Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown

Updated on Nov 25, 2024

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Parishes 89 Rite Roman Rite Area 7,182 km² Date founded 28 January 1961 Emeritus bishop Edward Peter Cullen		Denomination Roman Catholic Established January 28, 1961 Patron saint Catherine of Siena Country United States of America

Territory Pennsylvania counties of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill, in the United States Population- Total- Catholics (as of 2015)1,272,212258,997 (20.4%%) Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Catharine of Siena Ecclesiastical province Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia Profiles Facebook Twitter

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown (Latin: Dioecesis Alanpolitana) is a Roman Catholic diocese comprising the Pennsylvania counties of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill, in the United States. Its cathedral is the Cathedral Church of Saint Catharine of Siena, located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The diocese has a Catholic population of 258,997 as of 2015, approximately 20.4% of the total population; it maintains 89 parishes, 34 Catholic elementary schools, 6 Catholic high schools and two Catholic colleges, as well as 244 priests (active, retired & religious). It was announced on December 9, 2016 that Pope Francis had transferred Allentown Bishop John O. Barres and that Barres would serve as Bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in Long Island, New York.

History

The diocese was founded on January 28, 1961 by Pope St. John XXIII by splitting the Archdiocese of Philadelphia; the first bishop, Joseph Mark McShea, was installed on April 11 of that year.

Bishops

The bishops of the diocese and their years of service:

Joseph Mark McShea (1961–1983)
Thomas Jerome Welsh (1983–1997)
Edward Peter Cullen (1998–2009)
John Oliver Barres (2009–2017)

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

Ronald William Gainer Current Bishop of Harrisburg.

Joseph Edward Kurtz Current Archbishop of Louisville.

David B. Thompson Ordained for the archdiocese of Philadelphia; chancellor of the then-new Allentown diocese; became Bishop of Charleston (South Carolina).

Diocese today

The Vicar General of the Diocese is the Reverend Monsignor Alfred A. Schlert, J.C.L., V.G. The Judicial Vicar of the Diocese is the Very Rev. John J. Paul, V.J., M.S.C., S.T.L., J.C.D.

In 2008, the Diocese of Allentown underwent a major restructuring of parishes. Declining Mass attendance, shift in population, and waning number of priestly vocations all led to these changes. Much of the Northeastern United States is experiencing these factors.