Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany covers all or part of 14 counties in Eastern New York
(Albany
, Columbia
, Delaware
, Fulton
, Greene
, Montgomery
, Otsego
, Rensselaer
, Saratoga
, Schenectady
, Schoharie
, Warren
, Washington
, and southern Herkimer Counties
). Its motherchurch is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the city of Albany
.
During their terms as bishops of Albany, the first five named were accorded the title "Right Reverend" because the American church was still considered a province. From Bishop Gibbons on, they have been entitled "Most Reverend". John McCloskey was "Most Reverend" after his move to New York, where he later became "His Eminence". Six of Albany's deceased Bishops are buried in a crypt beneath the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. John McCloskey is interred beneath St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, and Bishop Broderick is buried in a family plot in Westchester County.
of New York with succession rights. This is why he left upon Archbishop Hughes' death in 1865. The Cathedral has a stone exterior. It has the appearance of a stone interior but in fact it is of plaster and lath construction, painted to look like stone. This method was used to save time as McCloskey wanted to get the Cathedral finished in order to prove that the Catholic Church in America was permanent. Originally there was a flat wall at the back of the Cathedral in the area of the Lady window. This window, which depicts scenes in the life of the Virgin
Mary, was later moved to the North transept when the semicircular sanctuary was added.
There is a door in the ceiling of the crypt so that the coffins may be lowered directly into it after the Solemn Requiem of the Bishop. This door, however, was not quite big enough for the ornate, modern coffin that contained Bishop Scully. As a result, those officiating had to remove his body from the coffin, carry it down the stairs, take the coffin apart to feed it through the door and then reassemble it and restore the body. The crypt cannot be seen from above because it is hidden by floor tiles which have to be removed to gain access.
The Cathedral is currently undergoing a US$30M restoration project which started in 2000 with the then-expected date of completion being 2009.
Tours are offered of the Cathedral.
As of March 30, 2010, Mr. Rodino is still on administrative leave. He has indicated an interest in appealing to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. However, under canon law, even if Mr. Rodino were vindicated by the Vatican, the Bishop would not have to place him in active ministry again. It is therefore unlikely that Mr. Rodino will ever be able to present himself as a Roman Catholic priest again.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(Albany
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
, Columbia
Columbia County, New York
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,096. The county seat is Hudson. The name comes from the Latin feminine form of the name of Christopher Columbus, which was at the time of the formation of the county a popular proposal...
, Delaware
Delaware County, New York
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of 2010 the population was 47,980. The county seat is Delhi. It is named after the Delaware River, which was named in honor of Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, appointed governor of Virginia in 1609.-History:When counties...
, Fulton
Fulton County, New York
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,531. Its name is in honor of Robert Fulton, who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat...
, Greene
Greene County, New York
Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Its name is in honor of the American Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene. Its county seat is Catskill...
, Montgomery
Montgomery County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 49,708 people, 20,038 households, and 13,104 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile . There were 22,522 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile...
, Otsego
Otsego County, New York
Otsego County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. The 2010 population was 62,259. The county seat is Cooperstown. The name Otsego is from a Mohawk word meaning "place of the rock."-History:...
, Rensselaer
Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...
, Saratoga
Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
, Schenectady
Schenectady County, New York
Schenectady County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 154,727. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk Indian word meaning "on the other side of the...
, Schoharie
Schoharie County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,582 people, 11,991 households and 8,177 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 15,915 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
, Warren
Warren County, New York
Warren County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Glens Falls, New York, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 65,707. It is named in honor of General Joseph Warren, an American Revolutionary War hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill...
, Washington
Washington County, New York
Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Glens Falls, New York, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,216. It was named for the Revolutionary War general George Washington...
, and southern Herkimer Counties
Herkimer County, New York
Herkimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 64,519. It is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died from battle wounds in 1777 after taking part...
). Its motherchurch is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the city of Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
.
History
Initially the diocese was part of the Archdiocese of New York. It became a diocese in its own right on April 23, 1847.Territorial losses
| Date | Reason |
|---|---|
| 15 February 1872 | to form the Diocese of Ogdensburg Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg is a Roman Catholic diocese in New York. It was founded on February 15, 1872.On February 23, 2010, the Most Reverend Terry R... |
| 26 November 1886 | to form the Diocese of Syracuse Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse The Diocese of Syracuse is a Catholic diocese headquartered in Syracuse, New York, USA. The current bishop is the Most Rev. Robert J. Cunningham. The Diocese of Syracuse includes 350,000 Catholics residing in seven counties of Central and South Central New York State... |
Ordinaries
The following is a list of the Roman Catholic Bishops of the Diocese of Albany and their periods of service.- Bishop John McCloskey (1847-1865) (later the Archbishop of New York and first American Cardinal)
- Bishop John J. ConroyJohn J. ConroyJohn Joseph Conroy was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Albany from 1865 to 1877.-Biography:...
(1865-1877) - Bishop Francis McNierney (1877-1894)
- Bishop Thomas Martin Aloysius BurkeThomas Martin Aloysius BurkeThomas Martin Aloysius Burke was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Albany from 1894 until his death in 1915.-Biography:...
