Steubenville merger off USCCB agenda - pillarcatholic.com The Oct. 18 signatories argued that the Diocese of Steubenville has significantly more priests per capita than any other diocese in Ohio there are 372 Catholics per priest in the diocese, the letter claimed, while there are more than 1,000 Catholics per priest in each of Ohios other dioceses. In October 2021, the month after Ohios bishops voted approvingly of a merger plan, the Steubenville diocese applied for a $50,000 grant from Catholic Extension to pay consultants for an an assessment of both the renovation of the existing Holy Name Cathedral as well as the infrastructure and diocesan support for the parishes.. If something is on the agenda or for discussion for the bishops during executive session, it is not something I am able to discuss, Noguchi told The Pillar. Diocese of Steubenville pulls the plug on its cathedral renovation plan It is not clear whether Ohios bishops have responded to the letter from Steubenville clerics urging them to reconsider their support for the merger. While Monforton has insisted that the Steubenville diocese is not financially sustainable, a group of Steubenville priests have pushed back on that idea since the merger was announced. The last one for the Diocese of Steubenville was 2012, before I even was a bishop, so this is my first. While Steubenvilles priests urge bishops to reconsider a plan for a merger, several told The Pillar that other issues in the diocese raise questions about Monforton's judgment of diocesan needs. Ten years from now, itll be a totally different story.. I mean, we can look back and ask what if? And its tough when youre a smaller diocese, a lot of this stuff is even more magnified for the people, and thats hard.. An extended process that invites and welcomes widespread participation would allow for examination and discussion of complete, full, and accurate information and would certainly enhance the legitimacy of any possible outcome. Right now, we are solvent, thank the Lord, Monforton explained at an Oct. 10 meeting. Son territoire d'tend sur 9.516 km et il est divis en 58 paroisses. Box 969, Steubenville, OH 43952. What an incredible witness to Christ and His Real Presence in the Eucharist that fact is! the clerics wrote. The priests say that Steubenvilles problems are overstated, and wont be solved by a merger. Immaculate Heart of the Mother of my God, I implore through your powerful intercession, the preservation of our Diocese of Steubenville, the conversion of the hearts of men, complete victory over sin, and the return of the peace which you have promised. Were not sure what the bishop told them, but we want to give them all the accurate information, and we want to save the diocese, one priest said. Monforton could have alerted authorities then. A Service of EWTN News, Inc. "In 1990 we had 24,729 Catholics that went regularly to Sunday Mass. But the bishop said he aims to help his priests with the painful process of a prospective merger. Your gift to the Sacred Heart Center of Hope will provide resources to children and families in the diocese through extensive programming, including community linkage and referral services and group counseling services. But more than a dozen priests of the diocese have signed a letter asking Ohios bishops to reconsider their support for a plan to merge Steubenville with the Diocese of Columbus. I was the one who contacted law enforcement, and we did an internal investigation first to see what we were looking at, Monforton told The Pillar. Homepage - United Voices for the Diocese of Steubenville I wonder if they look at all of this and are now wondering how many of their dioceses are secretly on the list for extinction. The Diocese of Steubenville is home to fewer than 40,000 Catholics across 13 southeastern Ohio counties. But the spokesperson said that a Vos estis investigation into Monforton and the question of a diocesan merger are unrelated issues, and an investigation would not impact deliberation concerning the prospect of an extinctive merger. That is a shameful number. The lawsuit alleged that the woman was groomed as a teenager by the priest, and that Monforton had received several reports about Foxhoven's inappropriate conduct. Is what we are experiencing an expression of the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council? Smoking ceremony welcomes Australian bishop to his diocese whats that. Our whole government was formed by the people, of the people and for the people. Neither the bishops letter nor the grant application mentioned that the diocese was in the process of a merger. . Help make the most of your donation by eliminating the very few remaining