The Diocese of Rochester () is a

Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...

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, prov ...

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 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

in the Upstate region of

New York State New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

in the United States. The bishop of the diocese is currently Salvatore Matano. The metropolitan for the diocese is the archbishop of the

Archdiocese of New York The Archdiocese of New York () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in the New York (state), State of New York. It encompasses the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island in New York ...

– currently Timothy Cardinal Dolan. The

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

for the diocese is the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Rochester. The patron saint of the diocese is English cardinal

John Fisher John Fisher (c. 19 October 1469 – 22 June 1535) was an English Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Rochester from 1504 to 1535 and as chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He is honoured as a martyr and saint by the Catholic Chu ...

. The diocese 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.

Territory

The Diocese of Rochester 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 (state), New York. The Canada–United Sta ...

through

Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...

, and the Finger Lakes region to part of the

Southern Tier The Southern Tier is a geographic subregion of the broader Upstate New York, Upstate region of New York (state), New York State, geographically situated along or very near the state border with Pennsylvania. Definitions of the region vary wide ...

region near the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

border. The diocese includes the following counties: *

Monroe Monroe or Monroes may refer to: People and fictional characters * Monroe (surname) * Monroe (given name) * James Monroe, 5th President of the United States * Marilyn Monroe, actress and model Places United States * Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorp ...

* Livingston * Wayne *

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

* 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, Illinois ...

* Yates * Tompkins * Schuyler (added in 1896) *

Tioga Tioga may refer to: United States communities *Tioga, California, former name of Bennettville, California *Tioga, Colorado * Tioga, Florida * Tioga, Iowa * Tioga, Louisiana * Tioga, Michigan * Tioga, New York, a town in Tioga County *Tioga County, ...

(added in 1896) * Chemung (added in 1896) *

Steuben Steuben or Von Steuben most commonly refers to Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben (1730–1794), Prussian-American military officer, or to a number of things named for him in the United States. It may also refer to: Places *Steuben Township, Marshall C ...

(added in 1896)

History

Early history

During the Dutch and British rule of the

Province of New York The Province of New York was a British proprietary colony and later a royal colony on the northeast coast of North America from 1664 to 1783. It extended from Long Island on the Atlantic, up the Hudson River and Mohawk River valleys to ...

in the 17th and 18th centuries, Catholics were banned from the colony. Richard Coote, the first colonial governor, passed a law at the end of the 17th century that mandated a life sentence to any Catholic priest found in the colony. The penalty for harboring a Catholic was a £250 fine plus three days in the

pillory The pillory is a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, used during the medieval and renaissance periods for punishment by public humiliation and often further physical abuse. ...

. In 1763, Catholic Bishop

Richard Challoner Richard Challoner (29 September 1691 – 12 January 1781) was an English Catholic prelate who served as Vicar Apostolic of the London District during the greater part of the 18th century, and as Titular Bishop of Doberus. In 1738, he publishe ...

of London stated that:

"... in New York, one may find a Catholic here and there, but they have no opportunity of practicing their religion as no priest visits them, and … there is not much likelihood that Catholic priests will be permitted to enter these provinces."

During the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

, the new State of New York in 1777 approved a

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...

that guaranteed freedom of worship for Catholics. This was soon followed by the same guarantee in the

US Bill of Rights The United States Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. It was proposed following the often bitter 1787–88 debate over the ratification of the Constitution and written to address the object ...

1784 to 1868

In 1784,

Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI (; born Count Angelo Onofrio Melchiorre Natale Giovanni Antonio called Giovanni Angelo or Giannangelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to hi ...

erected the Apostolic Prefecture of United States of America, including all of the new United States. In 1789, the same pope raised this prefecture to the

Diocese of Baltimore The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore () is the archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in northern and western Maryland, western Maryland in the United States. It is the Metropolis (religious jurisdiction)#Western Catholic Ch ...

. In 1808,

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII (; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823) was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He ruled the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again ...

erected the Diocese of New York, taking all of New York State from the Diocese of Baltimore. In Auburn, the first mass for non-native Catholics was held in a private residence in 1816. The first church in the future City of Rochester was St. Patrick's, built in 1823. In 1832, the first church in

Geneva, New York Geneva is a City (New York), city in Ontario County, New York, Ontario and Seneca County, New York, Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is at the northern end of Seneca Lake (New York), Seneca Lake; all land port ...