(1894-1915) - Bishop Thomas CusackThomas Cusack (bishop)Thomas Francis Cusack was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Albany from 1915 until his death in 1918.-Biography:...
(1915-1918) - Bishop Edmund GibbonsEdmund GibbonsEdmund Francis Gibbons was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Albany from 1919 to 1954.-Biography:...
(1919-1954) - Bishop William ScullyWilliam Scully (bishop)William Aloysius Scully was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Albany from 1954 until his death in 1969.-Biography:...
(1954-1969) - Bishop Edwin BroderickEdwin Broderick-External links:*...
(1969-1976) - Bishop Howard J. Hubbard (1977-present)
During their terms as bishops of Albany, the first five named were accorded the title "Right Reverend" because the American church was still considered a province. From Bishop Gibbons on, they have been entitled "Most Reverend". John McCloskey was "Most Reverend" after his move to New York, where he later became "His Eminence". Six of Albany's deceased Bishops are buried in a crypt beneath the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. John McCloskey is interred beneath St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, and Bishop Broderick is buried in a family plot in Westchester County.
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
The cathedral, located on Madison Avenue at Eagle Street in Albany, was completed in 1852 and consecrated by the Most Reverend John Hughes, Archbishop of New York. The first bishop, John McCloskey, was coadjutor bishopCoadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of New York with succession rights. This is why he left upon Archbishop Hughes' death in 1865. The Cathedral has a stone exterior. It has the appearance of a stone interior but in fact it is of plaster and lath construction, painted to look like stone. This method was used to save time as McCloskey wanted to get the Cathedral finished in order to prove that the Catholic Church in America was permanent. Originally there was a flat wall at the back of the Cathedral in the area of the Lady window. This window, which depicts scenes in the life of the Virgin
Life of the Virgin
The Life of the Virgin, showing narrative scenes from the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a common subject for pictorial cycles in Christian art, often complementing, or forming part of, a cycle on the Life of Christ. In both cases the number of scenes shown varies greatly with the space...
Mary, was later moved to the North transept when the semicircular sanctuary was added.
There is a door in the ceiling of the crypt so that the coffins may be lowered directly into it after the Solemn Requiem of the Bishop. This door, however, was not quite big enough for the ornate, modern coffin that contained Bishop Scully. As a result, those officiating had to remove his body from the coffin, carry it down the stairs, take the coffin apart to feed it through the door and then reassemble it and restore the body. The crypt cannot be seen from above because it is hidden by floor tiles which have to be removed to gain access.
The Cathedral is currently undergoing a US$30M restoration project which started in 2000 with the then-expected date of completion being 2009.
Tours are offered of the Cathedral.
Sam Rodino Controversy
On October 24, 2009, then-Fr. Sam Rodino was removed and placed on suspension by the Diocese for Sexual Acts that occurred in 1982 while assigned to Blessed Sacrament parish in Albany. The wake of the controversy caused many individuals to come out in support, and against Mr. Rodino. As of October 31st, two victims have reported to the Diocese that Rodino abused them. One victim reported abuse in the 1990s, but his claim was unable to be substantiated and no action was taken against Rodino at the time. The second victim's claim of abuse in 1982 was made in the summer of 2009 and investigated by the diocese. The investigation resulted in the Bishop determining that "reasonable grounds" existed to believe the victim. A website has been created as an advocacy site for the victims called Rodino's VictimsAs of March 30, 2010, Mr. Rodino is still on administrative leave. He has indicated an interest in appealing to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. However, under canon law, even if Mr. Rodino were vindicated by the Vatican, the Bishop would not have to place him in active ministry again. It is therefore unlikely that Mr. Rodino will ever be able to present himself as a Roman Catholic priest again.
High schools
- Academy of the Holy Names, Albany
- Bishop Maginn High SchoolBishop Maginn High SchoolBishop Maginn High School is a Catholic high school in Albany, New York. It is coeducational and open to students of all faiths.The school belongs to the school system of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany...
, Albany - Catholic Central High SchoolCatholic Central High School (Troy, New York)Catholic Central High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Troy, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.-Background:...
, Troy - Christian Brothers AcademyChristian Brothers Academy (Albany, New York)Christian Brothers Academy is a Catholic college preparatory junior and senior high school for boys founded in 1859 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers . Located within the Colonie School District and the school is located in the town of Colonie, New York near the Albany International Airport on...
, Albany - La Salle InstituteLa Salle InstituteLa Salle Institute is an all-male Private, Catholic, college preparatory school operated by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, enrolling young men in grades six through twelve in North Greenbush, New York, USA. It is operated independent of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany...
, Troy - Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons High SchoolNotre Dame-Bishop Gibbons High SchoolNotre Dame-Bishop Gibbons High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Schenectady, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.-Background:...
, Schenectady - Saratoga Central Catholic High SchoolSaratoga Central Catholic High SchoolSaratoga Central Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.-Background:...
, Saratoga Springs