Province
of denver
Pope Pius XII created the
Province of Denver in 1941. The Province consists of the Archdiocese of Denver
and three dioceses in Colorado and Wyoming
I have only seen one of the
four cathedrals in this province—the Cathedral
Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver and I did not get a
chance to go inside during my last visit to Denver in 1986.
A note about a sad subject.
The clergy sexual abuse scandal resulted in many victims. Sadly, some Catholic bishops abused children
(usually before they were bishops), some took strong action against the clergy
abuse and others did less. Many bishops
had to deal with lawsuits resulting from activities that took place before they
were bishops. In my blog, I will report
on legal actions that were taken to include creditable accusations or lawsuits
against a bishop, and lawsuits, bankruptcies, and other legal actions taken by a
Diocese as a result of past sexual abuse by diocesan employees. Many groups have accused bishops of “not
doing enough.” I will not report on
these accusations because they are often vague and I do not know what an
individual bishop may or may not have done or why regarding individual priests.
Map of the Province
Colorado
Catholic History of Colorado
Spanish explorers likely came to Colorado as early as 1541,
but it was not until 1706 that Juan de Ulibarri claimed the land for
Spain. A fur trader, James Purcell, was
the first American to come to Colorado
in 1803. More American explorers and fur
traders followed, but the first permanent settlement was not made until 1851 at
San Luis. The discovery of gold in 1858
led to increased settlement—several towns were established over the next three
years, including Denver. Eastern Colorado had become a part of the United States as a result of the Louisiana
Purchase in 1803, but it was not until 1848 that the Nation gained full control
of Colorado. Congress created the Territory
of Colorado in 1861 and Colorado became the 38th
State in 1876.
Part of Colorado came under the jurisdiction of the
Vicariate Apostolic (a missionary diocese) of the Indian Territory East of the
Rocky Mountains in 1850—a territory covering all or part of 8 future states—and
the first Catholic church was built in Canejos in 1858. Colorado was
transferred to the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Santa Fe in 1860 who that same
year sent Fathers Joseph Machebeuf and John Raverdy to Denver.
Pope Pius IX established the Vicariate Apostolic of Colorado and Utah in
1868 and appointed Machebeuf as the Vicar Apostolic. Colorado became the Vicariate Apostolic of
Colorado two years later with Machebeuf remaining in charge. Colorado’s population grew from 34,000 in
1860 to 412,000 in 1890 and the Church served many ethnic groups including
Mexicans, Irish, Italians, Germans, and Slovaks.
Pope Leo XIII created the Diocese of Denver in 1887,
consisting of the State of Colorado,
and appointed Machebeuf as the first Bishop.
Denver was Colorado’s capital and largest city with a
population of about 100,000. By 1940,
Colorado’s population had grown to 1.1 million.
Pope Pius XII created the Province
of Denver the following year, thus
raising Denver
to an Archdiocese, and also created the Diocese of Pueblo for the Catholics in
the southern half of the State. Pueblo
was then Colorado’s
second largest city. By 1980, Colorado’s
population had risen to 2.9 million and Pope John Paul II created the Diocese
of Colorado Springs in 1983.
Archdiocese of Denver
The Archdiocese of Denver consists of 25 counties in northern
Colorado. The archdiocese has 570,000 Catholics (16 percent of the total
population) in 123 parishes.
Bishops of Denver
Joseph P.
Machebeuf (1812-1889), Vicar Apostolic of Colorado and Utah (1868-1870),
Vicar Apostolic of Colorado (1870-1887), and first Bishop
of Denver (1887-1889).
·
Born in France and ordained a priest in France in
1836.
Joseph Machebeuf, known as the Apostle of Colorado, was sent
by the Bishop of Santa Fe in 1860 to minister to the few Catholics who then
lived in Colorado and Utah. He traveled
throughout these territories in a covered wagon which served as both chapel and
home. He was put in charge of the
Vicariate Apostolic (a missionary diocese) of Colorado and Utah in 1868 (Utah
was split off in 1871) and was named the first Bishop of Denver in 1887. Machebeuf built St. Mary’s Church in Denver
in 1860—the first Catholic church in the town and went on to build over 100
churches and chapels. He increased the
number of priests from 3 in 1860 to 64 in 1889 and invited religious orders to
establish schools. He also invited the
Jesuits to take charge of many of the parishes in southern Colorado in
1871. Machebeuf established St. Vincent
Orphanage, Sacred Heart College (now Regis University), St. Joseph Hospital in
Denver and 10 other hospitals. He died
in 1889.