, St. Francis de Sales, was constructed.

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

erected the

Diocese of Buffalo The Diocese of Buffalo () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Western New York in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese within the metropolitan province of the Archdiocese of New York. The Diocese of Buffalo includes ei ...

in 1847, include all of the present-day Diocese of Rochester.

1868 to 1881

The Diocese of Rochester was erected on March 3, 1868, by Pius IX. He transferred eight counties (

, Livingston, Wayne,

, Seneca,

, Yates, and Tompkins) from the Diocese of Buffalo to the new diocese. The pope appointed Monsignor Bernard J. McQuaid, from the Diocese of New York as the first bishop of Rochester. The new diocese included approximately 54,500 Catholics, 35 parish churches and 29 mission churches. In February 1869, McQuaid tried to remove the Reverend Thomas O'Flaherty from his position as pastor of Holy Family Church in Auburn. This was due to O'Flaherty's alleged financial mismanagement of the parish and his refusal to provide a

financial statement Financial statements (or financial reports) are formal records of the financial activities and position of a business, person, or other entity. Relevant financial information is presented in a structured manner and in a form which is easy to un ...

to McQuaid. When O'Flaherty refused reassignment, McQuaid suspended him from ministry. McQuaid lifted the suspension 23 years later, at the behest of the apostolic delegate,

Francesco Satolli Francesco Satolli (21 July 1839 – 8 January 1910) was an Italian theologian, professor, cardinal, and the first Apostolic Delegate to the United States. Biography He was born on 21 July 1839, at Marsciano near Perugia. He was educated at ...

, on the condition that O'Flaherty not return to the diocese. When McQuaid first arrived in Rochester, the only true parochial schools were operated by the five German-language parishes, educating a total of 2,000 students. In 1870, McQuaid opened the St. Patrick

minor seminary A minor seminary or high school seminary is a secondary day or boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming Priesthood (Catholic Church), Catholic priests. They are generally ...

for young men wanting to enter the priesthood. It was renamed St. Andrew's in 1879. In 1871, McQuaid announced his plan to create a system of tuition-free parochial schools in the diocese, staffed by the

Sisters of St. Joseph The Sisters of St. Joseph, also known as the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, abbreviated CSJ or SSJ, is a Catholic religious congregation of women founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, in 1650. This congregation, named for Saint Jo ...

1881 to 1900

In 1881, McQuaid restricted Reverend Louis Lambert to ministry in his own parish, St. Mary's Church in

Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, 1815 battle where Napoleon's French army was defeated by Anglo-allied and Prussian forces * Waterloo, Belgium Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Australia * Waterloo, New South Wale ...

. Lambert had been regularly criticizing McQuaid in newspaper columns. Lambert twice appealed McQuaid's decision to the Vatican, which upheld McQuaid both times. In 1888, McQuaid dismissed Lambert from the diocese, but he appealed again to the Vatican. In January 1890, the Vatican refused Lambert's request for reinstatement in Waterloo, but required McQuaid to reassign him elsewhere in the diocese. Lambert served as pastor of Assumption Parish in Scottsville until his death in 1910. In September 1893, Saint Bernard's Seminary opened in Rochester with 39 seminarians and eight faculty members. The faculty included Reverend Edward Hanna as professor of

dogmatic theology Dogmatic theology, also called dogmatics, is the part of theology dealing with the theoretical truths of faith concerning God and God's works, especially the official theology recognized by an organized Church body, such as the Roman Catholic Chu ...

and Reverend

Andrew Breen A.E. (Andrew Edward) Breen (June 15, 1863 - September 10, 1938) was an American Catholic Priest, notable theologian and author. Rev. Breen was born in Amity, Allegany County, NY to David and Ellen Breen. He had an older brother, John Breen who was ...

as professor of Hebrew and Scripture. McQuaid himself taught

homiletics In religious studies, homiletics ( ''homilētikós'', from ''homilos'', "assembled crowd, throng") is the application of the general principles of rhetoric to the specific art of public preaching. One who practices or studies homiletics may be ...

there. Saint Bernard's became a national model for a seminary; by 1910, it had an enrollment of 233 seminarians, second only to St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore. In 1896,

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

transferred four more southern counties ( Schuyler, Tioga, Chemung, and Steuben) from the Diocese of Buffalo to the Diocese of Rochester, forming its current boundaries.

