The Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend ( la, Dioecesis Wayne Castrensis–South Bendensis) is a

Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...

ecclesiastical territory or

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in north-central and northeastern

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 ...

. The Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades was appointed diocesan bishop by

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 soverei ...

on November 14, 2009, and was installed on January 13, 2010. The Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend encompasses 14 Indiana counties: Adams,

Allen Allen, Allen's or Allens may refer to: Buildings * Allen Arena, an indoor arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee * Allen Center, a skyscraper complex in downtown Houston, Texas * Allen Fieldhouse, an indoor sports arena on the Unive ...

DeKalb DeKalb or De Kalb may refer to: People * Baron Johann de Kalb (1721–1780), major general in the American Revolutionary War Places Municipalities in the United States * DeKalb, Illinois, the largest city in the United States named DeKalb **DeKal ...

, Elkhart, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange,

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia * Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Islands * Marshall Islands, an i ...

Noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...

, Steuben, St. Joseph, Wabash, Wells, and Whitley. The diocese has a co-cathedral setup with the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne as the primary cathedral and Saint Matthew's Cathedral in

South Bend South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

as the associate cathedral.

History

The Northwest Territory, first explored by French fur traders, was initially under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Quebec, until the establishment in 1789 of the Diocese of Baltimore. Rev.John Francis was vicar-general in the West from 1798 until his death in 1804. In 1808, the area came under the newly established

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 ...

.Alerding, Herman Joseph. ''The Diocese of Fort Wayne, 1857-September 1907'', Fort Wayne, Indiana., Archer Print Company, 1907
/ref> In 1832, Stephen Badin established a mission at

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

. In 1834, the Diocese of Vincennes was created, encompassing all of Indiana and the eastern third of Illinois.

Simon Bruté Simon William Gabriel Bruté de Rémur (March 20, 1779 – June 26, 1839) was a French missionary in the United States and the first bishop of the Diocese of Vincennes, Indiana. President John Quincy Adams called Bruté "the most learned man of h ...

Mount St. Mary's College Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles (known as Mount St. Mary's College until January 2015) is a private, Catholic university primarily for women, in Los Angeles, California. Women make up ninety percent of the student body. It was found ...

in Emmitsburg, Maryland, was named the first bishop.Buechlein, OSB, Daniel. "Reflections on the life and times of Simon Guillaume Gabriel Bruté de Rémur: Pioneer Scholar – Bishop of Vincennes"
/ref> In 1835 Bruté was at South Bend in the course of a 600 mile vistation of the diocese. Rev. M. Ruff, from

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...

, was assigned to St. Mary's Church in Fort Wayne. Ruff was fluent in English, French, and German. St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Lagro was first constructed in 1838, as was St. Vincent de Paul in Logansport and St. Charles Borromeo in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

. Célestin Guynemer de la Hailandière, Bruté's coadjutor and successor, offered land at South Bend to Edouard Sorin of the

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 = L ...

, to build a college. Sorin arrived at the site in November 1842, and began the school using Badin's old

log chapel The log chapel was originally built in 1831 by Rev. Stephen Badin as a mission to the Potawatomi Indians in what would become northern Indiana. It was one of the first Catholic places of worship in Northern Indiana. It was given in 1842 to Fr. ...

, and thus began 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 ...

. In 1840, Rev. Julian Benoit purchased the land for the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Rev. Benoit routinely covered over a dozen mission stations by canal boat or horseback.

Diocese

In 1857, the Diocese of Fort Wayne (''Dioecesis Wayne Castrensis'') was erected as suffragan to the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati The Archdiocese of Cincinnati ( la, Archidiœcesis Cincinnatensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese that covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan ...

, from territory formerly part of the Diocese of Vincennes.

John Luers John Henry Luers (September 29, 1819 – June 29, 1871) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Fort Wayne in Indiana from 1858 until his death in 1871. Biography Early l ...

was appointed the first bishop. St. Patrick's in Chesterton was founded in 1858, as well as St. Paul's in Valparaiso. In 1863, due to the large German-speaking population in the diocese, he invited the

Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ (PHJC) is a female congregation of the Catholic Church. It originated in Dernbach (Westerwald), where the generalate is still located. Their organization for ''associates'' (like Fiat Spiritus) is also open to m ...

, a German religious order, to come to the diocese. He established an orphanage in Rensselaer, Indiana for children who had lost their parent 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 ...

. He also founded the Catholic Clerical Benevolent Association of the Diocese of Fort Wayne for the support of aged and inform priests. The

Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth are a Roman Catholic religious institute that was founded in Rome in 1875 by Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd (Franciszka Siedliska). The Sisters of the Holy Family are an apostolic, international ...

came to the diocese in 1902 to work inn parochial schools. The Sisters of St. Francis of Maryville arrived in 1906; they had charge of the Wabash Railway hospital at Peru, known as St. Ann's Hospital. The

Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart The Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women based in Frankfort, Illinois, and located in the Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Illinois. The Sisters serve in healthcare, education, religious education, pa ...

opened Sacred Heart Hospital in

Garrett, Indiana Garrett is a city in Keyser Township, DeKalb County, Indiana, United States. The population was 6,286 at the 2010 census. History Garrett was platted in 1875 when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was extended to that point. It was named for J ...

in 1901; it later became Garrett Community Hospital. In 1944 it became suffragan to the newly elevated

Archdiocese of Indianapolis The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis ( la, Archidioecesis Indianapolitana) is a division of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. When it was originally erected as the Diocese of Vincennes on May 6, 1834, it encompassed all of ...

. In 1944 and 1956 it lost territory to the newly formed dioceses of

Lafayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...

and Gary, respectively. In 1960 its name was changed to the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend.