costs we incur when fundraising online, including: Diocese of SteubenvilleP.O. We, along with several other brothers, now find it necessary to address Your Excellencies regarding serious procedural concerns about the process that has been undertaken. But several priests in the diocese told The Pillar that if their bishop intends to make his process a template for other prospective diocesan mergers, he should have included a period of ongoing consultation with the priests and laity of the diocese before reaching a decision. First, thats a fairly striking point they make: the suppression of a parish wouldnt be conducted in this manner without getting a long hard look from the Vatican. Deacon Ben Gessler. Even though the letter of the law has not been violated, the spirit of the law has been deeply wounded. Nous vous conseillons, en dehors mme de tout litige et en vue de toute transaction, rdigeons tout acte juridique de la vie courante et dfendons vos droits devant toutes les juridictions de premire instance et dappel en dehors mme de la Savoie, sur tout le territoire national. How many of them look at the strained-but-stable finances of Steubenville and see that their own diocese is in as-bad, if not worse, shape. We really have to do something. And he said, Sister, thats all in the past. And I said, Bishop, it was two weeks ago.. But while Monforton said that Steubenvilles priests are his heroes, he told The Pillar that he had not consulted the diocesan presbyteral council or college of consultors - a senior priest advisory group - before announcing plans for the merger. Among other issues raised, Monforton applied for a $50,000 grant to study fundraising prospects for a cathedral renovation and other diocesan projects, even after plans for the extinctive merger of the diocese were underway. Holy Name Cathedral was closed in 2014 for renovations, and in 2017 the diocese said that interior renovations would soon be underway. Cependant, en juin 2013, l'vque, Mgr Monforton, annonce que la nouvelle cathdrale ne sera pas construite, et que pour des raisons financires, la cathdrale du Saint-Nom sera conserve et simplement restaure et repeinte[2]. Two retired priests and two permanent deacons also signed the letter. No masks, vaccines required at diocesan schools Right now we can still rub two nickels together, but barely. Sharon Conklin, a Steubenville resident and member of Holy Rosary Church, admits shes troubled by the proposed merger. La rgion Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes (ARA) est dsormais la troisime rgion franaise en superficie et la deuxime rgion la plus peuple de France (7,8 millions d . For his part, Monforton said that the grant request was a decision I made, and I informed the Holy See.. And eventually, I sat in his office in October 2017, and said Theres criminal activity here. Thank you for your attention to our concerns, and we will, of course, pray for wisdom and guidance in this most serious matter. We beg Your Excellencies, please allow us to do it.. Its able to absorb the impacts of the economic downturn much more than us, the bishop told Crux last month. Nov 8, 2022 LINDA HARRIS For The Intelligencer photo by: Linda Harris/File Bishop Jeffrey Monforton of the Catholic Diocese of Steubenville speaks during an October press conference.. Steubenville (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy] That their percentage of the population that is Catholic is lower, and their rate of Mass attendance among Catholics is lower. "Now we have less than 30,000," he said. It is processes such as the one clergy and laity of the Diocese of Steubenville are currently undergoing that have led to this fractured relationship between bishop and priest and the resulting lack of confidence and trust that priests should be able to have in their bishop and vice versa. Copyright The Herald Star | https://www.heraldstaronline.com | 401 Herald Square , Steubenville, OH 43952 | 740-283-4711, The state of Ohio currently says it is illegal for schools to require vaccinations that have only been approved for emergency use, such as the COVID-19 vaccines; nor are there mandates in place requiring masks or facial coverings,, Parents who choose to send their children to diocesan Catholic schools, do so with the full knowledge and understanding that diocesan Catholic schools do not mandate the use of a facemask for students, teachers and staff who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19; nor shall unvaccinated students, teachers and staff be required to social distance by a different standard than for those vaccinated.. 