Archdiocese of Indianapolis Archidioecesis Indianapolitana | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral | |
 Coat of arms | |
| Location | |
| Country |  United States |
| Territory | Central Indiana |
| Ecclesiastical province | Indianapolis |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 13,815 sq mi (35,780 km2) |
Population
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| Parishes | 133 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | May 6, 1834 (191 years ago) |
| Cathedral | Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, Indianapolis |
| Patron saint | Francis Xavier Théodore Guérin |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Archbishop | Charles Thompson |
| Vicar General | Rev. Msgr. William F. Stumpf, PhD |
| Judicial Vicar | Very Rev. Joseph L. Newton, JCL, VJ |
| Map | |
 | |
| Website | |
| archindy.org | |
TheArchdiocese of Indianapolis (Latin:Archidioecesis Indianapolitana) is aLatin Church diocese of theCatholic Church inIndiana in theUnited States.
When it was originally erected as theDiocese of Vincennes on May 6, 1834, it encompassed all ofIndiana as well as the eastern third ofIllinois. It was renamed the Diocese of Indianapolis on March 28, 1898. BishopFrancis Chatard became the first bishop of Indianapolis. It was elevated from adiocese to ametropolitan archdiocese on October 21, 1944.[1]
As of the 2000 census, the archdiocese contained 2,430,606 people, 233,273 of whom were Catholic.[2] The archdiocese covers 39 counties in central and southern Indiana, with a total area of 13,757 square miles.[1]Charles Thompson has been the archbishop of Indianapolis since 2017.[3]
(John T. McNicholas was appointed in 1925; did not take effect.)
Before the Archdiocese of Indianapolis was erected in 1944, the episcopal see passed through several other ecclesiastical jurisdictions:
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The origins of the Catholic mission churches in the area that is now Indiana date to the late seventeenth century, when the Catholic parishes in the area were under the authority of the Diocese of Quebec. FrenchJesuit missionaries first arrived in the region of present-dayVincennes, around 1675.[6][9] The first Catholic church at Vincennes was established around 1732 asSaint Francis Xavier. Reverend Sebastian Louis Meurin, the first resident priest, arrived in May 1748. The parish's earliest records date from April 21, 1749.[10][11]
Following Meurin's departure from Vincennes in 1753, several itinerant priests visited the Catholic parish, includingPierre Gibault, who served as resident priest at Saint Francis Xavier from 1785 to 1789.[12] In these early years, the Catholic communities in the area experienced hardships during theAmerican Revolution, conflicts withNative Americans, and suffered from epidemics that swept through the frontier. They also lacked financial resources and sufficient priests.[13]
On November 6, 1789,Pope Pius VI erected theDiocese of Baltimore, the first Catholic diocese in the United States, including present day Indiana. The pope namedJohn Carroll as the first bishop of Baltimore.[14] In 1791, Carroll sentBenedict Flaget to Vincennes succeed Gibault at Saint Francis Xavier Parish.[15] Arriving in 1792, Flaget opened a school and held classes at Saint Francis Xavier before he was recalled to Baltimore in 1795.[16][17] John Francis Rivet, who was sent to Vincennes in 1796 as Flaget's successor, received an annual teacher's salary of $200 from theU.S. Congress, making him the first public school teacher in theNorthwest Territory.[18]
In 1808,Pope Pius VII divided the Catholic churches in the United States and its territories into five dioceses. The Catholic parishes in the northwest territories came under the jurisdiction of theDiocese of Bardstown, with Flaget appointed as its first bishop.[6][19] In 1832, Flaget and BishopJoseph Rosati, the first bishop of theDiocese of Saint Louis, petitioned the Vatican to nameSimon Bruté de Rémur as the first bishop of a new diocese in the State of Indiana.[20][21]
On May 6, 1834,Pope Gregory XVI issued apapal bull to erect the Diocese of Vincennes, the first episcopal see in Indiana.[6][22] Bruté was consecrated as the first bishop of Vincennes on October 28, 1834, in St Louis.[21][23] At the time of his installation, the new diocese, which covered all of Indiana and the eastern third of Illinois, had only three priests.[24]
Bruté made it a point to visit each Catholic family in the new diocese, regardless of the distance from his rectory at Vincennes.[25] In 1837, he founded a college at Vincennes, and connected it to a local theological seminary established under theEudists.[26] Bruté became ill while attending aprovincial council inBaltimore. The illness weakened Bruté's immune system, but he continued his duties until his death at Vincennes on June 26, 1839.[25][27]
