Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville
Archdiocese of Louisville Archidiœcesis Ludovicopolitana | |
---|---|
Cathedral of the Assumption | |
Patron saint | Saint Joseph[1] |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Shelton Fabre |
Bishops emeritus | Joseph Edward Kurtz |
Map | |
Website | |
archlou.org |
The Archdiocese of Louisville (
Statistics
The Archdiocese of Louisville as of 2023 contained 24 counties covering 8,124 square miles (21,040 km2). As of 2018, the archdiocese had a Catholic population of approximately 200,000. The archdiocese operated 110 parishes and missions staffed by 126
History
1700 to 1808
Prior to the American Revolution, present day Kentucky was part of the British Province of Virginia. To prevent hostility with Native American peoples in the region, the British did not allow European settlers to move west of the Appalachian Mountains. After the Revolution ended in 1781, settlers from the original 13 states started flooding into the region.
The Vatican in 1784 removed the new United States from the jurisdiction of the Diocese of London, establishing the Prefecture Apostolic of United States of America, a jurisdiction in the United States.[3] The first Catholic presence in Kentucky may have been a group of 25 families who traveled from Maryland in 1785 to Goodwin's Station in present-day Nelson County. They later started farms near Bardstown at Pottinger Creek.[4] Most of the early Catholic settlers in Kentucky were English Catholics from Maryland.[4]
The Vatican in 1789 elevated the prefecture to the
1808 to 1841
In 1808,
Over the coming years, the Vatican started reducing the size of the Diocese of Bardstown. It created the Diocese of Cincinnati in 1821.[8] That same year, William Byrne founded St. Mary's College near Lebanon.[6] Flaget tried to resign as bishop in 1833, but the Vatican forced him to stay in that position.
In 1834, Pope Gregory XVI erected the Diocese of Vincennes.[9] The first German Catholic church in Louisville, St. Boniface, was founded in 1836; it is today the oldest continually operating parish in the city. Three years later, Gregory XVI erected the Diocese of Nashville. With the creation of these new dioceses, the Diocese of Bardstown now included just Kentucky.[10] To address the shortage of clergy in his diocese, Flaget in 1835 left for Europe, where he would spend the next four years recruiting seminarians to come to Kentucky. During his absence, Coadjutor Bishop Guy Ignatius Chabrat administered the diocese. At this point, Flaget had founded four colleges, a large orphanage and infirmary for girls and eleven academies for girls. He had introduced three congregations of religious sisters and four religious orders of men into the diocese.[11] Flaget returned to Kentucky in 1839.
1841 to 1855
In 1841, recognizing the increased population and importance of Louisville, Gregory XVI suppressed the Diocese of Bardstown and erected the Diocese of Louisville in its place. He designated St. Louis Church in Louisville as its new cathedral.[9] Like the Diocese of Bardstown, the new diocese covered the entire state of Kentucky. Flaget became the first bishop of Louisville.
In 1848, Pope Pius IX appointed
After Flaget's death in 1850, Spalding automatically succeeded him as bishop of Louisville. When Spalding became bishop, the diocese had a Catholic population exceeding 30,000, with 43 churches, ten chapels, and 40 priests.
In 1853, Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Covington, taking eastern Kentucky from the Diocese of Louisville.[9] By the late 19th century, large numbers of German and Irish Catholic immigrants were arriving in Louisville.
1855 to 1910
In 1855, an
Between 22 and 100 Catholics were killed before the Bloody Monday riot was suppressed.[15] Following the riot, Spalding wrote, "I entreat all to pause and reflect, to commit no violence, to believe no idle rumors, and to cultivate that peace and love which are characteristics of the religion of Christ."[16] In 1861, during the American Civil War, Spalding closed St. Joseph's College and converted its facilities into a military hospital for soldiers.[13] In 1864, Spalding became archbishop of Baltimore.
To replace Spalding, Pius IX named Peter Lavialle in 1865 as the next bishop of Louisville.[17] During his two-year tenure, Lavialle conducted diocesan visitations, invited the Dominican Fathers to the diocese and erected four churches in Louisville.[18] Lavialle died in 1867.
1868 to 1937
William McCloskey, rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, was appointed bishop of Louisville in 1868 by Pius IX. When McCloskey took office, the diocese had 64 churches. He introduced the Passionists, the Benedictines, the Fathers of the Resurrection, the Little Sisters of the Poor, the Franciscan Sisters, and the Brothers of Mary into the diocese to run schools and staff institutions. In 1869, McCloskey brought the Sisters of Mercy to Louisville to operate the U.S. Marine Hospital. That same year, he established Preston Park Seminary in Louisville. When McCloskey died in 1909, the diocese had 165 churches.
