Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Las Vegas: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 22:56, 31 May 2023
Archdiocese of Las Vegas Archidiœcesis Campensis | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | United States |
Territory | Counties of Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine |
Ecclesiastical province | Province of Las Vegas |
Statistics | |
Area | 39,688 sq mi (102,790 km2) |
Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2018) 2,263,946 620,000 [1] (27.4%) |
Information | |
Denomination | Catholic |
Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Established | March 21, 1995[1] May 30, 2023 (elevated to Archdiocese) | (as Diocese of Las Vegas)
Cathedral | Guardian Angel Cathedral |
Patron saint | Holy Family St. Peter the Apostle St. Paul the Apostle[2] |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Archbishop | George Leo Thomas |
Auxiliary Bishops | Gregory W. Gordon, VG |
Judicial Vicar | Robert M. Herbst, OFM Conv |
Bishops emeritus | Joseph A. Pepe |
Map | |
Website | |
dioceseoflasvegas.org |
The Archdiocese of Las Vegas (Latin: Archidiœcesis Campensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church in southern Nevada, United States.
The seat of the archdiocese is Guardian Angel Cathedral in Las Vegas. The see had been a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of San Francisco from its creation in 1995 until 2023, when Las Vegas was elevated as a metropolitan see. The Archdiocese of Las Vegas has two suffragan sees in its ecclesiastical province: the Dioceses of Reno and Salt Lake City.[3]
Territory
The Archdiocese of Las Vegas comprises Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine Counties.
History
1776–1931: Missionary territory
The first Catholic Mass in southern Nevada was celebrated in 1776 in present-day Laughlin by Francisco Hermenegildo Tomas Garces, traveling from Mexico when the entire region was part of the Spanish Empire.[4]
Bishop Lawrence Scanlan, head of the Apostolic Vicariate of Salt Lake City, established the first parish in Pioche in the late 1880s. He ministered to the scattered Catholic population throughout southern Nevada. In 1908, Scanlan created St. Joan of Arc, the first parish in Las Vegas. Scanlan said that he chose the name Joan of Arc because the blistering sun in Las Vegas reminded him of her suffering when she was burned at the stake.[5]
1931–1995: Territory of the Diocese of Reno
In 1931, Pope Pius XI erected the Diocese of Reno, including the entire State of Nevada. The southern Nevada region remained part of this diocese for the next 64 years.[4] With the establishment of Boulder City in 1931 to construct Hoover Dam, St. Andrew Parish was created there to serve the Catholic construction workers.[6] In 1976, Pope Paul VI renamed the Diocese of Reno the Diocese of Reno-Las Vegas to reflect the growth of the Catholic population in southern Nevada.[6]
1995–2023: Formation as the Diocese of Las Vegas
In 1995, Pope John Paul II divided the Diocese of Reno-Las Vegas into the Diocese of Reno and the Diocese of Las Vegas. He appointed Daniel F. Walsh, previously bishop of Reno-Las Vegas, as the first bishop of Las Vegas.
The second bishop of Las Vegas was Joseph A. Pepe of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, named by John Paul II in 2001.[7] In 2003, Pepe dedicated the Our Lady of LaVang Vietnamese Catholic Community in Las Vegas as a shrine. In 2004, he opened a diocese human resources department along with an Office of Hispanic Ministry, an Office of Liturgy and Worship and a diocesan Office of Archives. In 2007, Pepe dedicated Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas.[8]
In 2007, George Chaanine, a priest at Our Lady of Las Vegas Parish, was sentenced to four to 12 years in state prison for assault. Chaanine had physically and sexually assaulted Michaelina Bellamy, the events coordinator for the parish, then evaded arrest for six days. Bellamy's injuries included a broken hand and two large gashes to her head. Chaanine later said he was in love with Bellamy and investigators found evidence that he provided her with financial support.[9]
On February 28, 2018, Pope Francis accepted Pepe's letter of resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Las Vegas after he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.[10]
2023–present: Elevation to archdiocese
On May 30, 2023, Pope Francis elevated the Diocese of Las Vegas to an archdiocese and established the new ecclesiastical province of Las Vegas, with the Dioceses of Reno and Salt Lake City as suffragan dioceses.[11][12]
As of 2023[update], the Archbishop of Las Vegas is George Leo Thomas, previously bishop of the Diocese of Helena. He was appointed bishop there by Pope Francis in 2018.[12]
Sex abuse
Six families sued the Diocese of Las Vegas, along with Bishops Pepe and Walsh, in 2002. The plaintiffs claimed that Mark Roberts of Saint Peter the Apostle Parish in Henderson had physically and sexually abused them as boys between 1996 and 1999.[13] In 2001, Roberts pleaded guilty of open or gross lewdness and four counts of child abuse and neglect. He was sentenced to three years probation and inpatient psychological treatment.[14]
In April 2019, the diocese published a list of 33 clergy with credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors. The list went back several decades, when the diocese was part of the Diocese of Reno.[15]
Churches
Leadership
- Bishops
- Daniel F. Walsh (1995-2000), appointed Bishop of Santa Rosa in California
- Joseph A. Pepe (2001–2018)
- George Leo Thomas (2018–2023); elevated to Archbishop of Las Vegas
- Archbishops
- George Leo Thomas (2023–present)
Auxiliary Bishops
Gregory W. Gordon (2021-present)
Education
Superintendents
- Ellen F. Ayoub (1995–2006)[citation needed]
- Dr. Richard Facciolo (2006–2008)[16]
- Catherine Thompson (2015–present)[17]
High schools
Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas
Elementary schools
- St. Anne Catholic School, opened Fall of 1954
- St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School, opened Fall of 2020
- St. Christopher Catholic School, opened Fall of 1964
- St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School
- St. Francis de Sales Catholic School, opened Fall of 1964 (shared space), in new building Fall of 1965
- St. Viator School
See also
References
- ^ a b "DiocesanFacts". Retrieved 2022-07-23.
- ^ "DiocesanFacts".
- ^ "Viva Arch Vegas! LV diocese elevated". The Pillar. 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
- ^ a b "How it Began". Diocese of Las Vegas. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ Koch, Ed (2008-10-04). "100 years of service - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". lasvegassun.com. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
- ^ a b "Nevada, Catholic Church in | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
- ^ "Diocesan History". dioceseoflasvegas.org. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
- ^ "Diocesan History". dioceseoflasvegas.org. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
- ^ "Priest sent to prison in beating". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2007-11-03. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
- ^ "Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Bishop Joseph Pepe of Las Vegas; Names Bishop George Thomas as Successor | USCCB". www.usccb.org. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
- ^ "Rinunce e nomine, 30.05.2023" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. May 30, 2023.
- ^ a b Mares, Courtney (30 May 2023). "Pope Francis elevates Las Vegas to a metropolitan archdiocese". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2023-05-31.
- ^ Smith, Kim (2002-03-13). "Lawsuit filed against priest, diocese - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". lasvegassun.com. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
- ^ Johnson, Erica D. (2004-02-10). "Man included in lawsuit against Henderson priest - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". lasvegassun.com. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
- ^ Montero, David (2019-04-12). "Las Vegas Catholic Diocese reveals list of 33 'credibly accused' of child sexual abuse". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
- ^ "Diocese turns its focus to education". LasVegasSun.com. 4 January 2009. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
- ^ "Our History - Saint Anne Catholic School, Las Vegas, NV".