1900 to 1933

In 1905,

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X (; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing Modernism in the Catholic Church, modern ...

appointed Monsignor Thomas F. Hickey of Rochester as coadjutor bishop in the diocese to assist McQuaid. McQuaid died in 1909. At that time, 53 of the diocese's 93 parishes had their own parochial school, with 18,000 total students. After McQuaid's death, Hickey automatically became the second bishop of Rochester. Hickey established a

catechetical Catechesis (; from Greek: , "instruction by word of mouth", generally "instruction") is basic Christian religious education of children and adults, often from a catechism book. It started as education of converts to Christianity, but as t ...

program for Catholic children enrolled in

public schools Public school may refer to: *Public school (government-funded), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government *Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging private schools in England and Wales *Great Public Schools, ...

. He supported the apostolate to

deaf Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...

persons, pioneered the work of

Catholic Charities The Catholic Church operates numerous charitable organizations. Catholic spiritual teaching includes spreading the Gospel, while Catholic social teaching emphasises support for the sick, the poor and the afflicted through the corporal and spir ...

within the diocese, and helped the New York bishops establish an office to communicate with the

New York Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an offici ...

about Catholic concerns. Hickey led the creation of the Aquinas Institute for Boys and Nazareth Academy for girls in Rochester, and the founding of Nazareth College in Pittsford. Hickey retired in 1928. In 1929, Monsignor John Francis O'Hern of Rochester was appointed the third bishop of the diocese by

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI (; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, ; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of the Vatican City State u ...

. During his tenure, O'Hern worked toward establishing

ecumenical Ecumenism ( ; alternatively spelled oecumenism)also called interdenominationalism, or ecumenicalismis the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships ...

ties with non-Catholics and promoting numerous associations of the

laity In religious organizations, the laity () — individually a layperson, layman or laywoman — consists of all Church membership, members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-Ordination, ordained members of religious orders, e ...

. He supported the Community Chest and

American Red Cross The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...

, and provided

chaplain 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 ...

s for Catholics students attending secular colleges in the diocese. O'Hern died in 1933.

1933 to 1969

named Archbishop Edward Mooney, formerly the Apostolic Delegate to

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, as the next bishop of Rochester in 1933. During his tenure in Rochester, Mooney promoted the

Catholic Action Catholic Action is a movement of Catholic laity, lay people within the Catholic Church which advocates for increased Catholic influence on society. Catholic Action groups were especially active in the nineteenth century in historically Catholic cou ...

movement and the

Knights of Peter Claver The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary is an international Catholic fraternal service order. Founded in 1909 by the Josephites and parishioners from Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Mobile, Alabama, it is the largest and o ...

as a means of outreach to the

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

community. He also took a deep interest in

Catholic social teaching Catholic social teaching (CST) is an area of Catholic doctrine which is concerned with human dignity and the common good in society. It addresses oppression, the role of the state, subsidiarity, social organization, social justice, and w ...

and labor relations. In 1937, Pius XI appointed Mooney as the first archbishop of the

Archdiocese of Detroit The Archdiocese of Detroit () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church covering the south-east portion of Michigan in the United States. The archdiocese consists counties of Lapeer County, Michigan, Lap ...

. To replace Mooney in Rochester, Pius IX in 1937 selected Bishop James E. Kearney of the Diocese of Salt Lake. Kearney did much of the original planning of

McQuaid Jesuit High School McQuaid Jesuit High School is an all-male, Catholic, Jesuit, college preparatory school run by the USA Northeast Jesuit province of the Society of Jesus in the metropolitan area of Rochester, New York. The school is named Named after Bernard John M ...

in Brighton. Kearney resigned in 1966.

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul 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 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

then named Auxiliary Bishop Fulton J. Sheen of New York as the next bishop of Rochester. While serving in Rochester, he created the Sheen Ecumenical Housing Foundation. In 1967, Sheen decided to give the St. Bridget's Parish building to the federal

Housing and Urban Development The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the secretary of housing and u ...

program. Sheen wanted to let the government use it for services for African-Americans. There was a protest in the community since Sheen had acted on his own accord. The pastor disagreed with Sheen's initiative, saying that "There is enough empty property around without taking down the church and the school." The deal eventually fell through. Sheen resigned as bishop in 1969 to devote more time to his writings;

elevated him to a

titular archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

1969 to present

To replace Sheen in Rochester, Paul VI in 1969 selected Monsignor Joseph Hogan as bishop. After serving nine years as bishop, Hogan resigned in 1978.

