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Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph Dioecesis Kansanopolitanae–Sancti Josephi
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Kansas CityCathedral of St. Joseph, St. Joseph
Coat of arms
Location
Country	United States
Territory	27 counties across Northern and Western Missouri
Ecclesiastical province	St. Louis
Statistics
Area	15,429 km (5,957 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2012) 1,513,005 137,900 (9.1%)
Parishes	87
Information
Denomination	Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	September 10, 1880
Cathedral	Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Kansas City)
Co-cathedral	Cathedral of St. Joseph (St. Joseph)
Patron saint	Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Saint Joseph (Primary) John Francis Regis (Secondary)
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	James Vann Johnston, Jr.
Metropolitan Archbishop	Mitchell T. Rozanski
Bishops emeritus	Robert Finn
Map
Website
kcsjcatholic.org

The Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph (Latin: Dioecesis Kansanopolitanae–Sancti Josephi) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in northwestern Missouri in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Louis.

The mother church of the diocese is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City. Its co-cathedral is the Cathedral of St. Joseph in St. Joseph. As of 2023, the bishop is James Vann Johnston, Jr.

Territory

The Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph encompasses the following counties:

Andrew, Atchison, Bates, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Holt, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway, Platte, Ray, St. Clair, Vernon and Worth.

History

1800 to 1880

The first Catholic presence in Missouri was that of European explorers in the 17th century traveling the Mississippi River. In present-day Hannibal, Missouri, the first Catholic masses were celebrated by the Belgian missionary, Reverend Louis Hennepin, in 1680 at Bay de Charles. At that time, all of Missouri was part of the French colony of Louisiana. Up until the early 19th century, Catholics in this region were first under the French jurisdiction of the Diocese of Quebec, then Spanish jurisdiction under the Diocese of Louisiana and the Two Floridas.

The first Catholic chapel in Western Missouri was established at Chocteau's Bluff near present-day Kansas City, Missouri.

With the Louisiana Purchase of 1804, Missouri passed from France to the United States and the bishop of the Diocese of New Orleans assumed jurisdiction for Catholics in Missouri. In 1826, Pope Leo XII erected the Diocese of St. Louis, covering the new state of Missouri along with vast areas of the American Great Plains. The northwestern Missouri region would remain part of this diocese for the next 57 years.

The first parish in the present-day diocese was St. Mary's, founded in Independence in 1823 to serve French-Canadian families in the area. In the Kansas City area, the first Catholic church was dedicated in 1833. Immaculate Conception Church in Kansas City was completed in 1857.

1880 to 1956

On September 10, 1880, Pope Leo XIII established the Diocese of Kansas City, with territories taken from the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The pope named Bishop John Joseph Hogan from the Diocese of St. Joseph as the first bishop of Kansas City. The Jesuit Order opened Rockhurst College in Kansas City in 1910. In 1919, Bishop Thomas Francis Lillis from the Diocese of Leavenworth was named by Pope Pius X as coadjutor bishop to assist Hogan.

When Hogan died in 1913 after 33 years as bishop, Lillis automatically succeeded him. Lillis delivered the invocation at the second session of the 1928 Republican National Convention in Kansas City. In 1933, Lillis drafted a resolution signed by many of his fellow Catholic bishops and 350 priests in an effort to end lynchings of African-Americans. Lillis died in 1938.

The next bishop of Kansas City was Bishop Edwin Vincent O'Hara of the Diocese of Great Falls, named by Pope Pius XII in 1939. Within his first ten years as bishop, O'Hara built or purchased 42 churches, 31 rectories, 24 colleges, high schools, and grade schools, 14 convents, eight social centers, and six hospitals. Of the 30 churches he constructed in rural areas, 25 were their first Catholic church in the county.

A proponent of Catholic Action, O'Hara encouraged lay involvement in the diocesan administration and appointed laypeople to several top diocesan positions. He obtained approval from the Vatican to use English in parts of the mass and the administration of sacraments. O'Hara founded Queen of the World Hospital in Kansas, the first racially integrated hospital in the diocese and then integrated the other Catholic medical centers. In 1954, Pius XII named Auxiliary Bishop John Cody of St. Louis as coadjutor bishop in Kansas City-Saint Joseph to assist O'Hara.

1956 to 1977

In July 1956, Pius XII redrew the diocesan boundaries in parts of Missouri:

• The pope suppressed the Dioceses of Kansas City and Saint Joseph.
• He created the new Dioceses of Kansas City-Saint Joseph, Jefferson City and Springfield-Cape Girardeau.
• The Archdiocese of St. Louis was left unchanged.

After O'Hara died in September 1956, Cody automatically succeeded him as bishop. After a few years in the diocese, Cody in 1962 was named coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans.

