolis (1898–1944)

On March 28, 1898,
Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
transferred the episcopal see from Vincennes to Indianapolis, and it became the Diocese of Indianapolis. Bishop Chatard was the first Bishop of Indianapolis. Saint John the Evangelist Church in Indianapolis served as the
pro-cathedral A pro-cathedral or procathedral is a parish church that temporarily serves as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese, or a church that has the same function in a Catholic missionary jurisdiction (such as an apostolic prefecture or apostoli ...
of the diocese until Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral was completed in 1907.Kennedy, p. 90. Bishop Chatard, who was paralyzed by a stroke in 1900, died on September 7, 1918, at Indianapolis. Bishop Chatard's successor, Joseph Chartrand, expanded the educational opportunities for young children in the diocese, which opened more than 25 elementary and secondary schools in Chartrand's first 14 years as bishop. When Bishop Chartrand died in 1933, the diocese had 126 parochial schools and 19 secondary schools. He also faced much adversity, such as the outbreak of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and the rise of
Communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a ...
. Bishop Chartrand dealt with threats from the Ku Klux Klan by publishing a list of Klan members in the ''Indianapolis Times'' newspaper. During the Great Depression he exempted the entire diocese from fasting, with the exception of Fridays during Lent.Kennedy, pp. 42–46. (He was appointed Archbishop of Cincinnati, and Bishop John McNicholas appointed Bishop of Indianapolis, in 1925, but Bishop Chartrand declined the Cincinnati appointment. So, the two Bishops switched places, with Bishop Chartrand being reappointed to Indianapolis.)


Archdiocese of Indianapolis (1944–present)

Joseph Elmer Ritter, who served as auxiliary bishop and vicar general for the diocese, succeeded Chartrand as Bishop of Indianapolis in March 1934. In 1937, seventeen years before ''
Brown v. Board of Education ''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segrega ...
'' (1954), the landmark
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
decision that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional, Bishop Ritter ordered the integration of three girls' schools in the diocese to allow enrollment for students of all races. In 1942, he integrated the Catholic high school in
Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...
.Kennedy, pp. 47–50. In October 1944, Pope Pius XII elevated the Diocese of Indianapolis to a
metropolitan archdiocese A metropolis religious jurisdiction, or a metropolitan archdiocese, is an episcopal see whose bishop is the metropolitan bishop or archbishop of an ecclesiastical province. Metropolises, historically, have been important cities in their provinces. ...
. Bishop Ritter was named the first Archbishop of Indianapolis. The Pope also founded the
Diocese of Evansville The Diocese of Evansville ( la, Dioecesis Evansvicensis) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Southwestern Indiana. On October 21, 1944, the then- Diocese of Indianapolis was split into the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the Diocese of Evan ...
and the Diocese of Lafayette, two suffragan sees in Indiana. In 1946, Archbishop Ritter left Indianapolis to become Archbishop of Saint Louis; he became a Cardinal Priest in 1961. Archbishop Paul Clarance Schulte led the archdiocese from 1946 until 1970, and was called to Rome for the
Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...
. He was known for his humility, for building three high schools in the Indianapolis area and seventeen churches in the archdiocese, and for his leadership during the tumultuous 1960s.Kennedy, pp. 53–55. On December 17, 1956, during Schulte's tenure as Archbishop of Indianapolis, the Diocese of Gary was erected in northwestern Indiana. Archbishop Schulte resigned from the post in Indianapolis in 1970. Upon his retirement in 1984, he was the oldest and longest-serving bishop in the United States. George Joseph Biskup, who became Archbishop of Indianapolis in 1970, established the first Priests Senate in order to expedite decisions and encourage communications between the archbishop and the priests within the archdiocese.Kennedy, pp. 56–58. Edward T. O'Meara, who was installed as the Archbishop of Indianapolis in 1980, reorganized the archdiocesan offices and consolidated many of them into one location at the former Cathedral High School, across the street from Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis. The renovated school was renamed the Catholic Center. Archbishop O'Meara was also concerned about the shortage of priests within the archdiocese. Although the archbishop did not believe that ordination female clergy was a solution to the problem, he appointed women to key roles. Archbishop O'Meara also supported pro-life issues and the needs of the poor.Kennedy, pp. 62–63. The archdiocese celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1984. Archbishop O'Meara's successor, Daniel M. Buechlein, became Archbishop of Indianapolis in September 1992. He continued his ministry of devotion to pro-life issues, Catholic education, and poor relief. Because of his focus on education, the news media designated him the "education bishop." Pope Benedict XVI appointed Christopher Coyne to assist the ailing Buechlein with his duties in March 2011, and on September 21, 2011, the Holy See granted Archbishop Buechlein an early retirement at the age of 73, due to health issues. Auxiliary Bishop Coyne served as Apostolic Administrator until October 2012, when Joseph Tobin was appointed Archbishop of Indianapolis.Kennedy, p. 66. Archbishop-designate Charles C. Thompson was appointed Archbishop of Indianapolis by Pope Francis on June 13, 2017. His Installation Mass was on Friday, 28 July 2017, when he also received the Pallium, the insignia of his role as Metropolitan of the Indiana Province. A Catholic high school teacher in a same-sex marriage was fired and afterward sued the Archdiocese of Indianapolis on July 10, 2019, for discrimination and interfering with his teaching contract. They had reached a settlement in which the school will help with future employment opportunities. Meanwhile, the archdiocese said Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis is no longer recognized as a Catholic institution due to its refusal to fire a teacher in a same-sex marriage.


