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Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno

Coordinates: 36°44′52″N 119°46′19″W / 36.7478°N 119.7720°W / 36.7478; -119.7720
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Diocese of Fresno

Dioecesis Fresnensis
St. John's Cathedral
Coat of arms
Location
Country United States
TerritoryCounties of Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Mariposa, and Tulare
Ecclesiastical provinceLos Angeles
Statistics
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2016)
2,906,023
1,200,000 (41.3%)
Parishes89
Congregations41
Schools38 (Pre-School, Elementary, Middle, and High School)
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
EstablishedOctober 6, 1967[1]
CathedralSaint John the Baptist Cathedral
Patron saintSt. Therese of Lisieux (Primary),
St. Columba (Secondary)[2]
Secular priests179 (Diocesan and Religious)
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopJoseph Vincent Brennan
Metropolitan ArchbishopJosé Gómez
Vicar GeneralVery Rev. Salvador Gonzalez, V.G.
Bishops emeritusArmando Xavier Ochoa
Map
Website
dioceseoffresno.org

The Diocese of Fresno (Latin: Dioecesis Fresnensis is a diocese of the Latin Church in the Central Valley of California in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

As of 2023, the bishop of the Diocese of Fresno is Joseph Brennan. Since 1922, the diocesan see has been in the City of Fresno with the cathedra at St. John's Cathedral.

Statistics

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The Diocese of Fresno consists of 35,239 square miles (91,270 km2) of the southern San Joaquin Valley of California, a portion of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and some valleys in eastern California. The diocese contains Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, and Tulare counties. For administrative purposes, the diocese is sub-divided into five deaneries: Fresno City, Fresno (rural), Tulare/Kings, Kern/Inyo, and Merced/Mariposa.

As of 2012, the total population of the diocese was approximately 2.4 million inhabitants, of whom 1,074,944 were registered Catholic. The diocese maintains 86 parishes, several charities, two high schools, numerous elementary schools, a small newspaper, retreat center and several cemeteries.

History

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1770 to 1848

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During the 18th century, the Fresno area was part of the province of Las Californias in the Spanish colony of New Spain. In 1804, the Spanish Government split Las Californias into two provinces, with most of present-day California becoming part of the new province of Alta California.

Alta California became a Mexican state after Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. In 1840, Pope Gregory XVI erected the Diocese of California (or Two Californias) to recognize the growth of the provinces of Alta California and Baja California. This diocese, with its episcopal see in Monterey, included all Mexican territory west of the Colorado River and the Gulf of California

1848 to 1967

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Mexico ceded Alta California to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. At that time, the Mexican government complained to the Vatican about the Diocese of California. They didn't want the American bishop to have jurisdiction over parishes in Mexico. In 1849, Pope Pius IX split the Diocese of Californian into American and Mexican dioceses; the American diocese was named the Diocese of Monterey.[3] The first Catholic church in Mariposa, St. Joseph's, was dedicated in 1857.[4]

In 1859, Pius IX renamed the Diocese of Monterey as the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles to recognize the growth of Los Angeles. In 1867, Our Lady of Mercy Church was dedicated in Merced.[4] St. John's Church was established in Fresno in 1882

In 1922, Pope Pius XI divided the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles, with the northern section becoming the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno. The Fresno area would remain part of this diocese for the next 45 years.[3][4]

1967 to present

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Pope Paul VI created the new Diocese of Fresno in 1967 by splitting the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno into two dioceses. He named Auxiliary Bishop Timothy Manning of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as the first bishop of Fresno.[3][4] The estimated Catholic population of the new diocese was 307,000.[4]

During his tenure as bishop, Manning supported the organization of a labor union for Central Valley farm workers, and sought to help wine producers and grape pickers reconcile their differences.[5] After two years in Fresno, Paul VI named Manning archbishop of Los Angeles. To replace him, the pope appointed Bishop Hugh Donohoe from the Diocese of Stockton.[6] In 1979, Pope John Paul II appointed Reverend José de Jesús Madera Uribe as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Fresno to assist Donohoe.[7]

After Donohoe resigned in 1980, Madera Uribe automatically became bishop of Fresno. In 1991, John Paul II named him as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.[8] The next bishop of Fresno was bishop John Steinbock from the Diocese of Santa Rosa, appointed by John Paul II in 1991.[9] In 2003, the Diocese of Fresno was one of only four dioceses in the United States that did not participate in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops review of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Steinbock died in 2010.

