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Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island

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Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Nebraska, U.S.
Diocese of Grand Island
Dioecesis Insulae Grandis
Catholic
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Coat of arms of the Diocese of Grand IslandCoat of arms
Location
Country United States
TerritoryNebraska 28 counties and the parts of Dawson, Lincoln and Keith counties north of the Platte River in central and western Nebraska
Episcopal conferenceUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Ecclesiastical regionRegion IX
Ecclesiastical provinceOmaha
Statistics
Area42,000 sq mi (110,000 km)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2016)
320,000
56,600 (17.7%)
Parishes73
Schools11
Information
DenominationCatholic Church
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established
  • March 8, 1912 (Diocese of Kearney)
  • April 11, 1917 (Diocese of Grand Island)
CathedralCathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Patron saintBlessed Virgin Mary
Secular priests63
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopJoseph G. Hanefeldt
Metropolitan ArchbishopGeorge Joseph Lucas
Bishops emeritusWilliam Joseph Dendinger
Map
Website
gidiocese.org

The Diocese of Grand Island (Latin: Dioecesis Insulae Grandis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in northwestern and central Nebraska in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Omaha.

The cathedral parish is the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Grand Island. As of 2023, the bishop of Grand Island is Joseph G. Hanefeldt, who was installed on March 19, 2015.

History

The first Catholic missionary to visit Nebraska was Reverend Peter DeSmet, who crossed the Missouri River into Nebraska to baptize two infants of the Otoe people near present-day Bellevue in 1838. At that time, the area was under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of St. Louis. DeSmet later traveled along the Platte River to a council of the tribes.

Pope Pius IX in 1850 erected the Vicariate Apostolic of Indian Territory East of the Rocky Mountains. This huge jurisdiction contained the present-day states of Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. The pope named Reverend John Miège from St. Louis as the vicar apostolic. Four years later, in 1854, the US Congress created the Nebraska Territory, a vast area covering six future states.

1850 to 1900

In 1857, Pope Pius IX established the Apostolic Vicariate of Nebraska in territory split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Indian Territory East of the Rocky Mountains. Nebraska achieved statehood in 1867.

The first Catholic presence in the present-day diocese was that of priest providing services to workers building the original Union Pacific Railroad along the Platte River. The first Catholic Church in Grand Island, St. Mary's, was a wooden structure erected in 1868. It was blown down by a windstorm before its dedication. It was replaced nine years later. The first church in Kearney was St. James, dedicated in 1871. In North Platte, the first Catholic church, St. Patrick, was finished in 1874.

The Vicariate of Nebraska was elevated to the Diocese of Omaha by Pope Leo XIII in 1885. Northwestern Nebraska would be part of this diocese for the next 27 years.

1900 to 1945

On March 8, 1912, Pope Pius X established the Diocese of Kearney on territory taken from the Diocese of Omaha. He named Reverend James Duffy of St. Paul as the first bishop of the new diocese. In 1916, the Vatican added more counties from the Diocese of Omaha to the Diocese of Kearney.

On April 11, 1917, the Vatican renamed the Diocese of Kearney as the Diocese of Grand Island; the old name was later reused as a titular see. Duffy oversaw construction of the Cathedral of St. Mary from 1926 to 1928, and also established the Nebraska Register. Duffy retired in 1931 due to poor health.

The second bishop of Grand Island was Monsignor Stanislaus Bona of the Archdiocese of Chicago. During World War II, he ministered to German and Italian prisoners of war kept in camps in the diocese. Bona was named coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay in 1944.

1945 to 1972

Pope Pius XII named Edward Hunkeler of Omaha as the next bishop of Grand Island in 1945. During his tenure in Grand Island, Hunkeler ordained 16 priests, and oversaw a large increase in the construction of new churches and other religious institutions. Hunkeler became bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City in Kansas in 1951.

To replace Hunkeler, Pius XII appointed Reverend John Paschang of Omaha to serve in Grand Island. During his tenure, Paschang ordained 55 priests and established 33 churches, 15 parish houses, 13 schools, 11 parish centers, six convents, several rectories, and four hospital additions.

1972 to present

After Paschang's retirement in 1972, Pope Paul VI selected Monsignor John Joseph Sullivan of Omaha as the next bishop in Grand Island. Sullivan served there until his appointment as bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph in 1977. Paul VI replaced Sullivan in Grand Island with Reverend Lawrence McNamara of Kansas City-St. Joseph in 1978.

When McNamara retired in 2004 after 26 years as bishop, Pope John Paul II named General William Dendinger, formerly the deputy chief of the United States Air Force Chaplain Corps, as the new bishop of Grand Island. Dendinger retired in 2014.

As of October 2024, the bishop of the Diocese of Grand Island is Joseph G. Hanefeldt of Omaha, named by Pope Francis in 2015.

Sex abuse

Reverend Mark Maresh from Immaculate Conception Parish in Elm Creek was arrested in June 2006 on charges of exposing himself to a woman and her two young children. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor public indecency. Maresh was sentenced to 30 days in jail and 50 hours of community service. After receiving treatment at a church facility in Maryland, he was returned to ministry in 2008.

In January 2019, Reverend John Kakkuzhiyil was arrested for first-degree sexual assault on a woman by the Nebraska State Patrol. In November 2018, the accuser had gone to Kakkuzhiyil's house to interview him for a project. He allegedly plied her with alcohol until she passed out. When she woke up, the woman said that Kakkuzhivl was performing oral sex on her. He denied raping the woman, saying that he just felt her breasts. A jury acquitted Kakkuzhivl of all charges.

In November 2021, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson released a list of Catholic priests in Nebraska with credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors. Three priests from the Diocese of Grand Island appeared on the list.