'The Pillar' relies on subscribers, and subscribers rely on us. Were fighting for the diocese, and since our bishop isnt fighting with us, we need other bishops to help us., This is Appalachia. Deacon Stephen T. Frezza. CHU de CLERMONT- FERRAND CH de Genevois Hauteville-CH d' Lompnes CH Michel Poisatdu Bourbonnais Pont-de-Vaux Cantal CH Henri Mondor AURILLAC CH CH de CH de Although the proposed merger has been under consideration for well over a year, Bishop Jeffrey Monforton undertook no consultation with the clergy or lay faithful of the diocese; a decision was simply announced to us.. I hope the USCCB would ask to hear from the priests and the people in the diocese. STEUBENVILLE The woman stood in front of the Diocese of Steubenvilles chancery Sunday, fighting back tears as she talked about plans to merge it with the Columbus diocese. But our ability to evangelize has been compromised, and that will continue. The clerics added that the Diocese of Steubenville has a higher share of Catholics attending Mass than other Ohio dioceses, had more participation in the global synod on synodality, and had both a stable population and continued prospects for priestly vocations. Thats obviously not a consultation, one Steubenville priest, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Pillar. This is mission territory that cries out for the spreading of the Catholic Faith. The results of the feasibility study, Monforton said, have not yet been returned to the diocese. But we are here. More personnel. Second, Id like to draw together a couple of threads they lay out. Diocesan clergy had complained that Monforton had done no consultation with them before beginning to plan the merger process, and before announcing that the merger was a certainty - even while it had not yet received approval from Pope Francis. So they were very instrumental [in the decision], Monforton added. Steubenville diocese faces prospect of union with Columbus with You're our business plan! The Procurator will use the rules of Canon Law to send the Mandates, the Petition, and the personal notes to the competent offices of the Holy See, and with . Diocese of Steubenville | About Us | Steubenville, OH Diocese of Steubenville | Deacons | Steubenville, OH In one sense, we as missionary disciples of Christ could be in no better place! the clerics argued. Ward added, Parents who choose to send their children to diocesan Catholic schools, do so with the full knowledge and understanding that diocesan Catholic schools do not mandate the use of a facemask for students, teachers and staff who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19; nor shall unvaccinated students, teachers and staff be required to social distance by a different standard than for those vaccinated.. Steubenville diocese to face merger with neighbor Columbus diocese The plaza would also help to make the cathedrals neighborhood safer, the bishop told local media. Theres not a problem with devotions and theres not a problem with vocations, she said. This website is the initiative of Tom Crowe of Beatrix Media, LTD, who is solely responsible for its content. And its my prayer that this does not in any way impede our ability to share that the Kingdom of God is at hand., These are good guys, Monforton said of his priests. A very sad statistic is that the Catholic percentage of the population has declined from 12.4 percent in 1950 to 6.1 percent in 2020. I talked with my vicar general and just some advisors - local entrepreneurs and business people - about what we saw in the diocese 10 years from now, and thats whats governed my decision. Inquiries and other communications regarding this site: savethedioceseofsteubenville@gmail.com, Diocese of Columbus Closing Fifteen Parishes, All Options and an Audit for Diocese of Steubenville, Untruths Included in Columbus College of Consultors Discussion. To me, thats whats important in a diocese you always have financial troubles in this world. For the complete directive, visit the diocesan website at www.diosteub.org. While Steubenville city officials and local Catholics, including well-known theologian Scott Hahn, have attended prayer vigils outside the diocesan chancery, one Catholic newspaper published an editorial saying "Monforton should be recognized for leading his people to face the emerging picture of the landscape of American Catholic life in his diocese with courage.". You're our business plan! 