The next bishop in Kansas City-Saint Joseph was Bishop Charles Herman Helmsing of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, selected by Pope John XXIII in 1962. In 1968, Helmsing condemned the National Catholic Reporter (NCR), based in Kansas City. He objected specifically to NCR's stands on artificial birth control and priestly celibacy, along with its criticism of the church hierarchy. Sixty-six Catholic journalists signed a petition supporting NCR. Helmsing retired in 1977.

1977 to 2015

Bishop John Sullivan of the Diocese of Grand Island was appointed bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph by Pope Paul VI in 1977. After 16 years as bishop, Sullivan retired in 1993 due to a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Pope John Paul II then named Bishop Raymond Boland of the Diocese of Birmingham to replace Sullivan. In 2004, Reverend Robert Finn of St. Louis was named by John Paul II as coadjutor bishop of the diocese. When Boland retired in 2005, Finn automatically became the next bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph.

Upon becoming bishop, Finn said that vocations to the priesthood and religious life would be seen as a "super-priority" for his diocese. Before Finn's arrival, in 2003, the diocese reported having nine seminarians. By 2007, the diocese reported 24 men studying for diocesan priesthood.

In September 2014, Pope Francis ordered an investigation into Finn's tenure as bishop, to be conducted by Canadian Archbishop Terrence Prendergast. Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley, the leader of a church commission on child abuse cases, said in an interview that Finn's misdemeanor conviction for failure to report child abuse would have disqualified him from teaching Sunday school in the Archdiocese of Boston. "It's a question that the Holy See needs to address urgently," O'Malley said. In 2015, Finn resigned as bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph.

2015 to present

The current bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph is Bishop James Vann Johnston Jr. from Springfield-Cape Girardeau. He was appointed by Pope Francis in 2015.

In 2022, Johnston demanded that Martin Navarro, a self-styled religious brother, stop wearing a habit, cease fundraising in the diocese and stop building an unauthorized chapel. Navarro, who refused Johnston's orders, had found the Oblates of St. Augustine religious institute in the diocese. Johnston had refused permission for its founding.

Sex abuse

2000 to 2019

In 2004, Bishop Emeritus Joseph Hubert Hart of the Diocese of Cheyenne was named in a civil lawsuit alleging that he sexually abused three children while serving as a priest in the Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph and in Cheyenne. Hart had allegedly been transferred to Cheyenne in the 1970s after sex abuse allegations surfaced against him in Missouri. In 2005, a fifth person alleged abuse by Hart in 1973 or 1974, when the man was a 12-year-old parishioner at St. John Francis Regis Parish. In 2008, the diocese made a $10 million settlement with the accusers. As part of the settlement, Bishop Finn agreed to report any future suspected abuse to law enforcement.

In May 2011, Bishop Finn apologized to the diocese for his failure to act in the case of Reverend Shawn Ratigan. In May 2010, an elementary school principal sent Finn a letter reporting numerous examples of inappropriate behavior by Ratigan towards children; however, Finn never read it. In December 2010, a technician discovered inappropriate images of children on Ratigan's computer and notified diocesan officials. Monsignor Murphy, the vicar general, described one graphic image by telephone to a police officer, who gave his personal opinion that the image did not meet the Missouri standard for child pornography. The vicar general notified Finn of the conversation, who did not pursue it further. Before Finn could confront Ratigan, the priest attempted suicide. Finn then sent Ratigan to a psychiatric facility. Several months later, Murphy asked police to investigate Ratigan. In May 2011, police searched Ratigan's home and found child pornography. He was arrested a week later on child pornography charges.

In June 2011, Finn appointed former U.S. Attorney Todd P. Graves to investigate diocesan policies and procedures on sexual misconduct by clergy. Finn also announced the appointment of an independent public liaison and ombudsman. In September 2011, Graves released his report, saying that "diocesan leaders failed to follow their own policies and procedures for responding to reports" of sexual abuse by clergy.

In October 2011, a grand jury indicted both the diocese and Finn for failing to report suspected child abuse, a criminal misdemeanor. The indictment charged Finn with failing to inform police about child pornography in the Ratigan case. Finn was convicted on one charge in September 2012 and sentenced to two years of probation. All charges against the diocese itself were dropped. Ratigan was convicted of producing child pornography in 2013 and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. In June 2014, the diocese was ordered by a court arbitrator to pay an additional $1 million to sexual abuse survivors because the diocese had broken the promise it made in the 2008 settlement when it failed to report the suspected abuse by Ratigan.

2019 to present

The diocese in 2019 released a list of 19 clergy with credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors. In August 2019, Reverend Benedict Neenan, abbot of Conception Abbey, released a list of eight monks who were credibly accused of committing acts of sex abuse while serving in the diocese. Neenan also issued an "unconditional apology to all victims and their families affected by the evil of clergy sexual abuse."

