Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport
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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church for the southeastern quarter of the state of Iowa. There are 11,438 square miles within the diocese. The diocese's eastern border is at the Mississippi River; the northern border comprises the counties of Jasper, Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, and Clinton; the western border is made up of the counties of Jasper, Marion, Monroe, and Appanoose; and the southern border is the Iowa-Missouri border.
The current bishop of the diocese is Bishop Martin John Amos. The Latin title for this diocese is Dioecesis Davenportensis, and the corporate title is the Diocese of Davenport. The metropolitan for the diocese is the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The Cathedral parish of the diocese is Sacred Heart Cathedral.
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[edit] History
Before 1881, the Diocese of Dubuque's territory comprised the entire state of Iowa. Previous divisions had taken territory outside the state of Iowa from the Diocese to give to other newly created Dioceses. Eventually, Bishop John Hennessy became convinced that the Dubuque Diocese should be further divided, with the Dubuque Diocese covering the northern half of the state, and the southern half covered by a new diocese. Hennessy felt that the See of this new Diocese should have been located at Des Moines, Iowa. However the Vatican chose Davenport as the See city of this Diocese.
On June 14, 1881 the southern territory of the Dubuque Diocese was taken to form the Diocese of Davenport. Fr. John McMullen, a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago was chosen to be the first Bishop. Bishop McMullen was ordained as Bishop by Archbishop Patrick Augustine Feehan of Chicago, Bishop John Hennessy of Dubuque, and Bishop John Lancaster Spalding of Peoria.
The Diocese of Davenport was split in two on August 12, 1911, which reduced it to its current size. The Diocese of Des Moines became the See city of this new diocese, which covered the southwestern quarter of the state of Iowa.
[edit] Bankruptcy
On October 10, 2006, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport filed for Chapter 11 protection [1]. The decision to file for bankruptcy was being driven by many claims which focus on Bishop Lawrence Soens, who has been accused of fondling as many as 15 students during his tenure as priest and principal at Regina Catholic High School in Iowa City during the 1960s. Soens denies the allegations. A judge discharged one suit in October 2006.[2] A detailed letter to the people of the diocese as to why is listed on their website.
[edit] Ordinaries
The following is a list of Bishops who served the Diocese of Davenport, along with their dates of service:
- John McMullen - June 14, 1881 - July 4, 1883 (His death)
- Henry Cosgrove - July 11, 1884 - December 22, 1906 (His death)
- James Davis - December 22, 1906 - December 2, 1926 (His death)
- Henry Patrick Rohlman - May 20, 1927 - September 8, 1944 (Reassigned as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Dubuque)
- Ralph Leo Hayes - November 16, 1944 - 20 October 20, 1966 (Retired)
- Gerald Francis O'Keefe - October 20, 1966 - November 12, 1993 (Retired)
- William Edwin Franklin - November 12, 1993 - October 12, 2006 (Retired)
- Martin John Amos - October 12, 2006 (current Bishop)
[edit] Statistics
| Catholics | Total Population | Percent Catholic | Diocesan Priests | Religious Priests | Total Priests | Catholics Per Priest | Permanent Deacons | Male Religious | Female Religious | Parishes | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 106,000[1] | 748,894[2] | 13.9% | 109[3] | 2[4] | 111[5] | 940 | 44[6] | 3[7] | 180[8] | 84[9] | 20[10] (15 Elementary; 5 High Schools) |
[edit] High Schools
- Assumption High School, Davenport
- Holy Trinity High School, Fort Madison
- Notre Dame High School, Burlington
- Prince of Peace Preparatory, Clinton
- Regina High School, Iowa City