Bishops

Bishops of Fort Wayne

John Henry Luers John Henry Luers (September 29, 1819 – June 29, 1871) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the new Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend, Diocese of Fort Wayne in Indiana from 18 ...

(1857–1871) # Joseph Gregory Dwenger (1872–1893) # Joseph Rademacher (1893–1900) #

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 ...

(1900–1924) # John F. Noll (1925–1956) – elevated to Archbishop ''ad personam'' in 1953

Bishops of Fort Wayne–South Bend

# Leo Aloysius Pursley (1956–1976) (diocese name changed in 1960) # William Edward McManus (1976–1985) # John Michael D'Arcy (1985–2009) # Kevin Carl Rhoades (2009–present)

Auxiliary bishops

* Leo Aloysius Pursley (1950-1955) *

Joseph Robert Crowley Joseph Robert Crowley (January 12, 1915 – February 4, 2003) was an American Bishop of the Catholic Church. He served as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend from 1971–1990. Biography Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, ...

(1971-1990) * John Richard Sheets, S.J. (1991-1997) * Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C. (1997-2002), appointed Bishop of Peoria

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

* John George Bennett, appointed Bishop of Lafayette in Indiana in 1944 *

Andrew Gregory Grutka Andrew Gregory Grutka (November 17, 1908 – November 11, 1993) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as first bishop of the Diocese of Gary in Indiana from 1956 to 1984. Biography Early life Andrew Grutka was bor ...

, appointed Bishop of Gary in 1956

Schools

Colleges and universities

* Ancilla Domini College, Donaldson * Holy Cross College, Notre Dame * Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame *

, Notre Dame * University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne

High schools

* Bishop Dwenger High School, Fort Wayne * Bishop Luers High School, Fort Wayne * Marian High School,

Mishawaka Mishawaka is a city on the St. Joseph River, in Penn Township, St. Joseph County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 51,063 as of the 2020 census. Its nickname is "the Princess City". Mishawaka is a principal city of the South Be ...

* Saint Joseph High School,

Grade schools

*Christ the King, South Bend *Corpus Christi, South Bend *Holy Cross, South Bend *Holy Family, South Bend *Huntington Catholic, Huntington *Most Precious Blood, Fort Wayne *Our Lady School, Fort Wayne *Our Lady of Hungary, South Bend *Queen of Angels, Fort Wayne *Queen of Peace, Mishawaka *Sacred Heart,

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

* Saint Adalbert, South Bend *Saint Aloysius,

Yoder ''Yoder'' is a surname of Swiss German origin of which the original spelling is Joder. It originated from the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. The name dates back to at least 1260, and is a shortened version of the name Theodore. Saint Yoder (d ...

*Saint Anthony de Padua, South Bend *Saint Bavo, Mishawaka *Saint Bernard, Wabash *Saint Charles Borromeo, Fort Wayne *Saint John the Baptist, Fort Wayne *Saint John the Baptist,

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...

*Saint John the Baptist, South Bend *Saint John the Evangelist, Goshen *Saint Joseph, Garrett *Saint Joseph, Mishawaka *Saint Joseph, South Bend *Saint Joseph (St. Mary of the Assumption), Decatur *Saint Joseph (St. Rose of Lima), Monroeville *Saint Joseph (Hessen Cassel), Fort Wayne *Saint Joseph-St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (St. Joseph, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton), Fort Wayne *Saint Jude, Fort Wayne *Saint Jude, South Bend *Saint Louis (Besançon), New Haven *

Saint Mary of the Assumption The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Catholic_Mariology#Dogmatic_teachings, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows: We proclaim and d ...

, Avilla *Saint Mary of the Assumption, South Bend *Saint Matthew Cathedral School, South Bend *Saint Michael, Plymouth *Saint Monica, Mishawaka *Saint Pius X,

Granger Granger may refer to: People *Granger (name) *Hermione Granger, a fictional character in Harry Potter United States * Granger, Indiana * Granger, Iowa * Granger, Minnesota * Granger, Missouri * Granger, New York * Granger, Ohio * Granger, Te ...

*Saint Therese, Fort Wayne *Saint Thomas the Apostle, Elkhart *Saint Vincent de Paul, Elkhart *Saint Vincent de Paul, Fort Wayne

Arms

Catholic radio within the diocese

WRDF WRDF (106.3 FM) is a radio station licensed to Columbia City, Indiana located near Fort Wayne, Indiana. The station offers a Catholic Talk format branded as "Redeemer Radio". The station is owned by Fort Wayne Catholic Radio Group, Inc. History ...

"Redeemer Radio" 106.3 FM in Fort Wayne * WRDI "Redeemer Radio" 95.7 FM in South Bend

Reports of sex abuse

In 2003, a partial list which had been released under Bishop John D'Arcy included the names of 16 priests who were credibly accused of sexually abusing 33 children. On August 17, 2018, Bishop Rhoades announced that he would release the full list of clergy in the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend who were credibly accused of sexual abuse "in a matter of weeks." Rhoades noted that he previously listed the names of three priests who he removed from the Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend during his tenure as Bishop due to allegations of sex abuse. On September 18, 2018, Rhoades fulfilled this promise and released the list which revealed the names of 18 priests and deacons who previously served the Diocese and were credibly accused of sexually abusing minors.

Ecclesiastical Province of Indianapolis

:''See: List of the Catholic bishops of the United States#Province of Indianapolis''

References

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend South Bend, Indiana Culture of Fort Wayne, Indiana Roman Catholic Dioceses in Indiana Religious organizations established in 1857 Fort Wayne–South Bend Fort Wayne–South Bend 1857 establishments in Indiana