Patronage

The patron saints of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis are Saints
Francis Xavier Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December ...
and Theodora Guerin. Saint Francis Xavier was the patron of the first cathedral of the diocese, and therefore also of the diocese. Saint Theodora Guerin was the first saint canonized from the archdiocese and was recognized as patroness of the archdiocese in 2006.


Cathedral

Since 1834 three parish churches have served as diocesan cathedrals or as
pro-cathedral A pro-cathedral or procathedral is a parish church that temporarily serves as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese, or a church that has the same function in a Catholic missionary jurisdiction (such as an apostolic prefecture or apostoli ...
s.
Saint Francis Xavier Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December ...
in Vincennes was the cathedral for the diocese from 1834 to 1898. Saint John the Evangelist Church in Indianapolis served as the pro-cathedral for the diocese from 1878 to 1906. Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis began its service as the cathedral church in 1906.


Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral

Saint Francis Xavier Basilica, a
Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but a ...
-style church, dates to 1826, making it the oldest Catholic church in Indiana. It is similar in design to the Bardstown Cathedral in Kentucky.
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 State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...
elevated the historic cathedral to the status of a minor
basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...
in 1970. The cornerstone for Saint Francis Xavier Church was laid on March 30, 1826.Godecker, p. 186.Divita, pp. 10–11 The first services were held in the new church during the summer of 1827, although the interior was not yet complete. A bell tower designed by the architect Jean-Marie Marsile was added in the 1830s. On May 6, 1834, when
Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He ...
issued a Papal Bull to erect the Diocese of Vincennes, Saint Francis Xavier became the cathedral church for the new diocese. The church was still unfinished when Bishop Bruté, the first Bishop of Vincennes, arrived in 1834. Bishop Hailandière continued work to complete the cathedral, which he consecrated on August 8, 1841.Divita, pp. 11–14. Saint Francis Xavier served as the diocesan cathedral until 1898, when the episcopal see was transferred to Indianapolis. The remains of the first four Bishops of Vincennes (Bruté, Hailandière, Bazin, and St. Palais) are buried in Saint Francis Xavier's crypt.Alerding and Chatard, pp. 160–61, 189, 209, and 225. The cathedral's interior features three large murals painted in 1870 by Wilhelm Lamprecht, a German artist. These include a
Crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagi ...
scene, the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
with the patron saints of the first four bishops of Vincennes (Saints Simon, Celestine, Stephen, and Maurice), and Saint
Francis Xavier Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December ...
, the parish's patron saint. Fourteen oil paintings from
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
were procured for the Stations of the Cross.