Célestine Guynemer de la Hailandière, Bruté's vicar general, was consecrated as bishop of Vincennes on August 18, 1839.[28] De la Hailandière completed Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral, which he consecrated on August 8, 1841. He also constructed a library at Vincennes to house Bruté's collection of over 5,000 books and religious documents.[29][30] Under de la Hailandière, theSisters of Providence moved into the diocese and the Brothers of the Holy Cross established schools for boys.Edward Sorin, founder of theUniversity of Notre Dame, andThéodore Guérin, founder ofSisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, also joined de la Hailandière in Indiana.[31] Indiana's population during this period grew slowly and the institutions de la Hailandière helped to establish experienced many problems. In 1843, the Vatican erected theDiocese of Chicago, removing the Illinois counties from the Diocese of Vincennes. De la Hailandiè resigned in 1847.[6][32][33]
John Bazin, de la Hailandière's successor, was appointed bishop of Vincennes on September 3, 1847. Bazin's consecration took place at Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral on October 24, 1847,[34] making him the first bishop to be ordained in Indiana. Bazin appointedJacques-Maurice De Saint Palais, hisvicar general, as the diocesan administrator. Bazin died at Vincennes on April 23, 1848, having served the diocese for six months.[35][36]
Bazin's successor, de St. Palais, was consecrated as bishop of Vincennes on January 14, 1849, at Vincennes.[37] During his tenure as bishop, de St. Palais had to contend with unresolved monetary issues from Hailandière's episcopacy, acholera epidemic, and expanding the educational and ministerial opportunities within the diocese. In 1849, Guerin established an orphanage in Vincennes and in 1853 monks fromEinsiedeln, Switzerland, foundedSaint Meinrad abbey and seminary in southern Indiana; however, plans to open a school for African Americans were never carried out.[38][39] In 1857, the Vatican erected theDiocese of Fort Wayne, taking its territory from the Diocese of Vincennes.[6][38]
During theAmerican Civil War, de St. Palais had to contend with the call for soldiers, and several priests from the diocese served asmilitary chaplains. In 1864, one priest from the diocese, Reverend Ernest Audran, was drafted into theUnion Army. De St. Palais did not address the topic of the 1863Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all enslaved people in the country, because he feared that doing so would venture too far into politics.[40]
Although de St. Palais recognized that Indianapolis had become a major city (the eighth largest in the United States by 1870), he deferred the decision to move the seat of the diocese to his successor,Silas Chatard.[41] At the time of the De St. Palais' death in 1877, the diocese had grown to include 151 churches, 117 priests, and 90,000 parishioners.[42]
Chatard, Indiana's first American-born bishop, was consecrated as bishop of Vincennes inRome,Italy, on May 12, 1878.[43][44] Chatard obtained permission fromPope Leo XIII to move the bishop's residence anddiocesan chancery to Indianapolis in 1878, but the episcopal see remained at Vincennes.[45][46][47] Anticipating the eventual relocation of the episcopal see to Indianapolis, Chatard established Saints Peter and Paul Parish as a new parish on the city's near north side, where he planned to construct a new cathedral.[48][49] Chatard's tenure as bishop was also marked by his poor health.[50]
On March 28, 1898,Pope Leo XIII transferred the episcopal see from Vincennes to Indianapolis; the Diocese of Vincennes was renamed as the Diocese of Indianapolis. Chatard became the first bishop of Indianapolis.[6][45][46]Saint John the Evangelist Church in Indianapolis served as thepro-cathedral of the diocese untilSaints Peter and Paul Cathedral was completed in 1907.[51][52] Chatard was paralyzed by astroke in 1900. On July 27, 1910, Pope Pius namedJoseph Chartrand ascoadjutor bishop of Indianapolis to assist Chatard. Chatard died on September 7, 1918, at Indianapolis and Chartrand automatically succeeded him as bishop.[50][53]
Chartrand opened more than 25 elementary and secondary schools in his first 14 years as bishop. Chartrand dealt with threats from theKu Klux Klan by publishing a list of Klan members in theIndianapolis Times newspaper. During theGreat Depression, he exempted the entire diocese from fasting, with the exception of Fridays duringLent.[54] Chartrand was appointed archbishop of theArchdiocese of Cincinnati in 1925, but declined the appointment. When Chartrand died in 1933, the diocese had 126 parochial schools and 19 secondary schools.
