Roman Catholic Diocese of Pueblo
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Diocese of Pueblo Dioecesis Pueblensis | |
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![]() Cathedral of the Sacred Heart | |
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Location | |
Country | ![]() |
Territory | Southern half of Colorado |
Ecclesiastical province | Province of Denver |
Population - Catholics | 110,200 (18.3%) |
Information | |
Denomination | Catholic |
Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Established | November 15, 1941 |
Cathedral | Cathedral of the Sacred Heart |
Patron saint | Our Lady of Guadalupe St. Therese of Lisieux |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | Stephen Jay Berg |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Samuel Joseph Aquila |
Bishops emeritus | Fernando Isern |
Map | |
Website | |
dioceseofpueblo.org |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pueblo (Latin: Dioecesis Pueblensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Colorado. The diocese was created on November 15, 1941.[1] It encompasses the southern half of Colorado, from Utah to the west, to Kansas in the east.[2] The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pueblo is the seat of the diocese.
In 2009, the diocese had nearly 100,000 registered Catholics, about 16% of the population.[2]
History
On November 15, 1941, Pope Pius XII separated territory from the Archdiocese of Denver to form the Diocese of Pueblo, Colorado and elevated the Denver Diocese to an Archdiocese. On November 10, 1983, Pope John Paul II separated territory from both the Archdiocese of Denver and the Diocese of Pueblo to form the Diocese of Colorado Springs.
The last official Roman Catholic "cruzado" or Crusade tax, referring to the tax taken to fund the Christian Crusades, was not abolished by the Diocese of Pueblo, Colorado until 1945.[3]
Reports of Sex Abuse
In 1990, Diocese of Pueblo priest William Groves was arrested and plead guilty to sex abuse of sex abuse.[4][5] As part his plea bargain, more serious sex abuse charges against Groves were dropped and he received a sentence of only four years probation and ordered sex abuse treatment[4][5] On October 23, 2019, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser released the results of an eight-month investigation revealing that 43 Catholic clergy were credibly accused of sexually abusing at least 166 children throughout the state of Colorado since 1950.[6] At least 36 of these children were molested by 19 clergy serving in the Diocese of Pueblo.[7]
Bishops
Bishops of Pueblo
- Joseph Clement Willging (1941-1959)
- Charles Albert Buswell (1959-1979)
- Arthur Nicholas Tafoya (1980-2009)
- Fernando Isern (2009-2013)
- Stephen Jay Berg (2014–present)
Other priest of this diocese who became a bishop
- David Laurin Ricken, appointed Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Cheyenne and later Bishop of Green Bay
Schools
- Holy Family Catholic School (Grand Junction)
- St. Columba Catholic School (Durango)
- St. John Newman Catholic School (Pueblo)
- St. Therese Catholic School (Pueblo)
There was previously Pueblo Catholic High School but it closed in 1971. By 1975 all Catholic schools in Pueblo had closed.[8]
References
- ^ "Diocese of Pueblo". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ^ a b Davis, James D. (16 October 2009). "Priest From Miami Appointed Bishop". Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
- ^ ORB - Crusades Archived October 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b https://adamhorowitzlaw.com/clergy-abuse/fr-william-groves-diocese-of-pueblo/
- ^ a b http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news/1993_04_13_Jones_BreachOf.htm
- ^ https://www.denverpost.com/2019/10/23/colorado-catholic-church-sex-abuse-report/
- ^ https://www.9news.com/article/news/investigations/priest-abuse-list-colorado-catholic-priests-accused-child-sex-abuse/73-db1f5024-eb63-4c81-9d86-e3023ea698fe
- ^ Beck, Kathy Bribari. "Reunion planned for Pueblo Catholic High Class of '65." Roman Catholic Diocese of Pueblo. July 2015. Retrieved on July 2, 2017. "celebrates its 50th reunion this fall, Sept. 11 to 13, some 40 years since all Pueblo's Catholic schools closed." - The article was published in 2015 so all Catholic schools would have closed by 1975.