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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford

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Country
  
United States

Metropolitan
  
Hartford, Connecticut

Denomination
  
Roman Catholic

Phone
  
+1 860-541-6491

Ecclesiastical province
  
Province of Hartford

Population - Catholics
  
710,000 (35.6%)

Bishop
  
Leonard Paul Blair

Cathedral
  
Cathedral of St. Joseph

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford

Territory
  
Counties of Hartford, Litchfield, and New Haven

Address
  
134 Farmington Ave, Hartford, CT 06105, USA

Hours
  
Closed now Tuesday8:30AM–4:30PMWednesday8:30AM–4:30PMThursday8:30AM–4:30PMFriday8:30AM–4:30PMSaturdayClosedSundayClosedMonday8:30AM–4:30PMSuggest an edit

Profiles

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford is a particular church of the Latin Rite in Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut. The archdiocese includes about 700,000 Catholics, more than 500 priests, 216 parishes and almost 300 deacons. This is roughly one-half the population of the three counties. It also publishes The Catholic Transcript.

Contents

History

The present territory of the archdiocese of Hartford was originally part of the Diocese of Boston until Bishop Benedict Joseph Fenwick of Boston expressed concern that there should be separate dioceses for Connecticut and Rhode Island in keeping with the growing Catholic population in those states.

On November 28, 1843, the Diocese of Hartford was established by Pope Gregory XVI with Reverend Willam Tyler as its first bishop. At the time of its creation, there were 10,000 Catholics in the area. Bishop Tyler was able to petition successfully to move the See of Hartford to Providence, Rhode Island, in order to be nearer to the majority of the Catholics. Having served for 5 years, Bishop Tyler died in 1849. The second bishop, Reverend Bernard O'Reilly, spent his time securing priests for the still young diocese all the while helping to curb the anti-Catholic movements of the time propagated by the Know Nothing Party. In January 1856, O'Reilly was lost at sea on board the ship Pacific. It wasn't until two years later that the third bishop of the diocese was installed, the Reverend Francis Patrick McFarland, known as the "Civil War Bishop." It was during his time that the Diocese of Providence was created in 1872. Despite ill health, McFarland was able to participate in the First Vatican Council (1869-1870).

Reverend Thomas Galberry, O.S.A., an Augustinian friar, was installed as the 4th bishop of Hartford in 1877. Galberry only served for two years before an abrupt death but he was able to lay down the cornerstone of the original cathedral. Galberry was followed by Reverend Lawrence S. McMahon. Under his leadership of 14 years, 48 parishes as well as 16 school parishes were established. The sixth bishop, Father Michael Tierney, helped with the creation of 5 diocesan hospitals which still exist today.

Father John Joseph Nilan became the seventh bishop while Father John Murray became the first auxiliary bishop of Hartford. Murray would later become the Archbishop of St. Paul. In 1945, Henry Joseph O'Brien was installed as the ninth bishop of Hartford. During his tenure the diocese became an archdiocese under Pope Pius XII, and thus O'Brien became the first archbishop of Hartford.

There have been a number of trials concerning child abuse; see Sexual abuse scandal in Hartford archdiocese.

History of Catholics in Connecticut

In 1780-1781, the small town of Lebanon, Connecticut, had the distinction of being the place in which the Catholic "Mass was first celebrated, continuously and for a long period, within the limits of the State of Connecticut." On June 26, 1881, St. Peter's parish, Hartford, celebrated "the centenary of the first Mass in Connecticut."

Ordinaries

The following are the lists of ordinaries and their terms of service.

Bishops of the Diocese of Hartford

  1. † William Tyler (1843–1849)
  2. † Bernard O'Reilly (1849–1856)
  3. † Francis Patrick McFarland (1858–1875)
  4. † Thomas Galberry, O.S.A. (1877–1879)
  5. † Lawrence S. McMahon (1879–1894)
  6. † Michael Tierney (1894–1908)
  7. † John J. Nilan (1910–1934)
  8. † Maurice F. McAuliffe (1934–1944)

Archbishops of the Archdiocese of Hartford

  1. † Henry J. O'Brien (1945–1969)
  2. † John F. Whealon (1969–1991)
  3. Daniel Anthony Cronin (1992–2003)
  4. Henry J. Mansell (2003–2013)
  5. Leonard P. Blair (2013–present)

† = deceased

Current Auxiliary bishops

  • Christie Macaluso (1997–present)
  • Former Auxiliary bishops

  • † Joseph Francis Donnelly
  • † John Gregory Murray
  • Paul S. Loverde
  • Peter A. Rosazza
  • † = deceased

    Priests of the Archdiocese who became bishops

    The following men began their service as priests in Hartford before being appointed bishop in Hartford or elsewhere:

  • † Most Reverend Maurice F. McAuliffe - Bishop of Hartford (1934-1945)
  • † Most Reverend Peter Leo Gerety – coadjutor Bishop of Portland, Maine (1966); succeeded as diocesan bishop (1968); Archbishop of Newark (1974-1986).
  • † Most Reverend Francis P. Keough, R.J. - Bishop of Providence (1934-1947); Archbishop of Baltimore (1948-1961)
  • † Most Reverend Henry J. O'Brien - Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford (1934-1945); Bishop of Hartford (1945-1953); Archbishop of Hartford (1953-1968)
  • † Most Reverend Joseph F. Donnelly - Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford (1964-1977)
  • † Most Reverend John F. Hackett - Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford (1953-1986)
  • Most Reverend Peter A. Rosazza - Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford and Titular Bishop of Oppidum Novum (1978–present)
  • Most Reverend Christie A. Macaluso - Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford and Titular Bishop of Grass Valley (1997–present)
  • † = deceased

    Parishes

    The following is a sortable list of the parishes which are currently functioning in the Archdiocese of Hartford. For example, to see the parishes listed alphabetically by town, click on the box at the top of the "Town" column. This information is taken from the records of the Archdiocese of Hartford. To find mass times and other information about a parish, click on the parish name, which will bring you to the parish website.

    Elementary and Middle Schools

    The following is a list of the currently functioning elementary and middle schools run by the Archdiocese of Hartford. The list is sortable: for example, to see the schools listed alphabetically by town, click on the box at the top of the "Town" column. All information was gathered from the records of the Archdiocese's Office of Catholic Schools.

    Dr. Dale R. Hoyt, Superintendent of Catholic Schools

    High schools

    Dr. Dale R. Hoyt, Superintendent of Catholic Schools

  • Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall, Milford
  • Canterbury School, New Milford
  • East Catholic High School, Manchester
  • Holy Cross High School, Waterbury
  • Northwest Catholic High School, West Hartford
  • Notre Dame High School, West Haven
  • Sacred Heart Academy, Hamden
  • Sacred Heart High School, Waterbury
  • St. Paul Catholic High School, Bristol
  • Seminaries

  • St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield
  • Province of Hartford

    See: List of the Catholic bishops of the United States#Province of Hartford

    References

    Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford Wikipedia