By August 2019, Hart was facing over 12 sex abuse accusations from both Kansas City–Saint Joseph and Cheyenne. Reports surfaced that during the 1970s, Monsignor Thomas O’Brien and Hart allegedly used a house owned by O'Brien on Lake Viking in Missouri to sexually abuse children. Shortly before his death in 2013, O'Brien had agreed to pay a wrongful death settlement of over $2 million to the family of one victim who committed suicide. In January 2021, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican cleared Hart of seven sexual abuse charges and stated that five other charges could not be proven. Later that month, Wyoming Attorney General Bridget Hill announced that her office would not pursue criminal charges against Hart.

In July 2020, two new lawsuits were filed in Jackson County Circuit Court against the diocese, involving alleged rape by two priests in 2018. The lawsuit alleges that the diocese covered up the abuse, which then allowed the two priests to gain access to and sexually abuse other vulnerable individuals as well. One of the two accused priests, now dead, was on the diocese's 2019 list. The other, who was not on the accused list, was revealed to have been placed on leave from his duties in 2018.

In March 2021, Bishop Johnston announced the laicization in December 2020 of Michael Tierney, a former diocesan priest. Tierney had faced multiple credible accusations of sexual abuse of children.

Viewpoints

Abortion

In September 2020, just before the 2020 US presidential election, Johnston sent a controversial letter to parishioners in the diocese. In the letter, Johnston asked voters to examine which party supported so-called moral issues such as abortion rights. When asked if Johnston was endorsing Republican Party candidates, he said that he was only asking voters to vote their conscience.

Bishops

Bishops of Saint Joseph

See Diocese of Saint Joseph for a list of its bishops.

Bishops of Kansas City

1. John Joseph Hogan (1880–1913)
   - John J. Glennon (coadjutor bishop 1896–1903); appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of St. Louis before succession and subsequently succeeded to that see (elevated to Cardinal in 1946)
2. Thomas Francis Lillis (1913–1938)
3. Edwin Vincent O'Hara (1939–1956), elevated to Archbishop (ad personam) in 1954

Bishops of Kansas City–Saint Joseph

1. John Patrick Cody (1956–1961; coadjutor Bishop of Kansas City 1954–1956), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of New Orleans, subsequently succeeding to that see, and later Archbishop of Chicago (elevated to Cardinal in 1967)
2. Charles Herman Helmsing (1962–1977)
3. John J. Sullivan (1977–1993)
4. Raymond James Boland (1993–2005)
5. Robert W. Finn (2005–2015; coadjutor bishop 2004–2005)
   - Joseph Fred Naumann, apostolic administrator (2015).
6. James Vann Johnston, Jr. (2015–present)

Auxiliary bishops

• Joseph M. Marling (1947–1956), appointed Bishop of Jefferson City
• Joseph Vincent Sullivan (1967–1974), appointed Bishop of Baton Rouge
• George Kinzie Fitzsimons (1975–1984), appointed Bishop of Salina

Other diocesan priests who became bishops

• Michael Francis McAuliffe, appointed Bishop of Jefferson City in 1969
• William Wakefield Baum, appointed Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau in 1970 and later Archbishop of Washington, Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, and Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary (created a Cardinal in 1976)
• Joseph Hubert Hart, appointed Auxiliary Bishop (in 1976) and later Bishop of Cheyenne in 1978
• Lawrence James McNamara, appointed Bishop of Grand Island in 1978

Educational institutions

The Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph has seven high schools and 24 elementary schools or pre-schools.

Current high schools

Closed high schools

See also

• Catholic Church by country
• Catholic Church in the United States
• Ecclesiastical Province of Saint Louis
• Global organisation of the Catholic Church
• List of Roman Catholic archdioceses (by country and continent)
• List of Roman Catholic dioceses (alphabetical) (including archdioceses)
• List of Roman Catholic dioceses (structured view) (including archdioceses)
• List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States

