Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus

The diocese is home to the first Catholic chapel built in the state of Ohio, a log structure built in Perry County, which was dedicated and placed under the patronage of Saint Joseph on December 6, 1818, by then-Fr. Edward Fenwick, O.P.. The Dominicans of Bardstown, Kentucky were the first missionary and pastoral workers to care for the needs of the residents of what was then the Northwest Territory.[1]

The Diocese of Cincinnati, the first in the state and that from which Columbus was eventually separated, was formed in 1821, with now-bishop Fenwick as its leader. The visit of Fenwick's successor, bishop John Purcell, to central Ohio in June 1836, began the activity of the Catholic Church in the city of Columbus. After saying Mass in a house on Canal Street on June 5, Purcell asked the Catholic men in attendance to meet regarding the construction of a church. A plan was developed to build a church on a lot already owned by the Catholics of the area—where Holy Cross Church now stands. In 1837, the Columbus area was sent a dedicated pastor, Fr. Henry Juncker, who also attended to the Catholics of Chillicothe. He set to building a church at the existing site, and by the 29th of April, 1838 a Sung Mass was offered by Juncker in the building, who dedicated the building to Saint Remigius. By 1843, the congregation had grown to the point of needing multiple Masses on Sundays, and a parish school was soon to be built.[1]

At the close of the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1866, the bishops of the United States decided to petition Pope Pius IX to establish a new Diocese with its seat in Columbus. On March 3, 1868, the Diocese of Columbus was formally established, and bishop Sylvester Horton Rosecrans, formerly auxiliary of Cincinnati, was appointed its bishop. At the time, there were only three churches in the city—Holy Cross, St. Patrick's, and St. Mary's. The diocese was mostly agricultural, having been settled first by Maryland and Pennsylvania residents who had moved west, and then later German and Irish immigrants. Rosecrans established the Catholic Columbian, a newspaper for the diocese, in addition to St. Aloysius Seminary and St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum, and saw the construction of St. Joseph Cathedral to its consecration on October 20, 1878, before dying the following morning.[1]

Pope Leo XIII appointed Fr. John Watterson as the second bishop of Columbus on March 14, 1880,[2] and was consecrated a bishop on August 8, 1880, by bishop William Elder of Cincinnati. The major challenge facing the new leader of the diocese was the debt accrued by the construction of the new cathedral. During his 19-year-long tenure, Watterson increased the number of priests and schools in the diocese, oversaw the building of two hospitals and the Pontifical College Josephinum, and erected many new missions and parishes.[3]

On April 6, 1900, Henry K. Moeller, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, was appointed the third Bishop of Columbus by Pope Leo XIII [4] and consecrated a bishop on August 25. During his episcopacy, the diocesan debt was split among the parishes and nearly eliminated in three years and a diocesan synod was convened. Moeller also established missions, parishes, and schools to serve the increasing immigrant population of the Diocese. Moeller became the Coadjutor bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 1903.[1]

Moeller's replacement, Fr. James Hartley, was appointed on December 10, 1903, and consecrated a bishop February 25 of the following year.[1]

He was formally installed as bishop in St. Joseph Cathedral on March 1, 1904.

During his tenure, Hartley oversaw a significant growth of the Diocese of Columbus. In 1905, he erected his first parishes, Holy Rosary and St. Aloysius. In 1906, he retired the debt on St. Joseph Cathedral. Within the first five years of his episcopate, Hartley had begun or dedicated more than 25 churches, schools, and chapels.

Hartley also established St. Charles Seminary, St. Joseph Cemetery, St. Ann Hospital, Mercy Hospital in Portsmouth, Good Samaritan Hospital in Zanesville, Mercy Hospital in Mount Vernon, and St. Therese Shrine, and renovated St. Joseph Cathedral.[5] Toward the end of his term as bishop he consecrated Edward Gerard Hettinger as the first auxiliary bishop of the Columbus diocese.