Pope John Paul I Pope John Paul I (born Albino Luciani; 17 October 1912 – 28 September 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal h ...

I then named Reverend Matthew H. Clark of the Diocese of Albany as the next bishop of Rochester. In 1986, Cardinal Josef Ratzinger ordered Clark to withdraw his

imprimatur An imprimatur (sometimes abbreviated as ''impr.'', from Latin, "let it be printed") is a declaration authorizing publication of a book. The term is also applied loosely to any mark of approval or endorsement. The imprimatur rule in the Catho ...

, or church approval, from a

sex education Sex education, also known as sexual education, sexuality education or sex ed, is the instruction of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, Human sexual activity, sexual activity, sexual reproduction, safe sex, birth ...

manual written by a diocesan priest. Ratzinger said the manual was "defective" on church teachings. That same year, Clark defended one of his priests, the theologian Charles Curran, from criticism by Vatican officials for his stands on

birth control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only be ...

, abortion rights for women,

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...

, and divorce. In 1998, the diocese removed Reverend James Callan as pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in Rochester. Callan had come into conflict with the diocese for opening communion to non-Catholics and blessing the unions of

LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...

couples. He also allowed Mary Rammerman, a lay pastor, to raise the

chalice A chalice (from Latin 'cup', taken from the Ancient Greek () 'cup') is a drinking cup raised on a stem with a foot or base. Although it is a technical archaeological term, in modern parlance the word is now used almost exclusively for the ...

during mass. After the diocese transferred Callan and fired Rammerman, the congregation split from the diocese, forming Spiritus Christi Church. The diocese later removed Callan from his ministerial duties after he appeared at a service at the new church. In 2003, Clark was criticized over his $11 million renovation and liturgical re-alignment of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester. Clark received some credit for clamping down on abusive priests; in 2004, the diocese was deemed to be in "full compliance" with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People There have been many lawsuits, criminal prosecutions, and scandals over sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy in the United States of America. The issue of child sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests was first publicized in 1985 when a Louisia ...

. Clark presided over the unpopular closing of many of Rochester's parochial schools and parishes, pledging to complete the "re-sizing" of the diocese prior to his retirement in 2012. As of July 2024, the bishop of Rochester is Salvatore Matano, formerly bishop of the Diocese of Burlington. He was appointed by

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

in 2013. In September 2017, the diocese inaugurated its sesquicentennial anniversary, marked by a

Solemn Mass Solemn Mass () 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, requiring most of the parts of the Mass to be sung, and the use of incense. ...

at Sacred Heart Cathedral. The event marked a year-long celebration of the 150-year anniversary and the year of the Eucharist, which Matano proclaimed on the

Feast of Corpus Christi The Feast of Corpus Christi (), also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is a liturgical solemnity celebrating the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist; the feast is observed by the Latin Church, in addition to ...

. The diocese filed for bankruptcy protection in September 2019 due to the numerous lawsuits it faced for sexual abuse of children by its clergy. As of July 2024, the bankruptcy court was still working on a settlement.

Statistics

The Diocese of Rochester grew as more Catholic immigrants moved to Rochester, peaking in the 1960s. Since then, the Catholic population has stabilized while the number of priests and

religious sisters A religious sister (abbreviated: Sr.) 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 prayer and lab ...

has fallen. *1909 – 121,000 Catholics in 93 parishes, 36 missions and 53 parish schools with 18,000 pupils. The diocese had 164 priests and over 500 sisters. *1938 – 223,657 Catholics in 129 parishes, 36 missions and 72 parish schools serving 23,796 pupils. There were 289 active diocesan priests. *1966 – 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. *1978 – 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. *1992 –162 parishes and 58 elementary schools serving 11,992 pupils. There were 208 active diocesan priests and 842 sisters.

Sexual abuse allegations

In August 1985, Brother John Walsh, vice principal of Cardinal Mooney High School in

Greece, New York Greece is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. A contiguous suburb of Rochester, it is the largest town by population in Monroe County and the second-largest municipality by population in the county, behind only the city of Roche ...

