Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington is a diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...

 of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 in the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

 region of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, comprising the entire state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

. It is led by a prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...

 bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

, currently Salvatore Matano
Salvatore Ronald Matano
Salvatore Ronald Matano is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who currently serves as Bishop of Burlington.-Biography:...

, who serves as pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....

 of the motherchurch, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Burlington
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Located in Burlington, Vermont it serves the Diocese of Burlington. In 2001, another cathedral was installed at Saint Joseph Church and was rededicated as the Co-Cathedral of Saint Joseph....

 in the City of Burlington
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....

.

During the Easter Vigil of April 14, 2001 Saint Joseph Church was rededicated as the Co-Cathedral of Saint Joseph
Co-Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Burlington
The Co-Cathedral of Saint Joseph is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Located in Burlington, Vermont, it serves the Catholic faithful of the Diocese of Burlington. The mother church is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Burlington.The original St. Joseph's...

. Burlington became only the third American diocese to have two active cathedral parishes in the same citythe Archdiocese of Baltimore
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The archdiocese comprises the City of Baltimore as well as Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, and Washington Counties in Maryland...

 and the Diocese of Honolulu
Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu
The Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, officially in Latin Dioecesis Honoluluensis, is an ecclesiastical territory or particular church of the Catholic Church in the United States...

 are the other two.

The Diocese of Burlington was canonically erected on July 29, 1853 by Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...

. Its territories were taken from the former Diocese of Boston. Today, the Burlington See remains a suffragan diocese
Suffragan bishop
A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...

 of the Archdiocese of Boston
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It comprises several counties of the state of Massachusetts...

.

History

Originally Vermont was included within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Baltimore
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The archdiocese comprises the City of Baltimore as well as Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, and Washington Counties in Maryland...

, established in 1789. The bishops of Quebec continued, as they had in the past, to look after the spiritual interests of the Catholic settlers and Indians. When the Diocese of Boston was formed in 1810 Vermont became part of its territory.

In 1801, Bishop John Carroll
John Carroll (bishop)
John Carroll, was the first Roman Catholic bishop and archbishop in the United States — serving as the ordinary of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He is also known as the founder of Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic university in the United States, and St...

 of the Diocese of Baltimore accepted the offer of Bishop Denault of Diocese of Quebec
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec
The Archdiocese of Québec is the oldest Catholic see in the New World north of Mexico. The archdiocese was founded as the Apostolic Vicariate of New France in 1658 and was elevated to a Diocese in 1674 and an Archdiocese in 1819...

 to care for French-speaking Catholics in Vermont.

In 1808 Fanny Allen
Fanny Allen
Frances Margaret Allen was the first New England woman to become a Catholic nun. The daughter of Revolutionary War General Ethan Allen, she converted to Catholicism and entered the convent of the Religious Hospitallers of St...

, daughter of General Ethan Allen
Ethan Allen
Ethan Allen was a farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, and American Revolutionary War patriot, hero, and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of the U.S...

, converted to the Catholic faith, and entered the novitiate of Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal
Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal
The Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal is the oldest hospital in Montreal, Quebec. Since 1996 it has been one of the three hospitals making up the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal ....

, where she was received as a member of the order. Orestes Brownson
Orestes Brownson
Orestes Augustus Brownson was a New England intellectual and activist, preacher, labor organizer, and noted Catholic convert and writer...

, the noted Catholic author and philosopher, was a native of the state. He was born in Stockbridge
Stockbridge, Vermont
Stockbridge is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 674 at the 2000 census.Stockbridge was one of thirteen Vermont towns isolated by flooding caused by Hurricane Irene in 2011.-Geography:...

 in 1803.

In the early years of the nineteenth century, there were no priests residing in Vermont. Father Matignon, of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

, visited Burlington in 1815 and counted about 100 Catholic Canadians. About 1818 Father Migneault, from Chambly, Canada
Chambly, Quebec
Chambly is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada, about to the south east of Montreal.- Geography :It sits on the Richelieu River in the Regional County Municipality of La-Vallée-du-Richelieu, at .-History:...

, looked after the spiritual needs of the settlers on the shores of Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...

 for several years. He was appointed vicar-general of this part of the diocese by the Bishop of Boston and continued in that capacity until 1853.

Father Fitton, of Boston, came to Burlington for a short time in the summer of 1829. Bishop Fenwick
Benedict Joseph Fenwick
Benedict Joseph Fenwick, S.J. was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. A Jesuit, he served as Bishop of Boston from 1825 until his death in 1846.-Early life and education:...

, second Bishop of Boston, visited Windsor
Windsor, Vermont
Windsor is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,756 at the 2000 census.-History:One of the New Hampshire grants, Windsor was chartered as a town on July 6, 1761 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. It was first settled in August 1764 by Captain Steele Smith and...

 in 1826. The first resident priest in Vermont was Rev. Jeremiah O'Callaghan from 1830 until 1847. He was sent by Fenwick to Vermont, and visited successively Wallingford, Pittsford
Pittsford, Vermont
Pittsford is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for William Pitt. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 2,991. Pittsford was first settled as a frontier town in 1769, about north of Bennington...