Joseph Ritter, who had served asauxiliary bishop and vicar general for the Diocese of Indianapolis, succeeded Chartrand as bishop in March 1934.[55][56] In 1937, Ritter ordered theracial integration of three girls' schools in the diocese, opening enrollment for all female students. In 1942, he integrated the Catholic high school inEvansville.[57]
In October 1944,Pope Pius XII elevated the Diocese of Indianapolis to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The pope named Ritter as the first archbishop of Indianapolis. At the same time, the pope founded theDioceses of Evansville andLafayette, taking their territories from the new archdiocese. In 1946, Ritter left Indianapolis to become archbishop of Saint Louis.[45][55][57]
ArchbishopPaul Schulte, formerly bishop of theDiocese of Leavenworth, led the archdiocese from 1946 until 1970. He built three high schools in the Indianapolis area and 17 churches in the archdiocese.[58] On December 17, 1956, the Vatican erected theDiocese of Gary from the territory of the archdiocese.[59] Schulte resigned as archbishop in 1970.[55] Auxiliary BishopGeorge Biskup from theArchdiocese of Dubuque became archbishop of Indianapolis in 1970. He established the first priests senate in order to expedite decisions and encourage communications between the archbishop and his priests.[56][60]
Auxiliary BishopEdward T. O'Meara of Saint Louis, installed as archbishop of Indianapolis in 1980,[55] reorganized the archdiocesan offices and consolidated them into one location at the Catholic Center.[61] O'Meara was also concerned about the shortage of priests within the archdiocese. Although the archbishop did not believe that ordination of female clergy was a solution, he appointed women to key roles. O'Meara also opposedabortion rights for women and supported the needs of the poor.[62] The archdiocese celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1984.[55]
O'Meara's successor, BishopDaniel M. Buechlein from theDiocese of Memphis, became archbishop of Indianapolis in September 1992. He continued archdiocesan opposition to abortion rights along with its support of Catholic education and assistance to the poor. Because of his focus on education, the news media designated Buechlein as the "education bishop."
Pope Benedict XVI appointedChristopher J. Coyne as auxiliary bishop in Indianapolis to assist Buechlein in March 2011. On September 21, 2011, the Vatican granted Buechlein an early retirement at age 73 due to health issues. Coyne served asapostolic administrator until October 2012, when BishopJoseph Tobin, secretary of theCongregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in Rome, was appointed archbishop.[63][64] In May 2016, Tobin was named to oversee theSodalitium Christianae Vitae in Lima, Peru.[65]
BishopCharles C. Thompson from the Diocese of Evansville was appointed archbishop of Indianapolis byPope Francis on June 13, 2017. His installation mass was on July 28, 2017.
A Catholic high school teacher in asame-sex marriage was fired and afterward sued the archdiocese in July 2019 for discrimination and interfering with his teaching contract. The two parties reached a settlement in which the school was to help the teacher with future employment opportunities. Meanwhile, the archdiocese said in July 2019 thatBrebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis was no longer recognized as a Catholic institution due to its refusal to fire a teacher in asame-sex marriage.[66] As of 2023, Thompson is the current archbishop of Indianapolis.
