Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque
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The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northeastern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States. It includes all the Iowa counties north of Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, and Clinton counties. It also includes the counties east of Kossuth, Humboldt, Webster and Boone counties. The Archdiocese has an area of about 17,400 square miles (45,000 km²).
Background
The headquarters of the Archdiocese of Dubuque is in the city of Dubuque, Iowa. Saint Raphael's in Dubuque is the Cathedral parish for the Archdiocese. The current Archbishop of Dubuque is Jerome Hanus.
The corporate title for the Archdiocese is The Archdiocese of Dubuque. The Latin name of the Archdiocese is Archidioecesis Dubuquensis.
The Archdiocese of Dubuque is unique in several ways. It is the only US Archdiocese outside a major metropolitian area. Also, the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier is located in the Archdiocese. Located in Dyersville, Iowa - about 25 miles west of Dubuque - it is the only Basilica located in a small town.
There are 199 parishes in the Archdiocese. There are three Catholic colleges in the Archdiocese - Clarke and Loras Colleges in Dubuque, and Mount Mercy in Cedar Rapids. There are a number of religious orders with a presence in the Archdiocese. Notable orders include the New Melleray Abbey (male) southwest of Dubuque, and the Mississippi Abbey (female) south of Dubuque.
History
Prior to the Founding of the Diocese
During the years prior to the founding of the Dubuque Diocese, the area was under the jurisdiction of a number of Bishops. Many of these were purely academic as no Catholic presence yet existed in the area. Most notable among these was the St. Louis Diocese under Bishop Rosati. During the early 1830's it was under his jurisdiction that the early missionaries arrived in what would become the state of Iowa.
In the 1830s the church studied how to address the expansion of the United States into the western frontiers. Those conducting the study recommended to the Pope that three new dioceses be created, one of which was the Dubuque Diocese.
Father Charles Fitzmaurice established the Saint Raphael's parish at Dubuque in 1833. This was the first church of any Christian denomination in what was to become the state of Iowa.
Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli was one of the most famous missionaries to work in the Dubuque area. He established a number of parishes in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. He founded parishes named after each of the Archangels - Saint Raphael's in Dubuque, Saint Michael's at Galena, Illinois, and Saint Gabriel's at Prairie du Chein, Wisconsin. Father Mazzuchelli was declared Vernable in 1993 by Pope John Paul II, and his case for Sainthood is pending.
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The Early Years of the Diocese
The Dubuque Diocese was created on July 28, 1837. Bishop Mathias Loras was named the first Bishop of the Dubuque Diocese. Loras gathered funds and personnel for the new Diocese, and he arrived in 1839. St. Raphael's became the Cathedral parish in August of that year. He oversaw the expansion of the church in the early years of the diocese, first in the Iowa territory, then after 1846 in the new state of Iowa.
Bishop Loras encouraged immigration to the area, especially German and Irish settlers. He expanded the Catholic church in Dubuque by overseeing the creation of new parishes, and also he invited several religious orders to the area. This included a Cisterian order that built the New Melleray Monastery south of Dubuque. Shortly before his death, he directed the construction of the third and present St. Raphael's Cathedral building.
In 1850, territory was taken from the Diocese to form the new Diocese of Saint Paul, serving Minnesota Territory (later Minnesota and the Dakotas).
Expansion of the Dubuque Diocese
From 1859 to 1865, the Bishop of Dubuque was Clement Smyth, OCSO. He oversaw continued expansion of the Catholic church in the diocese. It was during his reign that the German Catholics of the city of Dubuque began construction of a new Saint Mary's church due to the fact that they outgrew their previous Church of the Holy Trinity.
After the death of Bishop Smyth in 1865, John Hennessey was named the Bishop of Dubuque. During his reign, the population of Dubuque exploded as the Milwaukee Railroad Shops came to Dubuque. Hennessey created several parishes in Dubuque - Sacred Heart, Holy Ghost, St. Anthony's, and Holy Trinity to deal with this population explosion.
During this time, Bishop Hennessey proposed taking territory from the Diocese and creating a new Diocese for southern Iowa. While he proposed Des Moines for the headquarters of the new Diocese, Davenport was the site chosen.
Elevation to an Archdiocese
On June 15, 1893 the Dubuque Diocese was elevated to an Archdiocese. Bishop Hennessey was elevated to become the first Archbishop of Dubuque in 1898. In 1900, Archbishop Hennessey died, he is buried at the Cathedral in Dubuque.
The First Part of the 20th Century
After the death of Archbishop Hennessey, Archbishop John J. Keane was chosen to lead the Archdiocese. He served for eleven years until poor health forced him to retire in 1911. During his tenure, the western territory of the Archiocese was taken to from a new Diocese, which was based in Sioux City. As a result, the Archdiocese's territory was reduced down to its current size.
The next Archbishop to serve was named James John Keane. Although he and his predecessor shared the same last name, the two men were not related, and they both had very different personalities. The first Archbishop Keane was well liked in the community, and was known as "Sugar" for his kind and generous nature. The second Archbishop Keane was known as "Hickory" for his stern manner.
