Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena
Diocese of Helena Dioecesis Helenensis | |
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Alexander K. Sample | |
Map | |
Website | |
diocesehelena.org |
The Diocese of Helena (
The mother church of the Diocese of Helena is the Cathedral of Saint Helena in Helena. The diocese was erected on March 7, 1884.
Territory
The Diocese of Helena covers 51,922 square miles, encompassing 21 counties and parts of two others. As of 2023, the diocese had 57 parishes and 38 missions divided into six deaneries: Bozeman, Butte, Conrad, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula.[2]
The diocese in 2023 was served by 61 priest, 34
History
1800 to 1880
The earliest Catholic presence in western Montana was the arrival of Catholic
Finally, in 1840, the diocese sent missionary Reverend Pierre-Jean de Smet to Montana. The next year, he returned to Montana to found St. Mary's Mission near present-day Missoula. In 1844, DeSmet worked to create St. Ignatius's Mission north of Missoula.[3][4]
In 1873, Catholic missionaries built the first Catholic chapel in Missoula, then constructed St. Francis Xavier Church there in 1881.[5] In Butte, the first Catholic church, St. Patrick's, also opened in 1881.[6]
1880 to 1900
In April 1883, Pope Leo XIII erected the Apostolic Vicariate of Montana, including what is present day Montana. He appointed Bishop
During his tenure, Brondel traveled throughout the state, establishing several new parishes and building churches.[8] The first Catholic church in Bozeman was the Shèn White Chapel, constructed in 1886.[9]
He also significantly increased the number of priests; by 1903, the number of
1900 to 1933
After Brondel died in 1903, the next bishop of Helena was Reverend
Carroll was a vocal opponent of socialism, which he believed made "no allowance for the development of man's talents, intellectual gifts, his spirit of economy or his ability."[15] He also condemned alcohol as "the most prolific source of poverty and misery"[16] and successfully lobbied the Helena City Council to require bars to close by midnight.[17] Carroll died in Europe in 1925.
When Finnigan took office, the diocese had 104 priests, 101 churches, 24 parochial schools, and a Catholic population of 64,000.[19] The Blackfoot Confederacy adopted Finnigan into the tribe in Browning in 1928. Mountain Chief gave Finnigan the name "Na-toa-ye-owa-shin" ("Holy Word"). Finnigan raised money to upgrade their churches, schools and infrastructure.[20] The diocese also responded to the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and a severe drought by increasing its care for the poor.[20] Finnigan worked hard to gain accreditation and long-term financial support for Mount St. Charles College. Finnigan died in 1932.
1933 to 1975
In 1933, Pope Pius XI appointed Reverend Ralph Hayes from the Diocese of Pittsburgh as the fourth bishop of Helena. After two years in Helena, Hayes was named rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome.[21] To replace Hayes, Pope Pius XI appointed Monsignor Joseph Gilmore of Helena. During his 26-year-long tenure, Gilmore presided over a period of great growth for the diocese. In addition to the material development, programs were developed to foster vocations, help resettle refugees from World War II, retrain unskilled workers, aid in adoptions, and promote the lay apostolate.[22]
After Gilmore died in 1969, Pope Paul VI named Monsignor
1975 to present
Reverend
Monsignor
The current bishop of Helena, as of 2023, is Austin Vetter from the Diocese of Bismarck. He was named by Francis in 2018.[30] The diocese in 2022 sold one of their properties, the former Temple Emanu-El in Helena, to the Montana Jewish Project.[31] It is the oldest synagogue in the state.[32][33]
Sexual abuse
In 1993, Bishop Curtiss apologized to the public on the handling of sexual abuse accusations against Reverend Wilson Smart. In 1989, a victim accused Smart of sexual abuse of children. After sending Smart to a rehabilitation center for alcohol abuse in the late 70s, Curtiss had resigned him to a parish after treatment. According to Curtiss, he made this decision "without ever having examined his file and with no indication of any sexual problem." Smart admitted molesting more than 30 boys from 1957 to 1978. Curtiss discovered that the diocese knew in 1959 about Smart's attraction to boys and did nothing about it. The diocese settled with four of Smart's victims out of court, one for $1.7 million.[34]
Curtiss faced similar criticism in 2001 in regard to a priest accused of accessing child pornography. Curtiss, it was alleged, had failed to bring the case to the attention of the authorities, and had chosen to send the priest for counseling and to reassign the priest, removing him from his high-school teaching position but reassigning him to a middle-school.[35]
Bishops
Apostolic Vicar of Montana
Jean-Baptiste Brondel (1883–1884)
- Augustin Ravoux, S.J. (appointed in 1868), incapacitated, unable to assume office
Bishops of Helena
- Jean-Baptiste Brondel (1884–1903)
- John Patrick Carroll (1904–1925)
- George Joseph Finnigan (1927–1932)
- Bishop of Davenport
- Joseph Michael Gilmore (1935–1962)
- Archbishop of Seattle
- Archbishop of Omaha
- Archbishop of Seattle
- Bishop of Madison
- Bishop of Las Vegasand later elevated to Archbishop