In December 2020, then-bishop Robert J. Brennan announced the "Real Presence Real Future" strategic planning initiative, aiming at "increasing the presence of Christ throughout its 23 counties over the next three years and upholding the Faith for future generations."[6] The initiative is in the process of releasing draft models grouping parishes and resources together due in part to the shortage of Catholic priests.[7] According to Brennan, the process likely will result in some parishes closing.[8]

The Diocese is also home to the Museum of Catholic Art and History, the largest institution of its kind in the United States according to Cardinal Francesco Marchisano.[9] Originally founded in 1998 as the Jubilee Museum, it occupies the site of the first Wendy's restaurant, which is now owned by the diocese.[10]

1. Sylvester Horton Rosecrans (1868-1878)
2. John Ambrose Watterson (1880-1899)
3. Henry K. Moeller (1900-1903), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop and later Archbishop of Cincinnati
4. James Joseph Hartley (1903-1944)
5. Michael Joseph Ready (1944-1957)
6. Clarence George Issenmann (1957-1964), appointed Coadjutor Bishop and later Bishop of Cleveland
7. John Joseph Carberry (1965-1968), appointed Archbishop of Saint Louis (elevated to Cardinal in 1969)
8. Clarence Edward Elwell (1968-1973)
9. Edward John Herrmann (1973-1982)
10. James Anthony Griffin (1983-2004)
11. Frederick Francis Campbell (2005-2019)
12. Robert J. Brennan (2019–2021), appointed Bishop of Brooklyn
13. Earl K. Fernandes (Bishop-Elect, April 2022)

• Edward Gerard Hettinger (1941-1977)
• George Avis Fulcher (1976-1983), appointed Bishop of Lafayette in Indiana

These bishops were priests in the diocese before consecration:

• Nicholas Aloysius Gallagher, appointed Apostolic Administrator of Galveston in 1882
• Francis William Howard, appointed Bishop of Covington in 1923

• Mount Carmel College of Nursing, Columbus
• Ohio Dominican University, Columbus
• Pontifical College Josephinum, Columbus (Jurisdiction of the Apostolic Nuncio)

The Pontifical College Josephinum north of Columbus

• Bishop Hartley High School, Columbus
• Bishop Ready High School, Columbus
• Bishop Rosecrans High School, Zanesville
• Bishop Watterson High School, Columbus
• Cristo Rey Columbus High School, Columbus
• Newark Catholic High School, Newark
• Notre Dame High School, Portsmouth
• Saint Charles Preparatory School, Columbus
• St. Francis DeSales High School, Columbus
• Tuscarawas Central Catholic High School, New Philadelphia
• William V. Fisher Catholic High School, Lancaster

• Marion Catholic High School, Marion
• St. Ladislas School, Columbus
• Corpus Christi School, Columbus
• St. Mary High School, Columbus
• Holy Family School, Columbus
• Holy Name School, Columbus
• Bishop Flaget High School, Chillicothe (Currently a grade school)
• Father Wehrle High School, Columbus
• St. Leo School, Columbus
• St. Peter, Chillicothe
• St. Mary, Chillicothe
• St. Aloysius Academy, New Lexington
• St. Thomas the Apostle Grade School, Columbus
• Holy Rosary (Grade School & High School)
• St. Rose of Lima, New Lexington (closed 2021)[11]