In 2011, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Armando Xavier Ochoa of the Diocese of El Paso as the next bishop of the Diocese of Fresno.[10][11] Ochoa retired in 2019.

The current bishop of the Diocese of Fresno is Joseph Vincent Brennan, formerly an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He was appointed by Pope Francis in 2019.[12]

The diocese in November 2020 removed Reverend Guadalupe Rios from St. Joseph's Church in Selma and obtained a restraining order barring him from the church and its employees. While serving the order on Rios, the Selma police seized an assault rifle and handgun of his from church property. The church secretary said that Rios threatened her with a gun at one point.[13] Rios' housekeeper sued the diocese in 2021, claiming that he physically and emotionally abused her during a four-year romantic relationship.[14]

St. Charles Borromeo in Visalia opened in 2023 to become the largest Catholic parish church in North America.[15]

Sex abuse

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A Firebaugh man in 1998 accused Monsignor Craig Harrison of sexually abusing him when he was 16 to 17 years old from 1992 to 1993. At the time, the boy was living in the rectory at St. Joseph's church; the man claimed that Harrison would inspect his genitals every day. Both the diocese and the Firebaugh Police Department investigated the accusations and found insufficient evidence to back them. In May 2019, after receiving complaints from three other men about Harrison, the diocese reopened the investigation and suspended Harrison from ministry.[16] Harrison in February 2021 requested a dispensation from the Vatican to leave the priesthood.[17] This action occurred a week before the Vatican was planning a church trial on accusations from seven alleged victims.[18] Harrison sued the diocese that same year, claiming defamation of character. The lawsuit was dismissed in May 2021, then Harrison appealed the verdict. The diocese reached a settlement with him in July 2022.[19]

In March 2002, a 16 year old girl from Hanford accused Reverend Miguel Torres of raping her three times. The girl was a part time employee at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.[20] Flores denied the charges. At trial in August 2002, a jury acquitted Flores of forcible rape, three counts of statutory rape, dissuading a witness and criminal threat charges.[21] The diocese returned Flores to ministry. However, in March 2019, the diocese suspended Flores again, pending review of the 2002 case[22] In February 2020, the woman who accused Flores of rape in 2002 sued the diocese.[23]

Reverend Robert Gamel of Los Banos was arrested in June 2015 for possession of a sexually explicit photo of a teenage boy.[24] He had been removed from ministry in 2014. Gamel pleaded no contest in March 2016 to possession of child pornography and was sentenced to four years probation and 11 months in jail.[25][26]

In February 2019, Bishop Ochoa announced an outside investigation of the records of Diocese of Fresno for all allegations of sexual abuse against clerics since 1922, with a report to be issued to the public after the investigation had concluded.[27] In 2021, the diocese released a list of priests who had been "credibly accused" of abuse.[28]

In May 2024, the diocese announced that they were preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy by August 2024, claiming that it was now facing over 150 sex abuse lawsuits from victims.[29]

Bishops

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Bishops of Fresno

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  1. Timothy Manning (1967-1969), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop and later Archbishop of Los Angeles (elevated to Cardinal in 1973)
  2. Hugh Aloysius Donohoe (1969-1980)
  3. José de Jesús Madera Uribe (1980-1991, coadjutor bishop 1979–1980), appointed Auxiliary Bishop for the Military Services, USA
  4. John Thomas Steinbock (1991-2010)
  5. Armando Xavier Ochoa (2011-2019)
  6. Joseph Vincent Brennan (2019–present)