Saint John the Evangelist Church

In the early 1870s, when Bishop St. Palais visited Indianapolis, he resided at Saint John the Evangelist Church's rectory and used the parish church as the pro-cathedral for the diocese.Divita, pp. 21–23.Horan, pp. 113–15 and 119–22. His successor, Bishop Silas Chatard, formally obtained permission from Pope Leo XIII to establish the bishop's residence and chancery at Indianapolis in 1878. When Bishop Chatard moved to Indianapolis, many considered Saint John as a diocesan cathedral, but it was never officially named as such. Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral remained the official cathedral and Vincennes as the see city for the diocese until March 28, 1898, when Pope Leo XIII officially transferred the episcopal see to Indianapolis and it became the Diocese of Indianapolis.Alerding and Chatard, pp. 215–17. The rectory at Saint John served as the bishop's residence from August 1878 until April 18, 1892, when Bishop Chatard moved into the new rectory at Fourteenth and Meridian Streets in Indianapolis.Bodenhamer and Barrows, p. 1215. The rectory at Saint John continued to house the diocesan chancery until 1968, and it served as the metropolitan tribunal for the diocese until 1982.Divita, pp. 32–33. Saint John Church is the main structure in a cluster of parish buildings on the southwest corner of Georgia Street and Capitol Avenue in Indianapolis. Diedrich A. Bohlen, principal and founder of the architectural firm of D. A. Bohlen and Son, designed the rectory (1863), the present-day Saint Johns Church (1867–71) and the rectory addition (1878).Horan, p. 146. Construction on Saint John Church, which includes a mix of American
Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended to ...
and French Gothic Revival architectural styles, began in April 1867. Bishop St. Palais laid its cornerstone on July 21, 1867, and John B. Purcell, Archbishop of Cincinnati, dedicated the new church on July 2, 1871. Bohlen's son, Oscar, designed the twin spires on the towers that flank the main facade and supervised their construction. Due to the expense, the spires were not added until 1893, more than twenty years after the church's dedication. Guy Leber, an Italian-Swiss painter from
Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
, painted the ceiling of the apse at Saint John with ''The Angels of Glory'' (white-robed angels and halo-crowned seraphs).Divita, p. 25. L. Chovet of Paris, France, provided paintings for the Stations of the Cross.Horan, p. 121. In 1971, on the centennial anniversary of its dedication, the interior of the church was refurbished with the generosity of Monsignor Charles P. Koster. In the confusion following the Second Vatican Council, the communion rail was removed, the altar was repositioned to allow the priest to face the congregation, and the baptismal font was moved to the left transept.


Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral

Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral Parish serves as the seat of the archdiocese. The parish originated in 1892, when Bishop Chatard formally established it in a residential neighborhood north of downtown Indianapolis. Construction for a chapel and rectory at Fourteenth and Meridian Streets began in 1891. The chapel was dedicated on March 25, 1892, and Bishop Chatard moved into the rectory on April 18, 1892. Anticipating the episcopal see's relocation from Vincennes to Indianapolis, Bishop Chatard purchased additional lots at Fourteenth and Meridian Streets in July 1894 to allow for additional space to build a cathedral. Saints Peter and Paul became the cathedral parish for the diocese on March 28, 1898, when Pope Leo XIII officially transferred the seat of the diocese to Indianapolis. At that time Bishop Chatard proceeded with plans to raise fund to build a new cathedral. Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral was built between 1905 and 1907 with a temporary facade.Divita, pp. 33–35. James Renwick Jr.'s architectural firm of Renwick, Aspinwall and Russell, W. L. Coulter of New York designed the Classical Revival-style cathedral, rectory, and adjacent chapel. It is believed the design for the cathedral is modeled after
Saint John Lateran The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran ( it, Arcibasilica del Santissimo Salvatore e dei Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano), also known as the Papa ...
in Rome, Italy. William Whetten Renwick, nephew of American architect James Renwick Jr., assumed sole responsibility for the completion of the cathedral around 1900, a few years after James's death, and simplified its design. The Indianapolis architectural firm of D. A. Bohlen and Son served as local supervisors for the construction project. The high altar of the unfinished Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral was consecrated on December 21, 1906, and the first Pontifical High Mass at the new cathedral took place on December 25, 1906. Construction of the permanent facade and twin
spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires a ...
s was postponed due to a shortage of funds. Bishop Ritter arranged for the completion of the cathedral in 1936, when Indianapolis architect August Bohlen, son of Oscar and grandson of Diedrich Bohlen, supervised construction of the permanent facade, which was designed by Layton (Dick) DeMilt of the Bohlen architectural firm.Divita, pp. 48–51. The permanent facade was also modeled after Saint John Lateran in Rome.Divita, p. 50. The original interior of cathedral was ornately decorated. Major renovations and additions made in 1915, 1936, and 1985 have altered its appearance. William Renwick designed the cathedral's original interior decorations, including three altars, doorway and arch decoration, metal ceiling, and frames for the Stations of the Cross. D. A. Bohlen and Son designed the original baptismal fonts and dark oak furnishings.Divita, pp. 35–37. In 1936 the original murals by Edgar S. Cameron of
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
were covered with glass mosaics that depicted an enthroned
Christ in Majesty Christ in Majesty or Christ in Glory ( la, Maiestas Domini) is the Western Christian image of Christ seated on a throne as ruler of the world, always seen frontally in the centre of the composition, and often flanked by other sacred figures, whos ...
flanked by Saints Peter and Paul.Divita, pp. 37–42 and 51–54. Bishop Chatard commissioned Cesare Aureli, a Roman sculptor, to carve the cathedral's Blessed Mother and Child statue and the Saint Joseph statue in white
Carrara Carrara ( , ; , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, in central Italy, of the province of Massa and Carrara, and notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some west-northwest of Florence. Its mot ...
marble. They were installed around 1909. Aureli's statue of Saint Frances de Sales (Bishop Chatard's patron saint) was delivered in 1911 and installed on the high altar. A life-size
Crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagi ...
was installed above the main altar in 1915. The sanctuary also includes a copy of Antonio Montauti's
Pietà The Pietà (; meaning " pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus after his body was removed from the cross. It is most often found in sculpture. The Pietà is a specific form ...
. Renovations begun in 1985 were based on liturgical changes made following the Second Vatican Council. The refurbished cathedral was rededicated on May 14, 1986. Bishop Joseph Chartrand was ordained a priest in the Saints Peter and Paul chapel on September 24, 1892, and consecrated as Bishop of Indianapolis at the cathedral on September 15, 1910. Joseph Ritter, Chartrand's successor and the first Archbishop of Indianapolis, was consecrated auxiliary bishop at the cathedral in 1933. Bishops Chatard and Chartrand were initially buried in the cathedral's crypt, but their remains were removed and interred at Calvary Cemetery in Indianapolis in 1976.