, was arrested on

kidnapping Kidnapping or abduction is the unlawful abduction and confinement of a person against their will, and is a crime in many jurisdictions. Kidnapping may be accomplished by use of force or fear, or a victim may be enticed into confinement by frau ...

charges. Walsh had forced two boys he encountered on the street in Rochester into his car at gunpoint and tried to pay them for sex. He later released the boys unharmed. Walsh pleaded guilty in January 1986 to coercion and unlawful imprisonment and was sentenced to six months in jail. A former student at Cardinal Mooney sued the diocese in January 2020, stating that he had been sexually assaulted numerous times by Walsh between 1966 and 1969. Reverend Gerard Guli of Holy Rosary Parish in Rochester was arrested in April 1989 on first-degree sexual abuse charges. He was accused of fondling the breasts of a nursing home patient who had severe

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

. Guli pleaded guilty later that year and was sentenced to five years of

probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offence (law), offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incar ...

. The Vatican later laicized Guli at his own request. Reverend Eugene Emo was arrested in February 1996 on charges of sexually abusing a man with developmental disabilities in Cohocton, New York. The diocese had removed Emo from St. Januarius Parish in

Naples, New York Naples is a town in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 2,417 at the 2020 census. The Town of Naples contains a village, also called Naples. The town is located in the southwestern corner of Ontario County. It is locat ...

, in 1993 after he tried to cover the theft of parish funds by some boys and after a housekeeper found handcuffs and pictures of young men in his residence. The diocese sent Emo away for treatment, then transferred him to a different parish. Emo pleaded guilty to one felony count of first-degree

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...

and was sentenced to six months in jail and five years probation. By this time, the diocese had received several other complaints of sexual abuse by Emo. In 1999, he violated his probation by having contact with a 16-year-old boy and was returned to prison. In May 2002, two men sued the diocese, stating that they had been sexually abused by Reverend Robert O'Neil, pastor of St. Christopher Parish in

Chili, New York Chili ( ) is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 29,123 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of the city of Rochester, established in 1822 from part of the town of Riga. North Chili was a stop on the Underground R ...

. The plaintiffs said that O'Neil took them in the 1970s 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 plied them with alcohol and abused them. They later complained about O'Neil to auxiliary bishop Dennis Hickey. The diocese sent O'Neil away for treatment, then re-assigned him to pastoral work. A week before the lawsuit was filed in 2002, the diocese stripped O'Neil of his ministerial duties and banned him from diocesan housing. Reverend Dennis Sewar of Annunciation Parish in Rochester was arrested in July 2005 on charges of sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. The male accuser said that Sewar groped him numerous times between 1999 and 2001. After a judge dismissed the more serious charges, Sewar pleaded guilty in August 2006 to attempted endangering the welfare of a child and was sentenced to one year of probation. The diocese 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. In June 2019, a Rochester man sued the diocese alleging sexual abuse by Reverend 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. In February 2019, New York Governor

Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( , ; born December 6, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and son of former governor Mario Cuomo, ...

signed the Child Victims Act. The law created a one-year lookback period in which victims of child sex abuse could file

civil lawsuits A lawsuit is a proceeding by one or more parties (the plaintiff or claimant) against one or more parties (the defendant) in a civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. T ...

against abusers that were previously barred by the

statute of limitations A statute of limitations, known in civil law systems as a prescriptive period, is a law passed by a legislative body to set the maximum time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated. ("Time for commencing proceedings") In ...

. In September 2019, 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, w ...

in the wake of multiple sexual abuse lawsuits. It became the first diocese in New York State to file for bankruptcy. In February 2020, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Paul R. Warren ruled that Bishop Emeritus Clark had to testify in court as part of the

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

proceedings. Clark's lawyer had argued that he was incapable of testifying due to his

Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

condition. In July 2020, lawyers questioned Clark for three hours in a deposition hearing. He admitted to sending Emo to a treatment facility, then later re-assigning him to another parish. In May 2020, Cuomo signed a bill extending the lookback period contained in the Child Victims Act to January 2021. By August 2020, 503 people had filed sex abuse lawsuits against the diocese under the law. The diocese announced in April 2021 that 300 more sex abuse lawsuits had been filed against it between August 2019 and December 2020 under the Child Victims Act. In January 2024, a jury awarded a $95 million verdict against the diocese. The defendant had accused Reverend Foster P. Rogers, assistant pastor at St. Alphonsus Parish in Auburn, of sexually abusing him in 1979 when he was 15-years-old. Clark had removed Rogers from ministry in 2002 after the diocese transferred him to several parishes. The bankruptcy case is unresolved as of August 2024, meaning that people abused as children by the Diocese of Rochester have not received monetary compensation. Some told a local reporter they "may not live long enough to get justice".