'The Pillar' relies on subscribers, and subscribers rely on us. Save this payment information securely. Follow John Lavenburg on Twitter:@johnlavenburg. Denver Newsroom, Oct 11, 2022 / 17:00 pm Bishop Jeffrey Monforton of Steubenville, Ohio, announced in a message to the diocese on Tuesday that a merger of the local Church with the Diocese of. In addition to financial questions, Vatican and U.S. Church officials confirmed to The Pillar that Monforton is facing a Vatican-ordered Vos estis lux mundi investigation, reportedly into allegations that the bishop did not properly handle charges of sexual misconduct on the part of at least one Steubenville priest. However, Bishop Monforton says a drastic decrease in population and tough economic times have taken a toll on the Diocese. And theyre the ones who really shed light on our employment situation here. The results from the recent survey provide further evidence of a division in the future vision for the Churchs service in the Ohio Valley.. Retrouvez la liste complte de toutes les coles d'art de la rgion Rhone-Alpes dans les villes de Lyon, Villeurbanne, Grenoble, Saint-etienne, La Motte-servolex, Ecully, Roanne, Meylan, Montalieu-vercieu, Dardilly, Le Bourget-du-lac, Moirans, Bourg-en-bresse, Valence,. The last merger before that was in 1956, when the Dioceses of Kansas City and Saint Joseph merged to create the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. July 07, 2023 Today's Paper No masks, vaccines required at diocesan schools Local News Aug 12, 2021 From staff reports STEUBENVILLE The Diocese of Steubenville has announced some plans. This is such a wonderful diocese, really., The people of the diocese didnt have a say in it,, Our whole government was formed by the people, of the people and for the people. Online payments are one of the most cost effective ways for us to fundraise. Gathering held in front of the Diocese of Steubenville's chancery to The Diocese of Steubenville was recognized by Pope Pius XII in 1944. For their part, the signers of the Oct. 28 letter to Gomez called for a process of dialogue and discernment before any decisions are made about their diocese. But the bishop said that when he initiated the project, the financial picture that was given to me was inaccurate., And it is tough. But construction stopped in 2018, amid an investigation into embezzlement by two diocesan officials. Monforton said that while the Ohio bishops had approved the prospect of a merger when he made the grant request, he had hoped at the time that diocese might still prove viable. At his meeting with clergy and staff, Monforton was asked about whether he had consulted with any group of priests while deciding to push for a closure of the diocese. Steubenville bishop writes clergy about proposed merger with Diocese of Monforton told The Pillar that he hopes his approach to spearheading a merger of the diocese will be of aid to other U.S. dioceses facing dismal future numbers. Priests in the diocese said they were confused about the construction of an outside space before renovation of the actual church, but said that Monforton believed the plaza would inspire giving from local Catholics. The bishop said that pastoral demands on his aging presbyterate had caused him to begin a process of consulting with a small group of trusted friends. Speaking for nearly an hour, the bishop outlined for priests a shrinking Catholic population, now around 29,000 Catholics, an aging presbyterate, and the economic prospects for an Appalachian region mired in unemployment and poverty. It included thirteen counties that formerly belonged to the Diocese of Columbus. Chieko Noguchi, a spokesperson for the the U.S. bishops conference, told The Pillar Monday that she could not discuss questions pertaining to schedule for the bishops' closed-door executive sessions. As Your Excellencies are aware, the study found that the quality of the relationship between a bishop and his priests has deteriorated seriously, with only 49 percent of priests having confidence in their bishops leadership and a mere 24 percent having confidence in the leadership of the national episcopate. With the number of parishioners, Monforton said the diocese would fall below 25,000 total Catholics in 10 years. We ask Your Excellencies and your brothers in the episcopate to delay the November vote on the proposed merger so that we and our laity may participate in this process that so directly greatly impacts our relationship with the Church and each other, the clerics wrote, in a letter sent to Archbishop Jose Gomez, USCCB president. The process we are undergoing presents not a listening Church but rather a Church wholly deaf to the needs and concerns of both her clergy and lay faithful. The clerics added that the Diocese of Steubenville has a higher share of Catholics attending Mass than other Ohio dioceses, had more participation in the global synod on synodality, and had both a stable population and continued prospects for priestly vocations. So why should he say its enough