References

1. "Learning from Saint Joseph". 23 March 2018.
2. "St. John Francis Regis: Intercede for us". 19 June 2014.
3. ^ "About the Diocese". Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
4. "History | Diocese of Jefferson City". 2018-12-17. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
5. ^ "Saint Louis (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
6. "The Oldest Parish in the Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph, MIssouri". St. Mary's Catholic Church. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
7. Diaz-Camacho, Vickie; Woodring; Emily (2019-04-08). "The Story Behind Kansas City's Oldest Church". Flatland. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
8. "Bishop John Joseph Hogan [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
9. "Missouri, Catholic Church in | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
10. "Bishop Thomas Francis Lillis". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
11. ^ "BISHOP T.F. LILLIS OF KANSAS CITY, 77". The New York Times. 1938-12-30.
12. "Archbishop Edwin Vincent O'Hara [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
13. "O'Hara, Edwin Vincent | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
14. ^ "Edwin O'Hara". The Pendergast Years. 2018-02-23. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
15. ^ "John Patrick Cardinal Cody [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
16. "Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
17. "Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph". GCatholic.org. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
18. "Bishop Charles Herman Helmsing [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
19. "Roman Catholics: Platform for Heretics". Time. 1968-10-18. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
20. "Bishop John Joseph Sullivan [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
21. "Bishop Raymond James Boland [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
22. "Bishop Robert William Finn [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
23. "O'Malley: Vatican must act on bishop convicted in sex scandal". WCVB. 2014-11-15. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
24. "Bishop James Vann Johnston, Jr. [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
25. "'Br. Martin,' self-described monk with large Twitter following, says he won't heed bishop's warning". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
26. Morton, Tom (January 24, 2004). "Former Wyo Bishop Sued for Sex Abuse". Casper Star-Tribune.
27. Klamann, Seth (2 March 2019). "After 5 months, Cheyenne diocese's work continues in compiling list of credibly accused Wyoming clergy". Casper Star-Tribune Online.
28. Coday, Dennis (September 16, 2005). "Fifth Man Sues Retired Bishop for Sex Abuse". National Catholic Reporter.
29. ^ "Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese names clergy accused of abuse". KSHB 41 Kansas City News. 2019-09-06. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
30. Kansas City Star: "Bishop again says he regrets response to priest in child porn case" May 27, 2011
31. Koster, Kevin (2011-06-01). "Diocese faulted for handling of accused priest". The Catholic Key. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
32. "Bishop Finn appoints former US attorney to conduct independent review". Catholic News Service. June 13, 2011. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013.
33. Belkin, Douglas (2011-10-15). "Missouri Bishop is Charged". Wall Street Journal.
34. Sulzberger, A. G.; Goodstein, Laurie (October 14, 2011). "Kansas City Bishop Charged With Failure to Report Abuse". The New York Times.
35. Kort, Michelle (October 14, 2011). "Bishop Charged With Sheltering Abusive Priest". Retrieved 2016-07-05.
36. Eligon, John; Goodstein, Laurie (2012-09-06). "Kansas City Bishop Convicted of Shielding Pedophile Priest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
37. McElwee, Joshua J., "Judge orders Kansas City bishop to stand trial in abuse case", National Catholic Reporter, April 5, 2012.
38. ^ "Missouri abbey says abuse reports against 8 priests credible". Retrieved 3 August 2023.
39. "Four more abuse allegations against former Cheyenne bishop". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
40. "Wyoming bishop's decades of abuse destroyed lives, traumatized families". Retrieved 3 August 2023.
41. "KC priest Thomas J. O'Brien, who was named in sex abuse lawsuits, dies". The Kansas City Star. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
42. Gazette, Seth Klamann Denver (29 January 2021). "Wyoming attorney general won't charge retired bishop accused of abuse". Casper Star-Tribune Online. Retrieved 2021-11-10.
43. ^ Thomas, Judy L. (28 July 2020). "Lawsuits filed against KC diocese allege priest sexual abuse, including rape in 2018". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
44. "Vatican defrocked Kansas City-area priest before he died". Hays Post. 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
45. "Missouri Catholic bishop criticized for letter on voting against abortion". KRCG. Associated Press. 2020-10-08. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
46. "Schools". Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. Retrieved 2023-10-06.

External links

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph Official Site
• Charism Workshop hosted by KCSJ

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph
Ordinaries	Bishops of Kansas City John Joseph Hogan Thomas Francis Lillis Edwin Vincent O'Hara Bishops of St. Joseph John Joseph Hogan Maurice Francis Burke Francis Gilfillan Charles Hubert Le Blond Bishops of Kansas City–St. Joseph John Cody Charles Herman Helmsing John Joseph Sullivan Raymond James Boland Robert William Finn James Vann Johnston, Jr.
Auxiliary bishops	John J. Glennon Joseph M. Marling Joseph Vincent Sullivan
Churches	Cathedrals Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of St. Joseph Parishes Sacred Heart Church, Kansas City St. Ludger Church, Germantown Abbey Conception Abbey Former parishes Holy Name Church, Kansas City
Education	Higher education Avila University Rockhurst University High schools Bishop LeBlond High School, St. Joseph Cristo Rey Kansas City High School, Kansas City Notre Dame de Sion, Kansas City Rockhurst High School, Kansas City St. Michael the Archangel Catholic High School, Lee's Summit Saint Pius X Catholic High School, Kansas City St. Teresa's Academy, Kansas City Former high school Archbishop O'Hara High School, Kansas City St. Mary's High School, Independence
Clergy	William Wakefield Baum Francis Johannes George Kinzie Fitzsimons Joseph Hubert Hart Michael Francis McAuliffe Lawrence James McNamara
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• Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph
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