Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland

Parish closings

On, March 14, 2009, the diocese announced that 52 parishes in the diocese would close or merge (29 parishes closing, 42 parishes merging to form 18 new parishes) due to the shortage of priests, declining numbers of parishioners in some parishes, the migration of Catholic populations to the suburbs and out of the city cores, and financial difficulties in some parishes. A number of parish schools in the diocese also closed or merged due to declining enrollment, and financial difficulties.

Letters to all of the parishes from Bishop Richard Gerard Lennon giving his decision on what parishes and schools were closing or merging, and which parishes and schools would remain open, were read to the parishioners by the church pastors at Masses the weekend of March 14–15, 2009. Hardest hit by the closings were downtown Cleveland, downtown Akron, downtown Lorain, and downtown Elyria. Parishioners of thirteen of the parishes then requested appeals from the Congregation for the Clergy in Rome.

On March 8, 2012, the Vatican overturned all thirteen of the church closings (nine in the Greater Cleveland area, one in Lorain and three in Akron) because the Vatican says that Bishop Richard Gerard Lennon did not follow procedure or canon law in that he did not consult with the priest advisors, and he did not issue a formal mandate for the closing of the churches. In the mean time, according to canon law, the thirteen closed churches were ordered to be reopened, and be available to parishioners. On April 10, 2012, Bishop Richard Gerard Lennon announced that he would not appeal the decision of the Vatican to the Apostolic Signatura in Rome, thus paving the way for the thirteen churches to be reopened. This mandate was implemented starting on June 10, 2012, raising the number of parishes in the diocese from 172 parishes to 185 parishes.

Bishops

The Diocese of Cleveland has had eleven ordinaries:

1. Louis Amadeus Rappe † (1847–1870)
2. Richard Gilmour † (1872–1891)
3. Ignatius Frederick Horstmann † (1891–1908)
4. John Patrick Farrelly † (1909–1921)
5. Joseph Schrembs † (1921–1945); later created archbishop ad personam by Pope Pius XII in 1939
6. Edward Francis Hoban † (1945–1966); later created archbishop ad personam by Pope Pius XII in 1951
7. Clarence George Issenmann † (1966–1974)
8. James Aloysius Hickey † (1974–1980); later appointed Archbishop of Washington; elevated to Cardinal in 1988
9. Anthony Michael Pilla (1980–2006); retired, now Bishop Emeritus
10. Richard Gerard Lennon (2006–2016); resigned, now Bishop Emeritus

† died

Auxiliary Bishops

Several Auxiliary Bishops have served the Diocese of Cleveland:

1. Joseph Maria Koudelka † (1907–1911) appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Milwaukee
2. James A. McFadden † (1932–1943) appointed Bishop of Youngstown
3. Edward Francis Hoban † (Coadjutor Bishop 1942–1945) succeeded
4. William Michael Cosgrove † (1943–1968) appointed Bishop of Belleville
5. John Raphael Hagan † (April – September 1946)
6. Floyd Lawrence Begin † (1947–1962) appointed Bishop of Oakland
7. John Joseph Krol † (1953–1961) appointed Archbishop of Philadelphia, elevated to Cardinal in 1967
8. Clarence George Issenmann † (1954–1957) appointed Bishop of Columbus
9. Clarence Edward Elwell † (1962–1968) appointed Bishop of Columbus
10. John Francis Whealon † (1961–1966) appointed Bishop of Erie
11. Clarence George Issenmann † (Coadjutor Bishop 1964-1966) succeeded
12. Gilbert Ignatius Sheldon † (1976–1992) appointed Bishop of Steubenville
13. Michael Joseph Murphy † (1976–1978) appointed Bishop of Erie
14. James Anthony Griffin † (1979–1983) appointed Bishop of Columbus
15. James Patterson Lyke † O.F.M. (1979–1990) appointed Archbishop of Atlanta
16. Anthony Michael Pilla (1979–1980) appointed Bishop of Cleveland, now Bishop Emeritus
17. Anthony Edward Pevec † (1982–2001)
18. Alexander James Quinn † (1983–2008)
19. Martin John Amos (2001–2006) appointed Bishop of Davenport
20. Roger William Gries O.S.B. (2001–2013) retired

† deceased

Other Affiliated Bishops

Additionally, the following men began the service as priests in the Diocese of Cleveland (the years in parentheses refer to their years in Cleveland):

† deceased

High schools

A listing of all Catholic high schools within the Diocese. Note: All schools are not operated by the Diocese.

Closed schools

Catholic radio stations