here? It was my hope that we were going to get through this, and that it would be a nightmare that would be over with and that we would get word from the Holy See that [we should] give it a shot., The bishop added that he believed considering the prospect of a capital campaign was important, because we had to look at [needs in] the entire diocese.. Monforton told the priests that he had consulted with the apostolic nuncio and the bishops of Ohio, all of whom had supported a plan to merge the 78-year-old see with the Columbus diocese, from which it was carved in 1944. Le diocse runit des fonds depuis 2012 pour faire construire une nouvelle cathdrale, ddie au Triomphe de la Croix prs de la Steubenville Catholic Central High School dans la partie ouest de la ville. Signatories to the Oct. 28 letter said Monforton should have done more consulting, and that the U.S. bishops conference should see that take place before any decisions are made. Monforton announced the request in a Nov. 7 letter to clergy and religious in the diocese. The signatories said that in their view, there are concrete actions that can be taken that will allow the Diocese of Steubenville to stabilize and continue the mission., They called for complete, authentic transparency with regard to the dioceses financial status, serious, attentive pastoral planning that will allow the numbers of parishes and priests to be stable and serve the needs of the people, and continued costs cutting and improving effectiveness at the chancery level.. For us, this decision to suppress our diocese without any consultation with us has demoralized us and certainly damaged the presbyterates relationship with the Bishop. Might Columbus Catholic diocese merge with Diocese of Steubenville? Donations can be sent to: Diocese of Steubenville DPSC, P.O. But the Steubenville clergy had urged last month that measure was premature. Now that the process has moved back to the diocesan level, its unclear what the immediate next steps will be, or what the timeline looks like for a final decision on a merger. Diocese of Steubenville Dioecesis Steubenvicensis Show: All | General Information | Ordinaries | Historical Summary | Statistics | Affiliated Bishops, Living | Affiliated Bishops, Deceased Past and Present Ordinaries John Anthony King Mussio (10 Mar 1945 Appointed - 27 Sep 1977 Retired) In fact, this act further compounds the feeling of abandonment that we, along with the people, already felt. On October 17, many of us wrote to the Bishops of Ohio voicing our conviction that the Diocese of Steubenville should not be merged with the Diocese of Columbus. The letter argued that the diocese is ripe for the harvest of evangelization. 20 min read Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on WhatsApp Share via Email Bishop Jeff Monforton says a plan to merge the Diocese of Steubenville into its larger neighbor could become a template for the merger of other small, struggling U.S. dioceses. The Pillar has learned that Monforton is facing a Vatican-ordered investigation into his handling of sexual abuse allegations, while some clerics have said the bishops management of serious financial and personnel issues should raise questions about his support for a merger. This is such a wonderful diocese, really.. For his part, Monforton told The Pillar Oct. 18 that a Vos estis investigation would not impact something like this., But when it comes to the process itself, I am the senior suffragan. We also pray, especially today, for our priests, our deacons and all those who are truly effected by this, McManamon told the faithful. But in his Oct. 10 meeting with priests, Monforton said he believed the merger is a reality., How the mergers going to occur, Monforton told his priests, of course, thats the popes call.. Most importantly, we ask for hope hope for our diocese to remain., Scott Hahn asked for the preserved integrity of the diocese and renew the faithful, expand and bless our mission., A nun prayed for our bishops, guide them and give them a shepherds heart, while a priest prayed that, God will preserve this diocese., In closing, Hahn thanked those in attendance for bringing your families out., Families are really the ones who make up the diocese and no matter what happens, I think we have to, frankly, acknowledge the sense of abandonment were fighting and at the same time recognize that the grace is sufficient to us to see ourselves through., Hahn told the group the integrity of this diocese can be manifested by renewing the sense of mission we all have., Contacted Sunday evening, a diocesan spokesman said only that, The bishop always encourages prayer., Today's breaking news and more in your inbox.