- Austin Anthony Vetter(2019–present)
Other diocesan priests who became bishops
- Joseph Clement Willging, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pueblo
- Bernard Joseph Topel, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane
- Jeffrey M. Fleming, Coadjutor Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Great Falls–Billings
Education
The Diocese of Helena has one college, three high schools and six primary schools. The total non-college enrollment as of 2023 was 1150 students.[2]
Higher education
Carroll College – Helena
High schools
- Butte Central Catholic High School – Butte
- Loyola Sacred Heart High School – Missoula
- St. Andrew School – Helena
Elementary schools
- Butte Central Elementary – Butte
- De La Salle Blackfeet School – Browning
- St. Andrew School – Helena
- St Joseph Catholic School – Missoula
- St Matthew Elementary – Kalispell[36]
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See also
- Catholic Church by country
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Ecclesiastical Province of Portland in Oregon
- Global organisation of the Catholic Church
- List of Roman Catholic archdioceses(by country and continent)
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses (alphabetical)(including archdioceses)
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses (structured view)(including archdioceses)
- List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States
Notes
- ^ a b "Helena (Latin (or Roman) Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved Jun 22, 2020.
- ^ a b c "About – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena". diocesehelena.org. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Pierre-Jean de Smet | Jesuit missionary | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ "Montana, Catholic Church in | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ Program, The Montana National Register Sign. "St. Francis Xavier Church - Missoula Downtown Historic District". Historic Montana. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ Program, The Montana National Register Sign. "St. Patrick's Catholic Church - Butte National Historic Landmark District". Historic Montana. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. .
- ^ a b "Bishop John Baptist Brondel". Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011.
- ^ "About Shen - SHÈN". shenwhitechapel.com. 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "John Baptist Brondel". Catholic Encyclopedia.
- ^ "History of the Building | | St. Matthew's Parish, Kalispell MT". www.saintmatthewskalispell.org. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Bishop John Patrick Carroll". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
- ^ Catholic Directory, Almanac and Clergy List. M.H. Wiltzius. 1904.
- ^ "HISTORY". Cathedral St. Helena. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- ^ "BISHOP CARROLL DESCRIBES THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF PROHIBITION". The Butte Miner. May 21, 1916.
- ^ "THEY FAVOR EARLY CLOSING". The Butte Daily Post. November 30, 1907.
- ^ "Bishop George Joseph Finnigan [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
- ^ The Official Catholic Directory. P.J. Kenedy. 1925.
- ^ a b "DOH Previous Bishops: Bishop George J. Finnigan, CSC (1927-1932)". Archived from the original on 2013-06-24. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
- ^ "A brief history of the Diocese of Helena". www.diocesehelena.org. Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
- ^ "A brief history of the Diocese of Helena". Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena. Archived from the original on 2008-07-05.
- ^ "Archbishop Raymond Gerhardt Hunthausen [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "1976-1993 Bishop Curtiss". Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena. Retrieved 2015-01-04.
- ^ "Archbishop Alexander Joseph Brunett [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ Johnson, Charles S. (12 February 2014). "Diocese of Helena bankruptcy: $33.6M in liabilities more than twice its assets". missoulian.com. Retrieved Jun 22, 2020.
- ^ BROUWER, DEREK (3 March 2014). "Helena Catholic Diocese faces tough decisions as it negotiates bankruptcy". The Billings Gazette. Retrieved Jun 22, 2020.
- ^ DEEDY, ALEXANDER (29 April 2015). "Diocese names priests, sisters, staff accused of sexual abuse". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved Jun 22, 2020.
- ^ "Bishop Austin Anthony Vetter [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ "Jewish community buys back first synagogue in Montana from Catholic Diocese | The Times of Israel". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
- ^ "Montana Jewish Project completes purchase of historic Helena synagogue". www.ktvh.com. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
- ^ Wilensky, David A. M. (2022-08-26). "Tiny Jewish community of Montana buys back state's first synagogue". J. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
- ^ "Archbishop Gets a Public Education Since 1989 Elden Curtiss is Known to have Dealt with Four Cases of Sexual Misconduct Involving Priests, by Julia McCord, Omaha World-Herald, April 29, 2002". www.bishop-accountability.org. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
- Dallas Morning News.
- ^ "About |". Retrieved 2021-04-14.