• All Saints Academy, Columbus
• Bishop Fenwick, Zanesville
• Bishop Flaget, Chillicothe
• Blessed Sacrament, Newark
• Holy Spirit, Whitehall
• Holy Trinity, Somerset
• Immaculate Conception, Columbus
• Immaculate Conception, Dennison
• Notre Dame Elementary, Portsmouth
• Our Lady of Bethlehem, Columbus
• Our Lady of Peace, Columbus
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Grove City
• Sacred Heart, Coshocton
• St. Agatha, Columbus
• St. Andrew, Columbus
• St. Anthony, Columbus
• St. Bernadette, Lancaster
• St. Brendan, Hilliard
• St. Brigid of Kildare, Dublin
• St. Catharine, Columbus
• St. Cecilia, Columbus
• St. Francis de Sales, Newark
• St. James the Less, Columbus
• St. John, Logan
• St. Joseph Montessori, Columbus
• St. Mary Elementary, Lancaster
• St. Mary Magdalene, Columbus
• St. Mary, Columbus
• St. Mary, Delaware
• St. Mary, Marion
• St. Matthew, Gahanna
• St. Matthias, Columbus
• St. Michael, Worthington
• St. Patrick, London
• St. Paul, Westerville
• St. Pius X, Reynoldsburg
• St. Timothy, Columbus
• St. Vincent de Paul, Mt. Vernon
• Sts. Peter and Paul, Wellston
• Trinity Elementary, Columbus
• Tuscarawas Central Catholic Elementary School, Dover

Congregation of Clerics Regular of the Divine Providence (Theatines) [11]

• St. Joseph Parish, Dover
• Holy Trinity Parish, Zoar
• Christ the King Parish, Columbus

Missionary Servants of the Word

• St. Stephen the Martyr, Columbus
• St. Agnes, Columbus

Order of Preachers (Dominicans)

• Holy Trinity Parish, Somerset
• Pontifical College Josephinum
• Ohio Dominican University
• St. Joseph Parish, Somerset
• St. Patrick Parish, Columbus

Heralds of the Good News[12]

• Teaching, Youth Ministry, care for sick

Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP)

• Saint Leo Oratory, Merion Village[13]

Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy (Mercerdarians)

• Holy Family Church, Columbus [14]

Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottines)

• Sacred Heart Church, Columbus [12]

Paulist Fathers

• St. Thomas More Newman Center

Precious Blood Fathers

• St. James the Less Parish, Columbus

Sons of the Immaculate Conception Congregation

• Mt. Carmel Hospitals
• St. Elizabeth Parish, Columbus

• Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (from Kerala), St. Peter Chillicothe [15]
• The Bridgettine Sisters (Order of the Most Holy Savior), Holy Family Church, Columbus[11]
• Third Order of St. Francis (Joliet), Columbus
• Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, Columbus, St. John Paul II Education Center [16]
• Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, St. Francis DeSales High School, Columbus [11]
• Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, Columbus and Mount Vernon
• Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Columbus
• Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Columbus
• Sisters of the Holy Cross, Columbus
• Dominican Sisters of Peace, Columbus
• Dominican Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, Columbus
• Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, Columbus[11]
• Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, Columbus
• Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, St. Michael School, Worthington[17]
• Dominican Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, Columbus [18]
• Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, Zanesville

• WULM "Radio Maria" 1600 AM in Springfield which reaches towards Columbus in some areas during daylight hours and can also be heard 24/7 on the internet, Android, iPhone and BlackBerry via their respective phone applications which can be downloaded at radiomaria.us Radio Maria USA is based at originating station KJMJ 580 AM in Alexandria, Louisiana.
• WNOP "Sacred Heart Radio" 720 AM licensed to Newport, Kentucky and based in Cincinnati which also airs local and EWTN programming...plus an FM sister, WHSS 89.5 in Hamilton.

On August 26, 2020, the Diocese of Columbus agreed to settle one sex abuse lawsuit by paying $1 million to alleged victim Kevin Heidtman.[21] Heidtman who is by then in his 30s, said in the lawsuit that longtime St. Charles Preparatory School teacher Monsignor Thomas Bennett, who is deceased, sexually abused him and others and the diocese knowingly let it.[21]

Until 2020, the Diocese of Columbus was one of only three Catholic dioceses in the nation to have a priest serve as victim assistance coordinator. Victim advocates criticized this practice, saying it can re-traumatize survivors and discourage the reporting of abuse.[22] An outside licensed counselor was hired in 2020, coinciding with the formation of a Safe Enviornment Task Force by then-bishop Brennan.[23]