Nicholas C. Matz (1850-1917), Bishop of Denver
(1889-1917).
- Born in France and ordained a priest in 1874 for the Vicariate Apostolic of Colorado and Utah.
- Also served as coadjutor bishop of Denver (1887-1889).
The Catholic population increased from 40,000 to 110,000
under Bishop Matz and he increased the number of parishes from 49 to 88. These new Catholics were not only Irish and
Spanish, but Italian, German, and Polish as well, and Bishop Matz opened
several ethnic parishes to serve them.
He also welcomed St. Frances Xavier Cabrini who opened a school at an Italian
parish, an orphanage, and what is now known as the Mother Cabrini Shrine in
Golden. He also built St. Thomas
Seminary and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and started The
Denver Catholic Register. He
convened the first diocesan synod in 1890.
He opposed the formation of a miners union and faced opposition from
some of his priests for the debt incurred from his building program. He died in 1917 following a period of poor
health.
J. Henry Tihen (1861-1940), Bishop of Denver (1917-1931).
- Born in Indiana and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1886.
- Also served as Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska (1911-1917).
Bishop Tihen increased the number of priests in the Diocese
by 55 in 13 years and established over 20 new parishes, as well as new schools
and other Catholic institutions, including three hospitals. He supported the war effort through school
programs and war bonds during the First World War and defended the Church
against anti-Catholic attacks by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. He also established Catholic Charities of
Denver in 1927. He supported labor
unions and the right of women to vote.
He resigned in 1931 (due to poor health) at which time there were
135,000 Colorado Catholics and 229 priests.
Archbishops of Denver
Urban J. Vehr (1891-1973), Bishop of Denver (1931-1941)
and first Archbishop of Denver (1941-1967).
·
Born in Ohio and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese
of Cincinnati in 1915.
Vehr was named the first Archbishop of Denver in 1941 and
was at that time the youngest U.S. bishop. Archbishop Vehr led the Archdiocese for 36
years through the Great Depression, the Second World War, and the economic boom
following the War. During the
Depression, he sent priests to minister to Catholics in Colorado’s two dozen
Civilian Conservation Corps camps. He
built 200 churches and schools and 200 other buildings to keep pace with a 300
percent increase in the number of Catholics in the Archdiocese. He began an Archdiocesan development program,
expanded St. Thomas Seminary, and ordained 162 priests. He also built many new schools and united all
Catholic schools under a school superintendent.
Due to poor health, Vehr was unable to attend the Second Vatican Council
and he retired in 1967.
James V. Casey (1914-1986), Archbishop of Denver
(1967-1986).
·
Born in Iowa and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, in 1939.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Lincoln,
Nebraska (1957) and Bishop of Lincoln (1957-1967).
Archbishop Casey enthusiastically implemented the decrees of
the Second Vatican Council. He
established over a dozen new Catholic organizations, such as the Samaritan
House Homeless Shelter, to encourage greater involvement and control in the
Church to nuns and the laity and to meet the needs of the poor and
disadvantaged. Just days before his
death, he urged the State Legislature to enact a law that would provide clean
water and portable toilets for migrant workers. He also started an Hispanic ministry. He opened 24 new parishes but also had to
close or consolidate some Catholic schools.
He opposed the War in Vietnam and moved out of the Archbishop’s mansion
to humbler quarters. He suffered a
ruptured artery in 1984 and never fully recovered. He died from a cerebral aneurysm in 1986.
Francis Stafford (1932-
), Archbishop of Denver (1986-1996).
·
Born in Baltimore and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Baltimore in 1957.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Baltimore
(1976-1982), Bishop of Memphis, Tennessee (1982-1986), President of the
Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Laity (1996-2003), and served as the
Vatican’s Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary (2003-2009).