The Great Depression and World War II Years
During the years of the Great Depression and the Second World War, the Archdiocese was lead by Archbishop Francis J.L. Beckman. In the years leading up to the war, Beckman was an opponent of military action. Beckman also was a collector of fine art pieces. He had placed a number of art pieces in a museum at Columbia (now Loras) College. Archbishop Beckman, perhaps thinking that he could gain funds to further his collection, involved the Archdiocese in what turned out to be a dubious gold mine scheme. Because Beckman had signed notes on behalf of the Archdiocese, this caused financial problems for the Archdiocese when the scheme fell apart and the individual who created this scam was arrested. President Roosevelt directed the FBI to investigate Beckman. It was to determine what his involvement would have been in this financial scheme, not Beckman's opposition to the President as some believed. Most of Beckman's collection was sold to pay off the notes. The cost to the Archdiocese was over half a million dollars.
Because of Beckman's troubles Bishop Henry Rohlman returned from the Davenport, Iowa diocese and was installed as Coadjutor Archbishop in 1944. Archbishop Beckman was allowed to retain his office, but was informed that Rohlman now led the Archdiocese. Beckman retired in 1947, and left Dubuque for Cincinnati.
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. One of the casualities in that attack was Father Aloysius Schmitt. He was serving on board the USS Oklahoma at the time. The boat capsized during the attack. Father Schmitt and other men were trapped below with only a small porthole for escape. Father Schmitt declined to be pulled from the ship, and instead helped other men to escape. In total he saved 12 men, but he drowned. Father Schmitt was the first chaplin of any denomination to die in World War II. For his actions, he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, and a destroyer was named in his honor.
The Post War Era
One of the effects of the post war baby boom was an increase in the number of students at some of the Catholic schools. In Dubuque, the Sacred Heart parish school had the largest student population of such schools in the midwest.
In 1955 Archbishop Leo Binz became Archbishop of Dubuque. He served in that capacity for several years before moving on to the Minneapolis / Saint Paul, Minnesota Archdiocese to lead Catholics there.
The Second Vatican Council and the Aftermath
James Byrne was named the next Archbishop of Dubuque in the spring of 1962. On May 8, 1962 he was formally installed at St. Raphael's by the Apostolic Delegate. He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council. Archbishop Byrne implemented the changes brought about by the council in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The Priests Senate - the clergy's advisory board - was soon established, as was another advisory board that delt with assingment of priests. These boards were among the first such boards founded in the United States.
Archbishop Byrne generally kept a low profile in the community. He did encourage Catholics to pray daily before the news. Archbishop Byrne retired from office in 1984. After retirement, Byrne remained in Dubuque until his death on August 2, 1996.
The Last Years of the 20th Century to the Present
On February 23, 1984, Daniel William Kucera, OSB was installed as the tenth Bishop and eighth Archbishop of Dubuque. Archbishop Kucera had earned a doctorate in education. At 36 he had become the youngest President of the Illinois Benedictine College. His background on education has led Vatican officals, including the Pope, to seek his advice. In 1988 the Archdiocese celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding. Archbishop Kucera also received an honorary degree from the University of Dubuque. On October 16, 1995, Archbishop Kucera retired, and moved to Colorado.
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The current Archbishop of Dubuque is Jerome George Hanus, OSB. He became Coadjutor Archbishop with the right of succession on October 27, 1994. When Archbishop Kucera retired in 1995, he became the current Archbishop of Dubuque.
Recent Events
The New Millennium
The Archdiocese undertook a number of activities in preperation for the year 2000, both before and after the beginning of 2000.
The Sexual Abuse Crisis
The Dubuque Archdiocese has not been immune to the sexual abuse crisis affecting the church. Like many other dioceses, in the past the Archdiocese had tried to handle such problems quietly through sending the offender to treatment followed by quiet reassingment. The Archdiocese has been accused of being slow to respond to this crisis, and of not doing enough to prevent this from happening.
Almost immediately after taking office Archbishop Hanus was forced to deal with a case of sexual abuse by a Dubuque area priest. This priest had molested several young altar servers. Most of these incidents of abuse took place on church property.
In 2000, another priest from the Marion, Iowa area had been found to be engaging in inappropriate activity on the internet. While this priest had not abused any children, the inpropriety had damaged the level of trust between members of the parish and the church. The priest in question was transferred out of parish work, he later died in an automobile accident.
A number of cases of past abuse have also come up - some from as long as 60 years ago. Some new claims have recently been made against a deceased priest - the parishes he served at have been notified of these claims, and the Archdiocese has encouraged victims to come forward.
The Archdiocese has responded to this crisis by creating a policy for protecting minors, it also created a review board for dealing with issues of abuse, and has agreed to pay for counseling for victims. Reaction to these policy changes has been mixed. Some people feel that the Archdiocese is not being as cooperative as it could be, and feel that more could be done. At the same time, others feel that the Archdiocese is doing what it can in a very difficult situation.
