Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington (Latin: Dioecesis Arlingtonensis) is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the mid-atlantic United States. The Diocese of Arlington comprises 70 parishes located in the 21 northern-most counties and independent cities within the Commonwealth of Virginia, including the counties of Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, King George, Lancaster, Loudoun, Madison, Northumberland, Orange, Page, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren and Westmoreland, and cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, and Winchester.[1] Bishop Michael F. Burbidge is the ordinary of the Diocese of Arlington since December 2016; his residence is on the grounds of the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Arlington County, Virginia.[2] In 2013, there were 256 priests and 453,916 registered Catholics in the Diocese of Arlington.[3] The total population within the Diocese of Arlington, Catholic and non-Catholic, was 2,968,486.[3]
The Diocese of Arlington also operates two mission churches for the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana in the Dominican Republic—Bánica Mission Parish (St. Francis of Assisi Church) and Pedro Santana Mission Parish, which are overseen by the diocesan Office of the Propagation of the Faith. The Director of the Propagation of the Faith in the Diocese of Arlington is currently Fr. Patrick L. Posey.[4]
History
The diocese was canonically erected on May 28, 1974 by Pope Paul VI.[5][6] The parishes which the Diocese of Arlington comprises were ceded from the neighboring Diocese of Richmond.
Churches
Bishops
Bishop of Arlington
- Thomas Jerome Welsh (1974-1983), appointed Bishop of Allentown[7]
- John Richard Keating (1983-1998)
- Paul S. Loverde (1999-2016)
- Michael F. Burbidge (2016–present)
Other priest from the diocese who became bishop
- Antons Justs, appointed Bishop of Jelgava in 1995
Sexual abuse
On February 14, 2019, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge released a list of sixteen priests who had been credibly accused of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Arlington.[8][9] In 2010, Rev. Felix Owino A.J. pled guilty to molesting an 11-year old girl in Fairfax County.[10] In 2011, Owino was given a nine month prison sentence, a five year suspended prison sentence[11] and the chance of being deported back to his native country of Kenya.[10] By 2018, Owino had been deported.[12][13] In March 2020, New Jersey priest Scott Asalone was arrested on charges of sexually abusing a teenager in Loudoun County, Virginia in 1985.[14] Washington D.C. councilman David Grosso publicly identified himself as the one who was sexually abused by Asalone.[15][14]
Catholic colleges and universities
- Christendom College, Front Royal
- Divine Mercy University, Arlington
- Marymount University, Arlington
Catholic high schools
- Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School, Arlington
- Bishop Ireton High School, Alexandria
- Paul VI Catholic High School, Fairfax
- Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School, Dumfries
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington
The Diocese co-ordinates and supports a range of charitable activities focused on assistance to the vulnerable, fund-raising and education. Initiatives include counselling, prison visits and foster care.[16] Archduchess Kathleen of Habsbourg-Lorraine is a former communications director of the CCDA.[17]
See also
- Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States
- List of Roman Catholic archdioceses (by country and continent)
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses (alphabetical) (including archdioceses)
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses (structured view) (including archdioceses)
Notes
- ^ 2014 Catholic Diocese of Arlington Directory p. iv.
- ^ Andreassi, Anthony D. (2002). Walking in Faith: the first 25 Years. A History of the Diocese of Arlington, Editions du Signe: Strasbourg. ISBN 2-7468-0625-8 (This is an official history—see p. 3.)
- ^ a b About Us; Did You Know...; Fast Facts Official Diocesan Website. Accessed November 2013.
- ^ 2014 Catholic Diocese of Arlington Directory pp. 12, 63.
- ^ Andreassi, p. 5.
- ^ "Diocese of Arlington" catholic-hierarchy.org. Accessed November 5, 2013.
- ^ Andreassi, p. 37.
- ^ "Virginia's two dioceses release lists of clergy credibly accused of abuse". Catholic News Herald. Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. February 15, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
- ^ Burbidge, Michael (February 15, 2019). "Priests Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse of a Minor". Catholic Diocese of Arlington. Catholic Diocese of Arlington. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
- ^ a b https://www.concordmonitor.com/Archive/2010/09/999781551-999781551-1009-CM
- ^ http://voices.washingtonpost.com/crime-scene/tom-jackman/priest-sentenced-for-molesting.html
- ^ Raby, John (November 29, 2018). "West Virginia diocese releases names of accused priests". AP NEWS. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- ^ https://www.foxnews.com/us/west-virginia-diocese-releases-names-of-accused-priests
- ^ a b https://wtop.com/local/2020/03/former-priest-in-northern-virginia-charged-with-sexual-abuse/
- ^ http://www.davidgrosso.org/grosso-analysis/2020/3/16/statement-of-councilmember-grosso-on-indictment-of-former-virginia-clergyman
- ^ "Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington". CCDA.
- ^ "An Archduchess Among Us". Northern Kentucky University. Archived from the original on February 9, 2015.
Sources
- Andreassi, Anthony D. (2002). Walking in Faith: the first 25 Years. A History of the Diocese of Arlington, Editions du Signe: Strasbourg. ISBN 2-7468-0625-8.
- 2014 Catholic Diocese of Arlington Directory
External links
- Official website
- The Catholic Herald - the official newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington
- Diocese of Arlington profile in Catholic-Hierarchy.org database
- 1974 establishments in Virginia
- Catholic Church in Virginia
- Christian organizations established in 1974
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington
- Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century
- Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States
- Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Baltimore