The Archdioceses had 330,000 Catholics when Archbishop
Stafford became Archbishop. He hosted
World Youth Day in 1993, which including a visit from Pope John Paul II. He also established Redemptoris Mater
Archdiocesan Seminary. He began a
development campaign and developed a strategic plan for Catholic schools. Archbishop Stafford was appointed the
President of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Laity in 1996 and was
named a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 1998.
Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., (1944- ), Archbishop of Denver (1997-2011).
·
Born in Kansas and ordained a Capuchin priest in
1970.
·
Also served as Bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota
(1988-1997) and serves as Archbishop of Philadelphia (since 2011).
Charles Chaput was appointed the fourth Archbishop of Denver
in 1997. He is the second Native
American to become a bishop, and the first to be a diocesan ordinary. He was also the youngest U.S. archbishop at
the time of his appointment in Denver. I
don’t know what Archbishop Chaput did in Denver, except that he established St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in 1999. He was named Archbishop of
Philadelphia in 2011.
Current Archbishop
Samuel J. Aquilla was appointed Archbishop of Denver by Pope
Benedict XVI in 2012. He was born in California
in 1950 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese in 1976. He previously served as coadjutor bishop of
Fargo, North Dakota (2001-2002) and Bishop of Fargo (2002-2012).
The Cathedral
Cathedral Basilica
of the Immaculate Conception
1530 Logan Street
1530 Logan Street
Denver, Colorado 80203
Many Christians believe that humans are born into sin—known
as original sin. This sin is erased
through baptism and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Catholics believe that Mary, through the
grace of God, was conceived without the stain of original sin—the Immaculate
Conception. She was given the honor
because of her role as the Mother of God.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8.
O Most gracious Virgin Mary, beloved Mother of Jesus Christ,
our Redeemer, intercede with him for us that we be granted the favor which we
petition for so earnestly in this novena.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, we feel animated with confidence that
your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God. O
Glorious Mother of God, in memory of your joyous Immaculate Conception, hear
our prayers and obtain for us our petitions. (State your intention
here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you
had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same
influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of
my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Joseph Machebeuf,
later the first Bishop of Denver, built St. Mary’s Church in 1860—the first
Catholic church in the city. This 1,900
square-foot brick church was located at 15th and Stout streets, then
on the edge of town, now the site of a parking garage. This humble church became Machebeuf’s
cathedral when he became Vicar Apostolic of Colorado and Utah in 1868. The Bishop lived in a 155 square-foot wooden
shack behind the Cathedral with one other priest. By 1864, this humble Cathedral had an organ
and an 800-pound bell. Machebeuf
continued to make improvements to the Cathedral until his death in 1889. The building was demolished in 1890. Bishop
Nicholas Matz built a new Cathedral that year at 1842 Logan Street—it is now the Samaritan
Shelter. This Romanesque brick and red
sandstone building also housed the parish school. Ground was broken for the current Cathedral
in 1902 and was completed in 1912 at a cost of about half a million dollars
paid for mostly by wealthy parishioners.
The Cathedral is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Pope John Paul II designated the Cathedral as a minor basilica in 1979. Basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a
church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical
importance, or significance as a center of worship.
From Wikipedia
The French Gothic cathedral was
designed by Leon Coquard of Detroit and Aaron Gove and Thomas Walsh of
Denver. The design was inspired by the 13th-century
Saint Nicholas Collegiate church of Munster, Moselle, France; the birthplace of Bishop Matz. The Cathedral measures 195 by 116 feet and
its exterior walls are made Indiana Bedford limestone. The foundation is made from Gunnison granite. The bell towers rise 210 feet above street
level and have 15 bells ranging from a 3,500-pound D flat to a 525-pound G flat.
The altars, statues, as well as
the pulpit (or ambo), Archbishop’s chair, and communion rail are made from
Italian Carrara marble. Colorado Yule
marble was used for the confessionals, steps, and other features. The vaulted ceiling is 68 feet from the
floor.