After McCloskey died in 1909, Pope Pius X appointed Auxiliary Bishop Denis O'Donaghue from the Diocese of Indianapolis as the next bishop of Louisville. During the 1918 influenza pandemic, O'Donaghue closed the diocese's churches. He stated "the civil laws of the community always take precedence over the laws of the church" and adding "I think it was a good thing and the only thing to do."[19] For his efforts and those of the religious sisters and Knights of Columbus in Louisville during the pandemic, General Fred Thaddeus Austin of Camp Zachary Taylor wrote him a public letter of gratitude.[20] The Sisters of Charity opened Nazareth College, now Spalding University, in Louisville in 1920, the first four-year Catholic college for women.[6]
In 1923, the Vatican appointed John A. Floersh of Nashville as coadjutor bishop in the diocese to assist O'Donoghue. When O'Donoghue died in 1924, Floersh automatically became bishop of Louisville. In 1931, the Dominican Sisters founded St. Catharine Junior College at Springfield.[6]
1937 to 1981
On December 9, 1937,
During his tenure as bishop and archbishop, Floersh increased the number of parishes and schools in the archdiocese. He established
The second archbishop of Louisville was Bishop Thomas J. McDonough from the Diocese of Savannah, named by Pope Paul VI in 1967.[22] A self-described "Vatican II bishop," McDonough implemented the Second Vatican Council's reforms in the archdiocese.[23] His tenure saw advances in liturgical renewal, ecumenism, and lay involvement.[24] In 1970, Paul VI erected the Diocese of Memphis, making it another suffragan of the Archdiocese of Louisville. McDonough retired in 1981.
1981 to present
In 1981,
In 1988,
Bishop Shelton Fabre from the
As of 2023, Fabre is the current archbishop of Louisville.
Sexual abuse
In the wake of the uncovering of widespread sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Louisville in 2002, it was revealed that Bishop Kelly played a part in reassigning priests he knew or suspected had abused children and reaching confidential settlements with victims. Kelly resisted calls for him to resign.[33]
In March 2003, Louis E. Miller, an archdiocesan priest, pleaded guilty to 44 counts of indecent and immoral practices and six counts of sexual abuse, covering 21 victims. However, he was accused of child molestation in 94 lawsuits against the archdiocese. Miller was sentenced to 20 years in prison.[34] He died in prison in 2017.[35] In June 2003, the Archdiocese of Louisville paid $25.7 million directly from its own assets to settle claims of sexual abuse by its clergy from the 1940s to 1997. The abuse accusations were directed at 34 priests, two religious brothers, and three lay people.[36]
Joseph Hemmerle, a priest from the archdiocese, was convicted in 2016 of inappropriately touching a ten-year-old boy in 1973 while serving as director at Camp Tall Trees in Brandenburg.[37][38] The plaintiff had accused Hemmerle of forcing him to strip naked and then sexually molested him. Hemmerle received a seven-year prison sentence.[39] In 2017, Hemmerle pleaded guilty to molesting another boy at the camp in 1977 and 1978; he received a two-year sentence.[40]
Bishops
Bishops of Bardstown
- Benedict Joseph Flaget (1808–1832), resigned but reappointed in 1833
- John Baptist Mary David (1832–1833; coadjutor bishop 1819–1832)
- Benedict Joseph Flaget (1833–1841), title changed with title of diocese
Guy Ignatius Chabrat (coadjutor bishop 1834–1841), title changed with title of diocese
Bishops of Louisville
- Benedict Joseph Flaget (1841–1850)
- Guy Ignatius Chabrat, S.S. (coadjutor bishop 1841–1847), resigned before succession - Archbishop of Baltimore
- Peter Joseph Lavialle (1865–1867)
- William George McCloskey (1868–1909)
- Denis O'Donaghue (1910–1924)
- John A. Floersh (1924–1937); elevated to Archbishop
Archbishops of Louisville
- John A. Floersh (1937–1967)
- Thomas Joseph McDonough(1967–1981)
- Thomas Cajetan Kelly(1981–2007)
- Joseph Edward Kurtz (2007–2022)
- Shelton Fabre (2022–present)
Auxiliary bishop
Charles Garrett Maloney (1954–1988)
Other diocesan priests who became bishops
- John McGill, appointed Bishop of Richmond in 1850
- John Lancaster Spalding, appointed Bishop of Peoria in 1876
- Archbishop of Milwaukee
- James Ryan, appointed Bishop of Alton in 1888
- Theodore Henry Reverman, appointed Bishop of Superior in 1926
- Francis Ridgley Cotton, appointed Bishop of Owensboro in 1937
- James Kendrick Williams, appointed auxiliary bishop of Covington in 1984 and later Bishop of Lexington
- William Francis Medley, appointed Bishop of Owensboro in 2009
- Archbishop of Indianapolis
- J. Mark Spalding, appointed Bishop of Nashville in 2018
Notable figures
- Stephen T. Badin (1768–1853) – Known as the "circuit rider priest", Badin was the first priest ordained in the United States. Served the area that would become the Diocese of Bardstown.
- Diocese of Peoria.
- Abbey of Gethsemaniand author. He was known for his writings on Christian spirituality and his work on Buddhist-Christian relations.
- James C. Maloney (1911–1998) – Founded Boys' Haven of America in Louisville in 1948. His brother was Auxiliary Bishop Charles Maloneyof Louisville.
- Alfred F. Horrigan (1914–2005) – Founding president of Bellarmine College in Louisville. He also headed the city's human relations commission.