Auxiliary bishop

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Roger Mahony (1975-1980), appointed Bishop of Stockton and later Archbishop of Los Angeles (created a Cardinal in 1991)

Other diocesan priest who became a bishop

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Myron Joseph Cotta, appointed auxiliary bishop of Sacramento in 2014, appointed Bishop of Stockton in 2018 [citation needed]

Churches

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Main article: List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno

Schools

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Main article: List of schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno

Parishes

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Main article: List of parishes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Diocese of Fresno". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  2. ^ https://dioceseoffresno.org/patroness/ [bare URL]
  3. ^ a b c "Monterey in California (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Our History". Diocese of Mariposa. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  5. ^ "Timothy Cardinal Manning, 79; Guided Los Angeles Archdiocese". The New York Times. 1989-06-24.
  6. ^ "Bishop Hugh Aloysius Donohoe [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  7. ^ "Bishop José de Jesús Madera Uribe [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  8. ^ "Bishop José de Jesús Madera Uribe [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
  9. ^ "Bishop John Thomas Steinbock [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  10. ^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 01.12.2011" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. December 1, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  11. ^ "Bishop Armando X. Ochoa, D.D." Diocese of Fresno. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  12. ^ "Bishop Joseph Vincent Brennan [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  13. ^ "Selma priest removed from church over photos and accusations of sex, drugs, and weapons". ABC30 Fresno. 2020-11-02. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  14. ^ McKiernan, Terry (2021-07-10). "Catholic 'Party Priest' brandished gun, was abusive, suit by Fresno County woman alleges - BishopAccountability.org". Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  15. ^ Graves, Jim (5 March 2023). "St. Charles Borromeo Church 'Creates an Environment Which Makes You Think of the Eucharist'". National Catholic Register.
  16. ^ "Allegation Against Bakersfield Priest Previously Deemed 'Unsubstantiated' Now Under Review By Fresno Diocese". KQED. 2019-05-19. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  17. ^ staff, Eyewitness News (2021-02-19). "Diocese of Fresno offers response to Monsignor Craig Harrison's statements". KBAK. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  18. ^ "Harrison asked to leave priesthood after Vatican scheduled misconduct hearing, Diocese letter reveals". YourCentralValley.com. 2021-09-06. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  19. ^ Californian, The Bakersfield (2022-07-18). "Craig Harrison settles lawsuit against Roman Catholic Bishop of Fresno". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  20. ^ "Priest Arrested on Sex Charge Hanford Cleric Also Is Accused of Trying to Dissuade a Witness, by Marc Benjamin, Fresno Bee, March 13, 2002". www.bishop-accountability.org. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  21. ^ "Hanford Priest Not Guilty Jury Acquits Rev. Miguel Flores of Rape Charges, by Kerri Ginis, Fresno Bee, August 24, 2002". www.bishop-accountability.org. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  22. ^ "Ex-Visalia priest on leave as Catholic Church investigates sex assault claims, by James Ward, Visalia Times-Delta (March 4, 2019)". www.bishop-accountability.org. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  23. ^ "Woman says she was raped by ex-Visalia priest. Now she's suing Diocese of Fresno". Visalia Times-Delta. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  24. ^ "Los Banos police arrest priest on child porn charge". ABC30 Fresno. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  25. ^ "Los Banos priest pleads no contest in child porn arrest". ABC30 Fresno. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  26. ^ "Catholic Priest Sentenced In Child Porn Case". YourCentralValley.com. 2016-05-24. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  27. ^ KFSN (2019-02-02). "Fresno Catholic Church hiring FBI officials to investigate sexual abuse allegations". ABC30 Fresno. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  28. ^ "Fresno diocese releases list of priests credibly accused of sexual abuse". Los Angeles Times. August 10, 2021.
  29. ^ Garcia, Nic (May 29, 2024). "Diocese of Fresno to file for bankruptcy to compensate abuse victims". ABC30. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
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36°44′52″N 119°46′19″W / 36.7478°N 119.7720°W / 36.7478; -119.7720

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