Bishops

Bishops of Rochester

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

coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) ("co-assister" in Latin) is a bishop in the Latin Catholic, Anglican and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in administering the diocese. The coa ...

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 archdi ...

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

Archbishop of Detroit The Archdiocese of Detroit () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church covering the south-east portion of Michigan in the United States. The archdiocese consists counties of Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oa ...

(

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

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

Salvatore Ronald Matano Salvatore Ronald Matano (born September 15, 1946) is an American Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Rochester since 2013. He previously served as Bishop of Burlington from 2005 to 2013. Biography Early life Salvatore Matano was bor ...

(2013–present)

Bishop Emeritus of Rochester

# James E. Kearney (1966–1977) # Joseph Lloyd Hogan (1979–2000) # Matthew H. Clark (2012–2023)

Former auxiliary bishops

* Lawrence B. Casey (1953–1966), appointed bishop of Paterson * John Edgar McCafferty (1968–1980) *

Dennis Walter Hickey Dennis Walter Hickey (October 28, 1914 – October 6, 1999) 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 1990. Biography Born in Dansville, New York, Dennis H ...

(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, ...

, appointed auxiliary bishop of San Francisco in 1912 and later

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

* Walter Andrew Foery, appointed

bishop of Syracuse The Archdiocese of Siracusa or Syracuse () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Sicily. It became an archdiocese in 1844.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 Elizabe ...

, appointed

bishop of Syracuse The Archdiocese of Siracusa or Syracuse () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Sicily. It became an archdiocese in 1844.Gates Gates is the plural of gate, a point of entry to a space which is enclosed by walls. It may also refer to: People * Gates (surname), various people with the last name * Gates Brown (1939-2013), American Major League Baseball player * Gates McFadd ...

*Catherine McAuley – Greece *Corpus Christi – Rochester *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 * Hen ...

*Holy Cross – Rochester (reopened in 2011) *Holy Family – Rochester *Holy Family School – Dansville *Holy Trinity – Webster *St. Andrews – Rochester *St. Boniface – Rochester *St. John of Rochester – Fairport *St. John the Evangelist – Spencerport *St. Margaret Mary – Irondequoit *St. Monica – Rochester In 2020, the diocese announced the closing of Siena Catholic Academy in Rochester.

High schools

File:Aquinas Institute front entrance.JPG, Aquinas Institute – Rochester File:Bishop Kearney High School.JPG, Bishop Kearney High School – Irondequoit File:McQuaidJesuitHighSchoolFrontEntranceB.JPG, McQuaid Jesuit High School – Brighton File:GreeceOdysseyAcademyFrontEntrance.JPG, Cardinal Mooney High School – Greece (closed)

Former high schools

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

Former seminaries

*St. Andrew's Preparatory Seminary – Rochester (1870–1967) * Saint Bernard's Seminary – Rochester (1893–1981)

Former colleges

* Nazareth College – Pittsford, became independent of diocese in the 1970s, now is Nazareth University *

St. John Fisher College St. John Fisher University is a private university in Rochester, New York in the United States. 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 F ...

– Pittsford, became independent of diocese in 1968, now is St. John Fisher University

Former archdiocesan institutions

*St. Ann's Home – Rochester, now part of St. Ann's Community *St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum – Rochester, closed in the 1930s *St. Mary's Boys' Home – Rochester, closed in the 1930s *St. Mary's Hospital – Rochester, now the St. Mary's Medical Campus, operated by Rochester Regional Health *St. Patrick's Girls' Home – Rochester, closed in the 1930s

Publishing

The Rochester Catholic Press Association, Inc. (RCPA) is 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 diocese took over the newspaper during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

''.'' The paper became the ''Catholic Courier'' in 1989, its 100th anniversary.' The ''Courier'' has won state and national awards for journalistic excellence.

Arms

References

Sources

* * * *

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester Official Site''Catholic Courier'' Official Site
*
El Mensajero Católico
' * {{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 Rochester