Coat of arms
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Education
High schools
As of 2023, the Archdiocese of Louisville has nine Catholic high schools and four kindergarten through 12th grade schools. The high schools serve over 5,000 students.[41][42]
Boys
- DeSales High School – Louisville
- St. Xavier High School – Louisville
- Trinity High School – St. Matthews[41]
Girls
- Assumption High School – Louisville
- Mercy Academy – Louisville
- Presentation Academy – Louisville
- Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville[41]
Coeducational
- Bethlehem High School– Bardstown
- Holy Cross High School – Louisville[41]
Kindergarten through high school
- Corpus Christi Classical Academy – Shelbyville
- Holy Angels Academy – Louisville
- Immaculata Classical Academy – Louisville (independent)
- Pitt Academy – Louisville (special needs school)[42]
Elementary schools
As of 2023, the archdiocese has 36 Catholic elementary schools that served 12,800 students in six counties.[43]
Metropolitan Province of Louisville
The Metropolitan Province of Louisville covers the states of Kentucky and Tennessee, and comprises the following dioceses:
- Archdiocese of Louisville
- Diocese of Covington
- Diocese of Knoxville
- Diocese of Lexington
- Diocese of Memphis
- Diocese of Nashville
- Diocese of Owensboro
See also
- Catholic Church by country
- Catholic Church hierarchy
- List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States
- Religion in Louisville, Kentucky
Notes
- ^ "Stjoseph".
- ^ "Statistics". Archdiocese of Louisville. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
- ^ a b "Baltimore (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
- ^ a b c Talbott, Tim. "Catholic Pioneers". ExploreKYHistory. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
- ^ Bureau, US Census. "Kentucky 230th Anniversary of Statehood (1792): June 1, 2022". Census.gov. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Kentucky, Catholic Church in | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
- ^ "St. Joseph's College, Bardstown, Kentucky". Jesuits.org. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
- ^ Archdiocese of Cincinnati page on Catholic Hierarchy web site.
- ^ a b c d e Archdiocese of Louisville page on Catholic Hierarchy web site.
- ^ a b "Louisville (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
- ^ Virtual American Biographies Archived June 12, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Martin John Spalding". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
- ^ a b Clarke, Richard Henry (1872). Lives of the Deceased Bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States. Vol. I. New York: P. O'Shea Publisher.
- ^ Bush, Bryan S. "Bloody Monday Riots: August 6, 1855". Bryan S. Bush Books. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008.
- ISBN 9781598842227.
- ^ Spalding, John Lancaster (1873). The Life of the Most Rev. M.J. Spalding, D.D. New York: The Catholic Publication Society.
- ^ "Bishop Peter Joseph Lavialle". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
- ^ Clarke, Richard Henry (1872). "Right Rev. Peter Joseph Lavialle, D.D.". Lives of the Deceased Bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States. Vol. II. New York: P. O'Shea. pp. 586–592. Retrieved 2022-05-04 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "CATHOLICS WILL CLOSE CHURCHES: Bishop O'Donaghue Makes It Plain That Civil Laws Take Precedence". Messenger-Inquirer. October 11, 1918.
- ^ "APPRECIATED: Gen. Austin Writes Letters to Bishop O'Donaghue and Grand Knight Clines, Expresses Gratitude of Soldier Boys to Catholic Sisters and K. of C.". Kentucky Irish American. November 30, 1918.
- ^ a b c Kleber, John E., ed. (2001). The Encyclopedia of Louisville. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky.
- ^ "Archbishop Thomas Joseph McDonough". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.[self-published source]
- ^ "Brief History of the Archdiocese of Louisville". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville.
- ^ Kleber, John E. "Encyclopedia". The Encyclopedia of Louisville.
- ^ Biography at Archdiocese of Louisville Archived 2007-09-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Archbishop Thomas Cajetan Kelly [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org.
- ^ "Archbishop Thomas Cajetan Kelly [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
- ^ "Archbishop Thomas Kelly dies, led church 25 years". whas11.com. November 8, 2013. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
- The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
- ^ "Message from the Archbishop to the Catholic People". July 10, 2019.
- ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 08.02.2022" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. February 8, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ "Unmarried Catholic school teacher says Archdiocese of Louisville fired her over pregnancy". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
- ^ Smith, Peter (15 December 2011). "Retired Louisville Archbishop Dies". Courier Journal. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
- ^ "Former Catholic priest dies in prison". WLKY. 2017-03-07. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
- ^ "Archdiocese of Louisville Reaches Abuse Settlement". The New York Times. June 11, 2003. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- ^ "The Latest: Jury recommends 7 years for". KTXS. November 30, 2016.
- ^ Rivest, Sara. "Former Louisville priest convicted of inappropriately touching a child denied appeal". wave3.com.
- ^ Costello, Darcy. "Louisville priest convicted of sexual abuse in the 70s has been denied parole by board". The Courier-Journal.
- ^ "Kentucky Priest to be sentenced on child molestation charges". WDRB.
- ^ a b c d "High Schools Archives". Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Louisville. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
- ^ a b "K-12 Schools Archives". Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Louisville. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
- ^ "Elementary Schools Archives". Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Louisville. Retrieved 2023-06-30.