, Vergennes
Vergennes, Vermont
Vergennes is a city located in the northwest quadrant of Addison County, Vermont, in the United States. Bordered by the towns of Ferrisburgh, Panton and Waltham, as of the 2000 census the city population was 2,741. It is the smallest of Vermont's nine cities in terms of population...

, and Burlington. He settled at Burlington, where he ministered for nearly a quarter of a century. His field of labor extended from Rutland to the Canadian line, a distance of about 100 miles (160.9 km), and from the shores of Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...

 to the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...

.

Fenwick made his first pastoral visit, as Bishop of Boston, to Vermont in 1830, and in 1832 he dedicated the first church built in Vermont in the nineteenth century. This was erected at Burlington under the supervision of Father O'Callaghan.

In 1837 Rev. John Daley came to the southern part of the state. He is described as an "eccentric, but very learned man". During the time of his zealous labors in Vermont, he had no particular home. He usually made his headquarters at Rutland or Middlebury. He acted as a missionary, traveling from place to place wherever there were Catholics, and stopping wherever night overtook him. He remained in the state until 1854 and died in New York in 1870.

A census of the Catholic population of Vermont, taken in 1843, showed the total number to be 4940. At about this time emigration from European countries, particularly from Ireland, increased. The Catholic population increased.

During 1837 to 1854, Father John B. Daly performed missionary work in southern Vermont.

In 1852 a meeting of the bishops of the province of New York decided to ask the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

 to erect Vermont into a diocese, with Burlington as the see city. Bishop Fitzpatrick of Boston proposed for Bishop of Burlington, Louis De Goesbriand
Louis De Goesbriand
Louis Joseph Mary Theodore De Goesbriand was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Burlington in the United States from 1853 until his death in 1899.-Early career:...

, Vicar-General of Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

. On 29 July 1853, the Diocese of Burlington was created and Father De Goesbriand named as bishop. He was consecrated at New York by the apostolic delegate, Mgr Bedini, on October 30, 1853. On November 5, he arrived at Burlington. He was installed the following day by Bishop Fitzpatrick. Bishop De Goesbriand visited the entire diocese. He found about 20,000 Catholics scattered throughout Vermont. In 1855 he visited France and Ireland for the purpose of securing priests for the Diocese of Vermont. He brought to the diocese in the succeeding years, several priests who helped build the Church in Vermont.

The first diocesan synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...

 was held at Burlington, October 4, 1855. Rev. Thomas Lynch was appointed vicar-general in 1858. The gothic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was built in Burlington starting in 1861 under the supervision of Bishop De Goesbriand. It was completed and dedicated on December 8, 1867. By 1881 DeGoesbriand had a dozen priests to serve 6,000 congregants scattered throughout the state.

In 1891, the ratio of French priests to francophone parishioners was the highest in New England in the diocese of Burlington(1:1610).

Bishop De Goesbriand served for thirty-eight years. In 1892, because of his advancing years and failing health, he requested the appointment of a coadjutor. Rev. J. S. Michaud
John Stephen Michaud
John Stephen Michaud was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Burlington from 1899 until his death in 1908....

, then pastor of Bennington, Vermont, was appointed. Bishop De Goesbriand retired to the orphanage, which he himself had founded.

Michaud completed the Cathedral Church, built the Fanny Allen Hospital and staffed it with the Religious Hospitalers of St. Joseph. The Sisters of Charity
Sisters of Charity
Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name. The rule of Saint Vincent for the Daughters of Charity has been adopted and adapted by at least sixty founders of religious orders around the world in the subsequent centuries....

 of Providence operated another new hospital in St. Johnsbury
St. Johnsbury, Vermont
St. Johnsbury is the shire town of Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 7,571 at the 2000 census. St. Johnsbury is located approximately northwest of the Connecticut River and south of the Canadian border.St...

; the Loretto Home for the Aged in Rutland was served by the Sisters of St. Joseph
Sisters of St. Joseph
The title Sisters of St. Joseph applies to several Roman Catholic religious congregations of women. The largest and oldest of these was founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France...

. In 1904, the Bishop invited the dedicated Society of Saint Edmund
Society of Saint Edmund
The Society of Saint Edmund is a religious congregation of the Catholic Church founded in 1843, in Pontigny, France by Rev. Jean Baptiste Muard. They adhere to vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. The order is named after Saint Edmund....

 to establish St. Michael's College
St. Michael's College
St. Michael's College may refer to:* Saint Michael's College, a private liberal arts college located in Colchester, Vermont, USA* St Michael's College, Adelaide, Australia, a private Roman Catholic primary and secondary school founded by the Lasallian Brothers* St...

 at Winooski Park. In 1905, the Daughters of Charity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Daughters of Charity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Daughters of Charity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a congregation established on 18 December 1823 in France by Jean-Maurice Catroux and Rose Giet ....

 came to Newport
Newport (city), Vermont
Newport is a city in and the shire town of Orleans County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,005. The city contains the largest population of any government in the county, yet encompasses the smallest area....

 where they opened a mission to serve as teachers, nurses and catechists for the Northeast Kingdom
Northeast Kingdom
The Northeast Kingdom is a term used to describe the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Vermont, comprising Essex, Orleans and Caledonia Counties and having a population of 62,438. In Vermont, the written term "NEK" is often used. The term is attributed to the late George D. Aiken, former...