Side altars are dedicated to the Blessed
Mother, St. Joseph, and the Sacred Heart.
There is a chapel dedicated to St. Paul and Children's Chapel with a
Guardian Angel Shrine. The Cathedral has
a Kimball pipe organ.
The most magnificent feature of
the Cathedral is its 75 stained glass windows—claimed to be more than
any other church of any denomination in the United States. They were
designed and made by F.X. Zettler of Munich, Germany. These beautiful windows feature scenes from
the life of Jesus Christ, his Apostles and Evangelists, and his Blessed Mother. Details are as delicate as thin eyelashes on
the figures. The two large trancept
windows contain over 20,000 pieces of colored glass. Zettler’s secrets for making these exquisite
windows were lost when his facility was destroyed during the Second World War.
The first three are from flickr.com and the last two from the Cathedral website
Much additional detail about the Cathedral can be obtained
from its website denvercathedral.org, including the windows. The Archdiocesan website is archden.org.
The Cathedral is located near the Colorado State Capitol and
has five weekend masses. The
Cathedral seats 800. Each year
the Cathedral provides 50,000 to 60,000 lunches to the poor and homeless.
Diocese of Pueblo
The diocese consists of 29 counties in southern Colorado. The diocese has 129,000 Catholics (19 percent
of the total population) in 53 parishes.
Bishops of Pueblo
Joseph C. Willging (1884-1959),
first Bishop of Pueblo (1942-1959).
- Born in Iowa and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Dubuque in 1908.
As Bishop during the period of
growth following the Second World War, Bishop Willging increased the number of
parishes by 50 percent and built schools and hospitals. He increased the number of Diocesan priests from
84 to 151—an average of four new priests a year—and invited religious orders of
nuns to administer schools and other institutions. He died of a heart attack in 1959.
Charles A. Buswell (1913-2008), Bishop of Pueblo
(1959-1979).
·
Born in Oklahoma and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa in 1939.
Bishop Buswell attended all sessions of the Second Vatican
Council and was an enthusiastic supporter of the changes brought about by the
Council. He encouraged ecumenism and
social justice and formed advisory boards of both clergy and laity. He also began a fund to support Diocesan
programs. Perhaps his most controversial
action was closing all 12 of Pueblo’s Catholic schools because financial issues
would have meant that only the children of the wealthy could attend. He resigned in 1979.
Arthur N. Tafoya (1933-
), Bishop of Pueblo (1980-2009).
·
Born in New Mexico and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Santa Fe in 1962.
Bishop Tafoya established a series of plans to establish
goals for the Diocese in light of declining numbers of Catholics and priests. He also emphasized lay participation through
the establishment of a permanent deaconate program and a training program for
lay leadership. He also started a
foundation to fund Diocesan programs and reopened five parochial schools. He sold the Bishop’s residence in 1989 due to
the Diocese’s poor financial situation. He
vocally opposed the War in Iraq, calling it unjust. He retired in 2009.
Fernando Isern (1958-
), Bishop of Pueblo (2009-2013).
·
Born in Cuba and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese
of Miami, Florida, in 1993.
Bishop Isern served only a short time before resigning in
2013 due to poor health. He instituted
perpetual adoration at the Shrine of St. Therese and made pastoral visits to
all of the parishes and missions of the Diocese.
Current Bishop
Stephen Berg was appointed Bishop of Pueblo by Pope Francis
in 2014. He was born in Montana in 1951
and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Fort Worth in 1999. He previously served as a pastor, moderator
of the curia, and vicar general for the Diocese of Fort Worth.
The Cathedral
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
414 West 11th Street
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to
have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant
us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of
Mary, your tender Mother and ours.
Father Joseph Machebeuf and other priests visited Pueblo starting in the early 1860s, celebrating Mass in
homes or at the County
Courthouse Pueblo St. Ignatius by the Jesuit priests who
served it. The current red-brick Gothic building
was built (at a cost of $48,000) next to St. Ignatius Church (which then became
the parish hall) and was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus upon its
completion in 1913. Sacred Heart became
the Cathedral for the new Diocese of Pueblo in 1941.