The Priest Shortage
The Archdiocese has also felt the effects of the priest shortage that has affected the church in recent times. In recent years many smaller rural parishes have had to close and their congregrations had been absorbed into other nearby parishes. Some rural parishes have been clustered together where one priest will serve two or more parishes. Some parishes have no resident priest. Another effect is that some duties that a priest would have performed in the past are performed by either religious (Sister or Deacon) individuals, or by the laity.
Education Issues
In recent years, many questions have been raised of the future of Catholic schools. With parishes closing or combining services, schools were also combined together. In recent times, schools in a given geographical area have all been joined together into a school system.
In Dubuque, the Catholic schools are all part of the Holy Family system. There has been much controversy recently about how to best run the schools. The administrators of the system had recently made plans to reorganize the schools. This was due to factors such as a declining number of students attending Catholic schools. An especially controversial move that was proposed was to turn St. Anthony's school into a central school for certain grades. Parents of the parish felt that their concerns were being ignored. Eventually, the Archdiocesan Board of Education vetoed the plan, and told the school system to continue work on planning the system's future.
Recently, the subject of closing Wahlert High School - the Archdiocesan high school for Dubuque - has been a matter of controversy.
Controversy over the Passion of the Christ
The Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ has caused controversy in the Archdiocese as well. One of the main issues brought up by the film was an editioral cartoon on the movie that the Dubuque Telegraph-Hearld newspaper published in its Editorial section. This cartoon featured a nun using coroporal punishment. Some in the community have felt that this was a slight against the nuns and all their years of hard work. Others - mainly middle age to older adults have said that this was representative of the nuns who taught them while they were in school. They had said that some of the nuns freely used corporal punishment to enforce discipline.
2004 Presidental Campaign
Both parties attempted to appeal to Catholic voters. Republicans tried to appeal to Catholics through their stance against abortion. Democrats tried to appeal through an "ethic of life" stance, and through appealing to the social justice concerns of Catholics. Both parties took out full page ads in local newspapers to convince Catholics of the need to vote for their party.
While Bush did enjoy some support due to his stance on abortion, others took an "anyone but Bush" attitude, and concluded that Kerry was the lesser of two evils in this case. Some people felt that the opposition some Bishops showed to Kerry as a supporter of abortion was a thinly disguised endorsement of the Republican party - even if that had not been the Bishop's intent.
John Kerry Visits
On July 3, 2004, John Kerry visited the city of Dubuque as part of his presidential campaign. During the evening, he watched the fireworks from a private boat on the Mississippi River. On Sunday, July 4, he attended Mass at Resurrection Church in Dubuque, and received Communion during the course of this mass. Catholics in the Archdiocese have also expressed concern over his stance on certain issues, especially abortion.
In an interview with the Dubuque Telegraph Herald, he told the paper "I oppose abortion, personally. I don't like abortion. I believe life does begin at conception. I can't take my Catholic belief, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant or a Jew or an atheist." later in the interview he said, "We have separation of church and state in the United States of America." He also echoed similar sentiments to Catholics who had approached him during Mass to question him over his position on this issue. While some people have said that Kerry's stance is essentially correct, his remarks have led others in the community to label him a hypocrite.
Other area Catholics have expressed disappointment that Kerry was permitted to receive Communion during his visit, feeling that as an abortion rights supporter it was not appropriate for Kerry to receive Communion. The Archdiocese has not decided to explictly deny communion to Catholic politicians who hold views that conflict with church teachings. Statements made by Archdiocesan officials indicate that they feel that the politicians in question should examine their own consciences when it comes to receiving communion.
Ordinaries of Dubuque
- Bishop Mathias Loras - Jul 28, 1837 - Feb 20, 1858 (his death).
- Bishop Clement Smyth, OCSO - Feb 20, 1858 - Sep 22, 1865 (his death).
- Bishop John Hennessey - Apr 24, 1866 - Mar 4, 1900 (his death). Bishop Hennessey was promoted to Archbishop in 1898.
- Archbishop John Keane - Jul 24, 1900 - Apr 28, 1911 (resigned due to poor health).
- Archbishop James Keane - Aug 11, 1911 - Aug 2, 1929 (his death).
- Archbishop Francis Beckman - Jan 17, 1930 - Nov 11, 1946 (retired).
- Archbishop Henry Rohlman - Nov 11, 1946 - Dec 2, 1954 (retired).
- Archbishop Leo Binz - Dec 2, 1954 - Dec 16, 1961 (reassigned to the St. Paul, Minnesota Diocese).
- Archbishop James Byrne - Mar 7, 1962 - Aug 23, 1983 (retired).
- Archbishop Daniel Kucera, OSB - Dec 20, 1983 - Oct 16, 1995 (retired).
- Archbishop Jerome Hanus, OSB - Current Archbishop. Became Archbishop on Oct 16, 1995.
See Also
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City
External links
- The Archdiocese of Dubuque Web Site (http://www.arch.pvt.k12.ia.us)
- Web Sites for Catholic Colleges in the Archdiocese
- Loras College (http://www.loras.edu)
- Clarke College (http://www.clarke.edu)
- Mount Mercy College (http://www.mtmercy.edu)