In September 2018, the archdiocese suspended Reverend Patrick Doyle, a pastor at Nativity Catholic Parish, from public ministry after receiving an allegation of sexual abuse by him dating back several decades.[67] In October 2018, the archdiocese published a list of 24 priests with credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors. The archdiocese added four more names to the list in 2022.[68]
Reverend David Marcotte pleaded guilty in March 2022 to felony dissemination of matter harmful to minors. In 2016, Marcotte was usingsocial media to send pornographic materials to minors and to recruit them to engage in sexual conversations. The archdiocese suspended him from ministry in February 2019 after receiving a report about his activities.[69] Marcotte was sentenced to one year ofhome detention and 18 months of probation.[70]Lloyds of London sued the archdiocese in 2020, claiming that the archdiocese did not disclose the Marcotte allegations to Lloyds in June 2019 when it applied for excess sexual misconduct liability insurance.[71]
Thepatron saints of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis areFrancis Xavier andTheodora Guerin.
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Since 1834, three parish churches have served as diocesan cathedrals or aspro-cathedrals:
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Saint Francis Xavier Church was built in Vincennes in 1826, making it the oldest Catholic church in Indiana. AGreek Revival-style building, it is similar in design to theBasilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Kentucky.Pope Paul VI elevated Saint Francis Xavier to the status of a minorbasilica in 1970.[72][73]
The cornerstone for Saint Francis Xavier Church was laid on March 30, 1826.[74][75] The first services were held in 1827, although the interior was not yet complete.[76] The diocese added a bell tower, designed by the architect Jean-Marie Marsile, in the 1830s.[77][78]
On May 6, 1834, when Gregory XVI erected the Diocese of Vincennes, Saint Francis Xavier became the cathedral for the new diocese. The cathedral was unfinished when Bishop Bruté arrived in 1834. Bishop Hailandière continued work on the cathedral, which he consecrated on August 8, 1841.[79] Saint Francis Xavier served as the diocesan cathedral until 1898, when the Vatican transferred the episcopal see to Indianapolis.[6]
The basilica interior features three large murals, painted in 1870 byWilhelm Lamprecht. These murals include:
The diocese obtained 14 oil paintings fromFrance to illustrate theStations of the Cross in the church.[79] The remains of the first four bishops of Vincennes (Bruté, Hailandière, Bazin, and de St. Palais) are buried in the basilica crypt.[80]
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Saint John the Evangelist Church is the main structure in a cluster of parish buildings on the southwest corner of Georgia Street and Capitol Avenue in Indianapolis. Construction on the church started in 1867; it was dedicated in 1871.
When Bishop de St. Palais visited Indianapolis in the early 1870s, he stayed at the church rectory and used the parish church as the pro-cathedral for the diocese.[48][81][82] His successor, Bishop Chatard, requested permission from Leo XIII in 1878 to establish the bishop's residence and chancery at Indianapolis.[47] Many considered Saint John as the de facto diocesan cathedral,[83] but Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral in Vincennes remained the official cathedral. On April 18, 1892, Chatard moved into the new rectory at Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Indianapolis.[84][85]
Saints Peter and Paul became the new diocesan cathedral in 1898, with Saint John no longer considered as a pro-cathedral. The rectory at Saint John housed the diocesan chancery until 1968. It served as the metropolitan tribunal for the diocese until 1982.[48][86]
The architectDiedrich A. Bohlen, founder ofD. A. Bohlen and Son, designed the Saint John Church complex. This included the rectory (1863), the church (1867–1871) and the rectory addition (1878).[81][87] The church includes a mix of AmericanRomanesque Revival and FrenchGothic Revival architectural styles. Oscar Bohlen designed the twin spires on the towers that flank the mainfacade and supervised their construction. Due to their expense, the diocese did not add the spires until 1893.[81][88][82]
The painter Guy Leber painted the apse ceiling withThe Angels of Glory, white-robed angels and halo-crownedseraphs.[89][90] The French painter L. Chovet provided paintings for the Stations of the Cross.[91] In 1971, the diocese renovated the church interior. Following the reforms of theSecond Vatican Council, the diocese removed thecommunion rail, repositioned the altar to allow the priest to face the congregation, and moved thebaptismal font to the left transept.[89]
Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis serves as the seat of the archdiocese. With construction starting around 1900, the cathedral was completed in 1906.