From the Diocese's Facebook page
From Wikipedia
The Cathedral’s stained glass windows depicting biblical
scenes are the work of the late Emil Frei of St. Louis. A rose window depicts St. Cecilia, the patron
saint of music. The main entrance is
flanked by two towers, one of which has a steeple reaching to 135 feet. The
Cathedral has a bronze sculpture of Saint Therese of Lisieux by Colorado artist
Huberto Maestas. In 1989, the Cathedral
was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Cathedral website, shcathedral.qwestoffice.net, has a
five-minute tour of the Cathedral. Also
see the Diocesan website at dioceseofpueblo.org. The Cathedral is located near downtown Pueblo
and serves a parish of 1200 families with four weekend masses.
From thecatholicphotographer.com
Diocese of Colorado Springs
The diocese consists of 10 counties in east central Colorado. The diocese has 170,000 Catholics (16 percent
of the total population) in 37 parishes.
Bishops of Colorado Springs
Richard C. Hanifen (1931- ), first Bishop of Colorado Springs
(1983-2003).
- Born in Denver and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Denver in 1959.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of Denver (1974-1983).
Bishop Hanifen doubled the number of parishes in the Diocese
to keep up with the growing number of Catholics. He established the diocesan newspaper, The
Catholic Herald, and appointed lay people to serve in leadership
positions. His encouragement of ecumenism
led to his co-founding of the Center for Christian-Jewish Dialogue. He retired in 2003.
Current Bishop
Michael J. Sheridan was appointed coadjutor bishop of Colorado Springs St. Louis St. Louis
The Cathedral
St. Mary’s Cathedral
22 West Kiowa Street
The Cathedral is named for Mary, the Mother of God.
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art
thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us
sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Father (later Bishop) Joseph Machebeuf celebrated the first
Mass in Colorado Springs St. Mary’s parish was established in 1887, and the
following year, the town’s Catholics bought property (for $3,100) and began
construction of a church. By 1891, services
could be held in the basement pending final construction in 1898. St. Mary's became the Cathedral of the new Diocese
of Colorado Springs in 1984. The Cathedral is listed
on the National Register of Historic Places.
Diocese website
Wikipedia
The Gothic Revival Cathedral was designed by the architectural firm of Pease and Barber. The bell towers were built in 1902 and the spires were added in 1907. Most of the stained-glass windows were installed in 1924 and the rose window was redone in 1930. Renovations in 2002-2003 added space to the Cathedral, changed the appearance of the Cathedral’s interior, and replaced the pipe organ. Some addition detail can be found on the Cathedral’s website at stmaryscathedral.org. Also see the Diocesan website at diocs.org.
Cathedral website
flickr.com
pinterest.com
St. Mary’s Cathedral is located in downtown Colorado Springs and has six weekend masses, including one in Spanish.
Wyoming
Catholic History of Wyoming
Spanish explorers and French Canadian fur traders may have
come to Wyoming,
but the first recorded visit by a non-Native American, was by John Colter. Colter, an American who had been a member of
the Lewis and Clark expedition, explored Wyoming
in 1806 and 1807 and gave the first account of the Yellowstone
area. Fur traders continued to come to Wyoming for the next several decades, and fur traders
established Fort Laramie as a fur trading center in
1834. The Oregon
Trail opening in 1841 and the Union Pacific Railroad came in
1867. The U.S. Army had established
forts as early as 1849—a year after all of Wyoming
had become part of the United
States—and fought with Native Americans for
control of the area until 1876. Congress
created the Territory
of Wyoming in 1868, which
at the time had about 9,000 residents. Wyoming became the 44th
State in 1890, at which time the population had risen to 63,000.
Father Pierre De Smet celebrated the first Mass in Wyoming
in 1840, which was attended by Native Americans and fur traders attending a
“Rendezvous” near present-day Daniel.
Eastern Wyoming became part of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Indian
Territory (a missionary diocese that included all or part of 8 future states)
in 1850 and later became part of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Nebraska Territory. Western Wyoming was under the jurisdiction of
the Archbishop of Oregon City (now Portland). All of Wyoming
became part of the newly created Diocese of Omaha, Nebraska, in 1885 and became the
Diocese of Cheyenne in 1887. Cheyenne, then as now, was Wyoming’s capital and largest city.