Churches


Education

The archdiocese contains two Catholic colleges, two seminaries, seven Catholic high schools, and 60 Catholic elementary schools. Circa 2008 the system had about 24,000 students. The archdiocese established the Cristo Rey Project with the Sisters of Providence, for low income students, in fall 2006.


High schools

The following schools are operated under the auspices of the archdiocese: *
Bishop Chatard High School Bishop Chatard High School is a Catholic co-educational preparatory high school located in the Broad Ripple district of Indianapolis, Indiana in the United States. It is named after Bishop Silas Chatard, who was the first Bishop of Indianapolis, ...
, Indianapolis * Cardinal Ritter High School, Indianapolis *
Our Lady of Providence Junior-Senior High School Our Lady of Providence High School is a coed Catholic high school in Clarksville, Indiana, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The school first opened on September 12, 1951. Providence was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Exc ...
, Clarksville * Roncalli High School, Indianapolis * Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School, Indianapolis *
Seton Catholic High School Seton Catholic Preparatory is a college preparatory, co-educational Catholic high school in Chandler, Arizona, United States. Named after St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the school was established in 1954 and is staffed by the Sisters of Charity of Set ...
, Richmond * Father Michael Shawe Memorial High School, Madison The following schools are operated under the auspices of religious institutes: * Cathedral High School, Indianapolis *
Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception is a private Catholic high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary scho ...
, Oldenburg * Providence Cristo Rey High School, Indianapolis


Colleges

* Marian University, Indianapolis ** Site of Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary * Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods, IN * Saint Meinrad Seminary


Archabbey

St. Meinrad Archabbey, a
Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...
Monastery; serves the archdiocese as a
seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...
and lay graduate school of theology. It was founded in 1854 by monks from the
Einsiedeln Abbey Einsiedeln Abbey (german: Kloster Einsiedeln) is a Benedictine Catholic monastery in the village of Einsiedeln in the canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. The abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits, in recognition of Meinrad of Einsiedeln, a he ...
in Switzerland in order to meet the needs of a growing German-speaking Catholic population. In 1969, it opened its programs to lay degree-seekers during the summer for graduate level theological studies and in 1993 opened its lay program during all academic sessions.


Catholic radio

* WSPM 89.1 FM Catholic Radio Indy licensed to Cloverdale with studios in Indianapolis and a repeater: * WSQM 90.9 FM in Noblesville Both stations offer an audiostream from its website
www.catholicradioindy.org
Other stations outside the Archdiocese offer online streaming from the websites of: * WRDF 106.3 FM Redeemer Radio in Fort Wayne * WNOP 740 AM Sacred Heart Radio licensed to Newport, Kentucky and based in Cincinnati. * WVSG 820 AM St. Gabriel Radio in Columbus, Ohio * Radio Maria USA (based at KJMJ Alexandria, Louisiana)


Suffragan sees

*
Diocese of Evansville The Diocese of Evansville ( la, Dioecesis Evansvicensis) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Southwestern Indiana. On October 21, 1944, the then- Diocese of Indianapolis was split into the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the Diocese of Evan ...
*
Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend 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 associate ...
* Diocese of Gary * Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Archdiocese of Indianapolis Official Site''The Criterion''
- diocesan newspaper {{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic Archdiocese Of Indianapolis Indianapolis Archdiocese Indianapolis Indianapolis 1834 establishments in Indiana History of Catholicism in Indiana Culture of Indianapolis