Bishop Chatard established Saints Peter and Paul parish in 1892 north of downtown Indianapolis.[83][92] The diocese began construction for a chapel and rectory at the current location in 1891. The chapel was dedicated on March 25, 1892, and Chatard moved into the rectory on April 18, 1892.[84][86] Bishop Chartrand was ordained a priest in the Saints Peter and Paul chapel on September 24, 1892. Anticipating the episcopal see's relocation from Vincennes to Indianapolis, Chatard purchased additional lots by the chapel in 1894 to build a cathedral.[93] Saints Peter and Paul became the cathedral parish on March 28, 1898, when Leo XIII officially transferred the seat of the diocese to Indianapolis from Vincennes. At that time, Chatard started fundraising for the new cathedral.[94][86]
James Renwick Jr.'s architectural firm in New York used the Classical Revival-style to design the cathedral, rectory, and adjacent chapel.[84][86] He may modeled it after theArchbasilica Saint John Lateran in Rome.[95] William Renwick, Renwick's nephew, took over the project around 1900 and simplified its design.[84] D. A. Bohlen and Son served as local supervisors for the project.[86] To save money, the diocese constructed a temporary facade on the cathedral, foregoing the permanent facade and spires for a later date. Thehigh altar was consecrated on December 21, 1906, and four days later the first pontifical high mass was celebrated at the new cathedral on December 25, 1906.[96]
In 1936, Bishop Ritter started construction of the spires and permanent facade for the cathedral. The project was supervised by Indianapolis architect August Bohlen.[97][98] The permanent facade was also modeled after Saint John Lateran.[99] Chatard and Chartrand were initially buried in the cathedral's crypt, but their remains were removed and interred at Calvary Cemetery in Indianapolis in 1976.[100]
William Renwick designed the cathedral's original interior decorations, including three altars, a doorway and arch decoration, a metal ceiling, and frames for the Stations of the Cross. D. A. Bohlen and Son designed the original baptismal fonts and dark oak furnishings.[101][102]
Chatard commissioned the sculptorCesare Aureli to carve the Blessed Mother and Child and Saint Joseph statues in the cathedral in whiteCarrara marble. They were installed around 1909. Aureli then carved a statue ofFrances de Sales, which was installed in 1911 on the high altar. A life-sizecrucifix was placed above the main altar in 1915.[103] The diocese commissioned a copy of Italian sculptorAntonio Montauti's Pieta statue for thesanctuary. In 1936, the diocese covered the original murals painted by Edgar S. Cameron with glass mosaics. These mosaics depict an enthronedChrist in Majesty flanked by theApostle Peter andPaul the Apostle.[104]
The archdiocese began renovating the cathedral in 1985 to comply with liturgical changes made during the Second Vatican Council. The refurbished cathedral was rededicated on May 14, 1986.[84][105]
The Archdiocese of Indianapolis has two colleges, two seminaries, seven high schools, and 60 elementary schools. As of 2008, the system had approximately 24,000 students. The archdiocese established the Cristo Rey Project with theSisters of Providence to assist low income students in 2006.[106]
St. Meinrad Archabbey, aBenedictine monastery in St. Meinrad, serves the archdiocese as aseminary andlay graduate school of theology. It was founded in 1854 by monks from theEinsiedeln Abbey in Switzerland to meet the needs of a growing German-speaking Catholic population in Indiana.[107]
In 1969, St. Meinrad opened its programs to lay persons during the summer for graduate level theological studies. In 1993, it opened its lay program during all academic sessions.
Both stations offer anaudio stream from its website. www.catholicradioindy.org. Other stations outside the archdiocese offer online streaming from the websites of:
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