Diocese of Cheyenne
The diocese consists of the State of Wyoming. The diocese has 58,000 Catholics (10 percent
of the total population) in 37 parishes.
Bishops of Cheyenne
Maurice F. Burke (1845-1923), first Bishop of Cheyenne
(1887-1893).
·
Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Chicago in 1875.
·
Also served as Bishop of St. Joseph, Missouri
(1893-1923).
Maurice Burke was named the first Bishop of Cheyenne in
1887. When Bishop Burke arrived in
Cheyenne that year, he found that his new Diocese had about 7,500 Catholics
(including 3,000 Shoshone and Arapaho served by St. Stephen’s Indian Mission),
8 parishes and 28 missions, served by four diocesan priests and one Jesuit priest. The Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus had two
schools in Cheyenne and the Sisters of Charity
of Leavenworth operated St. Joseph’s Hospital
and a school in Laramie. Anti-Catholic groups, such as the “Know
Nothings” were very active at the time, which forced the Sisters of Charity to
leave Wyoming. Burke was so discouraged
after his first two years as Bishop that he asked Rome to dissolve the
Diocese. His request was studied, but
not granted. Two years later, things had
improved slightly—there were 9 priests and the number of missions had increased
to 43. Many of these missions were built
in settlements along the newly built Union Pacific Railroad line. He was named Bishop of St. Joseph, Missouri,
in 1893.
Thomas M. Lenihan (1844-1901), Bishop of Cheyenne
(1897-1901).
·
Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Dubuque, Iowa, in 1868.
Four years passed before Pope Leo XIII named Thomas Lenihan
as the second Bishop of Cheyenne.
Lenihan established a few new parishes and schools and organized the
administration of the Diocese. Despite
poor health, he traveled throughout the Diocese, but his heart and kidney
ailments eventually caused his death in 1901.
His younger brother, Mathias, served as Bishop of Great Falls, Montana.
James J. Keane (1856-1929), Bishop of Cheyenne
(1902-1911).
·
Born in Illinois and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1882.
·
Also served as Archbishop of Dubuque, Iowa
(1911-1929).
Bishop Keane brought the Diocese into conformance with legal
standards by incorporating each parish with a board that included lay members
and by bringing order to the assignment of priests. In 1909, he invited the Conventual Franciscans
to administer St. James parish in Douglas,
which included more than a dozen missions in four counties. Immigrants seeking good farms and jobs in the
timber, coal, iron, and oil and gas industries, swelled Wyoming’s population in
the first decade of the 20th Century Keane received help from the
Catholic Church Extension Society to build the new churches needed because of these
new immigrants. He recruited priests to
serve in Wyoming
and he built the current St. Mary’s Cathedral in 1907. He was also noted for his skills as a
preacher and retreat director. Keane was
named Archbishop of Dubuque, Iowa, in 1911.
Patrick A. McGovern (1872-1951), Bishop of Cheyenne
(1912-1951).
·
Born in Nebraska and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Omaha in 1895.
Bishop McGovern served as bishop for almost four
decades. An orphan himself, he
established St. Joseph Children’s Home at Torrington in 1930 to care for
Wyoming’s orphans and staffed by Franciscan Sisters. He convened two Diocesan synods for priests to
establish procedures for governance of the Diocese and he successfully
increased the number of Diocesan priests.
A man of few words, McGovern often sent official notices to his priests
on postcards. Bishop McGovern frequently
suffered from poor health and died in 1951.
Hubert M. Newell (1904-1987), Bishop of Cheyenne
(1951-1978).
- Born in Denver and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Denver in 1930.
- Also served as coadjutor bishop of Cheyenne (1947-1951).
Bishop Newell attended the Second Vatican Council and
implemented the resulting liturgical changes, including the establishment of a
diocesan pastoral council and the commission of lay ministers of the
Eucharist. He promoted the Council of
Catholic Women, the Knights of Columbus, and the Catholic Youth
Organization. He established a board of
education for Catholic schools and started publication of the Wyoming
Catholic Register in 1952. He built new churches and schools and limited
the terms of pastors, ending the practice of life-time appointments. Newell retired in 1978.