.

During his tenure, Michaud expanded the number of churches in Vermont from 72 to 94. There were 75,000 Catholics, 102 priests, 286 religious sisters, and 20 parochial schools serving some 7000 students.

On 3 November 1899, he died at the age of 84. Bishop Michaud died on December 22, 1908. Rev. J.J. Rice, D.D., then pastor of St. Peter's Church, Northbridge, Massachusetts
Northbridge, Massachusetts
Northbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,707 at the 2010 census. The Northbridge Town Hall is located at 7 Main Street in Whitinsville. The town is now a part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, of the National Park...

, was selected as his successor. Bishop Rice was consecrated on 14 April 1910.

In March 1972, an arsonist burned the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception to the ground. A modern cathedral with the same name was erected on the same site in 1977.

Catholic schools experienced a 24% drop in enrollment between 1998 and 2008 - from 3,190 to 2,431.

In 2010, the diocese settled 26 lawsuits for sexual abuse by priests, for $ in dollars.

In 2010, the diocese ordained four priests, the highest number in decades.

Deaneries

There are twelve deaneries in the diocese.

  1. Addison
  2. Bennington
  3. Burlington
  4. Caledonia
  5. Capitol
  6. Franklin
  7. Orleans
  8. Rutland
  9. South Burlington
  10. Windham
  11. Windsor
  12. Winooski


Ordinaries

  1. Louis De Goesbriand
    Louis De Goesbriand
    Louis Joseph Mary Theodore De Goesbriand was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Burlington in the United States from 1853 until his death in 1899.-Early career:...

     (1853–1899)
  2. John Stephen Michaud
    John Stephen Michaud
    John Stephen Michaud was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Burlington from 1899 until his death in 1908....

     (1899–1908)
  3. Joseph John Rice
    Joseph John Rice
    Joseph John Rice was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Burlington from 1910 until his death in 1938.-Biography:...

     (1910–1938)
  4. Matthew Francis Brady
    Matthew Francis Brady
    Matthew Francis Brady was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Burlington and Bishop of Manchester .-Biography:...

     (1938–1944)
  5. Edward Francis Ryan
    Edward Francis Ryan
    Edward Francis Ryan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Burlington from 1945 until his death in 1956.-Biography:...

     (1944–1956)
  6. Robert Francis Joyce
    Robert Francis Joyce
    Robert Francis Joyce was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Burlington from 1956 to 1971....

     (1956–1971)
  7. John Aloysius Marshall
    John Aloysius Marshall
    John Aloysius Marshall was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Burlington, Vermont and Bishop of Springfield, Massachusetts .-Biography:...

     (1971–1991)
  8. Kenneth Anthony Angell
    Kenneth Anthony Angell
    Kenneth Anthony Angell is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Burlington from 1992 to 2005.-Biography:...

     (1992–2005)
  9. Salvatore Ronald Matano
    Salvatore Ronald Matano
    Salvatore Ronald Matano is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who currently serves as Bishop of Burlington.-Biography:...

     (2005–present)

Education

Mona Faulkner is the superintendent of schools.

There are eighteen Catholic schools in Vermont.
2 Secondary/High Schools:
  • Mount Saint Joseph Academy
    Mount Saint Joseph Academy (Rutland, Vermont)
    Mount Saint Joseph Academy is a Roman Catholic high school located in Rutland, Vermont. The school is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Burlington.-External links:**...

    , Rutland
  • Rice Memorial High School
    Rice Memorial High School
    Rice Memorial High School is a coeducational Roman Catholic secondary school in South Burlington, Vermont. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington. It serves students throughout Northern and Central Vermont...

    , South Burlington


16 Parochial/parish elementary/middle schools: are:
  • St. Monica School, Barre
  • St. Paul's Catholic School, Barton
  • Sacred Heart School, Bennington
  • St. Michael School, Brattleboro
  • Christ the King School, Burlington
  • Mater Christi School, Burlington
  • St. Joseph School, Burlington
  • St. Mary's School, Middlebury
  • St. Michael School, Montpelier
  • Bishop John A. Marshall, Morrisville
  • Sacred Heart, Newport
  • Christ the King School, Rutland
  • Mt. St. Joseph Academy, Rutland
  • Good Shepherd, St. Johnsbury
  • Holy Family, Springfield
  • St. Francis Xavier, Winooski


Student enrollment dropped 24% from 3,190 to 2,431 from 1999 to 2008.

Assets

In 2005, the Vermont diocese has net assets of $5,679,217. This figure includes assets acquired "at cost." An insurance company has estimated that it would cost $400 million to replace the physical assets of the diocese, including churches, schools, and nursing homes.

The Vermont Catholic Charities had total net assets of $3,874,935.

Resources

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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