Bishops

Bishop of Kearney

James Albert Duffy: 1912 to 1917

Bishops of Grand Island

  1. James Albert Duffy: 1917 to 1931
  2. Stanislaus Vincent Bona: 1931 to 1944, appointed Coadjutor Bishop and later Bishop of Green Bay
  3. Edward Joseph Hunkeler: 1945 to 1951, appointed Bishop and later Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas
  4. John Linus Paschang: 1951 to 1972
  5. John J. Sullivan: 1972 to 1977, appointed Bishop of Kansas City–Saint Joseph
  6. Lawrence James McNamara: 1978 to 2004)
  7. William Joseph Dendinger: 2004 to 2015
  8. Joseph G. Hanefeldt: 2015 to present

Titular Bishops of Kearney

  1. Thomas Wenski: 1997 to 2003, while auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Miami
  2. Felipe de Jesús Estévez: 2003 to 2011, while auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Miami
  3. Robert Deeley: 2012 to 2013, while auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston
  4. Mario E. Dorsonville: 2015 to 2023, while auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington
  5. Brian Nunes: incumbent-elect, auxiliary bishop-elect of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Catholic high schools

Coat of arms of Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island
Notes
Arms was designed and adopted when the diocese was erected
Adopted
1912
Escutcheon
The diocesan arms consists of a gold cross against a green field, with a morning star and wavy border, both in silver.
Symbolism
The green and gold colors represent the plains and fields of western Nebraska. The cross symbolizes the crucifixion. The star is a traditional symbol of Mary, mother of Jesus, patroness of the diocese. The wavy border represents the Platte River. Crowning the shield is the mitre, worn by bishops.

See also

References

  1. "Web Translator". www.translatetheweb.com. Retrieved Apr 5, 2021.
  2. Annuario Pontificio. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 2016. p. 275. Insulae Grandis --suffr. di Omaha
  3. Annuario Pontificio. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 2016. p. 275. Indirizzo: 2708 Old Fair Rd., P.O. Box 1531, Grand Island, NE 68802, U.S.A.
  4. Annuario Pontificio. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 2016. p. 275. Joseph G. Hanefeldt...el 14 genn. 2015; cons. 19 mar. 2015...
  5. "Catholic Church in Nebraska,". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  6. "Kansas City in Kansas (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  7. ^ "Omaha (Archdiocese) (Catholic-Hierarchy)". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  8. ^ "St. Patrick's Catholic Church - Past to Present". www.st-pats-online.org. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  9. "History of Churches in Hall County". sites.rootsweb.com. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  10. "About Us & Our History | St. James Catholic Church". stjameschurchkearney.org. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  11. Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Diocese of Kearney (Nebraska)" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  12. ^ "Bishop James Albert Duffy". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  13. "Diocese of Grand Island". Giga Catholic. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
  14. Annuario Pontificio. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 2016. p. 275. Grand Island (8 mar. 1912 col nome di Kearney, mut. n. 11 apr. 1917)
  15. "Grand Island (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  16. "Most Reverend Stanislaus V. Bona". Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island.
  17. "Archbishop Edward Joseph Hunkeler [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  18. "Bishops". Diocese of Grand Island. Obituary of Hunkeler reproduced from Nebraska Register, vol. 46, no. 41, October 9, 1970. Retrieved June 12, 2017. Archived November 15, 2016.
  19. "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Omaha". GCatholic.org. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
  20. "Bishop John Linus Paschang [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  21. "Most Reverend John L. Paschang". Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island. Archived from the original on 2009-02-14.
  22. "Bishop John Joseph Sullivan [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  23. "Bishop Lawrence James McNamara [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  24. "Bishop William Joseph Dendinger [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  25. "Bishop Joseph Gerard Hanefeldt [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  26. "Priest Pleads No Contest to Public Indecency". Press & Dakotan. August 11, 2006. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  27. "Report on Clergy Sexual Abuse" (PDF). Office of the Nebraska Attorney General. November 4, 2021.
  28. Bertino, Julia (January 4, 2019). "Grand Island Priest Arrested For Alleged Sexual Abuse". 1110 KFAB Local News. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  29. KHGI (2020-01-07). "Accuser takes stand in Ord priest sexual assault trial". KHGI. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  30. "Nebraska jury acquits priest of sexual assault charge". KMTV 3 News Now Omaha. 2020-01-09. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  31. "Nebraska AG finds 258 victims of Catholic church sex abuse". AP NEWS. 2021-11-04. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  32. The Official Catholic Directory, Anno Domini 1998. New York: P.J. Kennedy. 1997. p. 669. ISBN 978-0872179639.
  33. The official Catholic directory for the year of Our Lord 2010. P.J. Kennedy. 2010. p. 782.
  34. The Official Catholic Directory: Anno Domino 2013. P.J. Kennedy. 2013. p. 131.
  35. "Resignations and Appointments". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
  36. "Rinunce e nomine". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 2023-07-20.

Sources and external links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Island
Bishops
James Albert Duffy
Stanislaus Vincent Bona
Edward Joseph Hunkeler
John Linus Paschang
John Joseph Sullivan
Lawrence James McNamara
William Joseph Dendinger
Joseph G. Hanefeldt
Churches
Cathedral
Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Parishes
St. Anselm's Church, Anselmo
Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, O'Connor
St. Michael's Church, Spalding
Education
High schools
Central Catholic High School, Grand Island
Kearney Catholic High School, Kearney
St. Patrick High School, North Platte
Spalding Academy, Spalding
Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Omaha

40°55′20″N 98°21′29″W / 40.92222°N 98.35806°W / 40.92222; -98.35806

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