Joseph Hart (1931-
), Bishop of Cheyenne (1978-2001).
·
Born in Missouri and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in 1956.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Cheyenne
(1976-1978).
Bishop Hart ordained 25 priests and began the permanent
deaconate program in the Diocese. He
encouraged lay participation in the Church through the establishment of parish
pastoral councils and finance committees.
He also called the third Diocesan Synod to involve the laity in helping
solve problems in the Diocese. He also
established a fund-raising program and welcomed the Benedictine nuns of
Perpetual Adoration who established a monastery in 1983. Bishop Hart retired in 2001. The following year, he was accused of sexual
misconduct while he served as auxiliary bishop of Cheyenne, but was cleared of
these charges. In August 2008, the
Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese paid a $10 million settlement to a group of sexual abuse
victims, some of whom cited Hart as responsible for their
abuse.
David L. Ricken (1952-
), Bishop of Cheyenne (2001-2008).
- Born in Kansas and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Pueblo in 1980.
- Also served as an official with the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy (1996-1999), coadjutor bishop of Cheyenne (1999-2001), and serves as Bishop of Green Bay, Wisconsin (since 2008).
According to Wikipedia, Ricken co-founded the Wyoming
Catholic College and established the Wyoming School of Catholic Thought and John
Paul II Catholic School in Gillette. He also built a new building for St.
Mary's Catholic School in Cheyenne.
Ricken was named Bishop of Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 2008.
Paul D. Etienne (1959-
), Bishop of Cheyenne (2009-2016).
- Born in Indiana and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in 1992.
· Serves as Archbishop of Anchorage,
Alaska, since 2016.
I have no information on Bishop Etienne.
Current Bishop
Currently vacant.
The Cathedral
The Cathedral is named for Mary, the Mother of God.
Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! Our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To
thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve, to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after
this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus; O clement, O
loving, O sweet virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God that we may be
made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Cheyenne was established
along the Union Pacific Railroad in 1867 and shortly thereafter the Army
established Camp Carlin
and Fort Russell (now Warren Air Force
Base). The Bishop of Omaha sent Father
William Kelly to Cheyenne in 1867 to serve the
Catholics in Wyoming and portions of Nebraska and Utah. The following year, Kelly built a small
wooden frame church at the northeast corner of 21st and O’Neil
Streets and dedicated it to St. John
the Baptist. This was the second parish
in Wyoming. Twelve years later, a new
brick church was completed at the northeast corner of 19th Street and Carey Avenue that could seat 300
people—at the time Cheyenne
had 3,500 people including about 50 to 75 Catholic families. This church became the first Cathedral of the
new Diocese of Cheyenne in 1887 and was at the same time given the name St.
Mary’s Cathedral. The current Cathedral
was completed in 1909 (at a cost of about $100,000) and was needed to serve a
larger parish. The Cathedral is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
From the Diocesan website
The Early English Gothic building is made of white/gray
sandstone from Iron Mountain, Wyoming, and measures 210 feet long by 70 feet
wide. A single tower rises 106 feet
above the street. The Cathedral has
several stained-glass windows describing Biblical events. The origin of these windows is unknown, but
thought to be Dresden, Germany. A large
Madonna window was imported from Europe and donated by the Knights of
Columbus. The ceiling rises 70 feet
above the floor and the ribs are made of oak.
The sanctuary walls are faced with pink travertine marble and a metal
baldachin rises over the main altar. A
Visser-Rowland tracker pipe organ was installed in 1992 and has 2,825
pipes. The casework is made of red
Appalachian oak.
The cathedral website, stmarycathedral.com has
much addition detail about the design of the Cathedral. Also see the Diocesan website at dioceseofcheyenne.org. The Cathedral is located in downtown Cheyenne
and seats 650. It has six weekend
masses. St.
Mary’s School serves 200 elementary school children.
Cathedral website
Cathedral website
Cathedral website
Cathedral website
Cathedral website
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