Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis (Latin: Dioecesis Memphitana in Tennesia) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Tennessee. It was founded on June 20, 1970, when Pope Paul VI removed the counties in the state west of the Tennessee River from the Diocese of Nashville, which, prior to that time, encompassed the entire state.[1]
Diocese of Memphis Dioecesis Memphitana | |
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Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception | |
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Location | |
Country | ![]() |
Territory | ![]() |
Ecclesiastical province | Archdiocese of Louisville |
Population - Catholics | 65,779 (4.5%) |
Information | |
Denomination | Catholic |
Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Established | June 20, 1970 |
Cathedral | Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | Most Rev. David Talley |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Joseph Edward Kurtz Archbishop of Louisville |
Bishops emeritus | J. Terry Steib Martin Holley |
Map | |
Website | |
cdom.org |
The diocese is broken into two deaneries, the Memphis Deanery comprising Shelby County and the Jackson Deanery which encompassed the other 20 counties in the diocese. Currently, there are 28 parishes in the Memphis Deanery, 14 parishes and 5 missions in the Jackson Deanery.
Bishops
Bishops of Memphis
The following is a list of Ordinaries (Bishops of the Diocese) of Memphis, along with their dates of service:
- Carroll Thomas Dozier (1970–1982)
- James Francis Stafford (1982–1986), appointed Archbishop of Denver and later President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary (elevated to Cardinal in 1998)
- Daniel M. Buechlein, O.S.B. (1987–1992), appointed Archbishop of Indianapolis
- J. Terry Steib, S.V.D. (1993–2016)
- Martin David Holley (2016–2018), removed by Pope Francis
- David Talley (2019–present)
(Joseph Edward Kurtz was apostolic administrator, 2018–2019.)
Other priests of this diocese who became bishops
- Robert W. Marshall, appointed Bishop of Alexandria in Louisiana in 2020
- James Peter Sartain, appointed Bishop of Little Rock in 2000 and later Bishop of Joliet in Illinois and Archbishop of Seattle
Reports of Sex Abuse
In 2007, Diocese of Memphis settled three sex abuse lawsuits.[2] In 2010, unsealed court documents revealed that at least 15 Catholic clergy who served in the Diocese of Memphis were accused of committing acts of sex abuse and that $2 million was secretly paid to one of these sex abuse victims.[3] On February 19, 2020, it was revealed former Memphis Bishop Carroll Dozier was accused committing acts of sex abuse in Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond before he was transferred to the Diocese of Memphis.[4] In September 2019, the Richmond sex abuse accusations resulted in Dozier's image being removed the city of Memphis' "Upstanders Mural", located on a wall across from the National Civil Rights Museum.[5] On February 28, 2020, The Diocese of Memphis released a list of 20 Catholic clergy who were credibly accused of sexually abusing children while serving in the Diocese.[6]
Education
There is one Catholic University within the geographic boundaries of the Diocese:
- Christian Brothers University (CBU), Memphis
There are a total of 28 primary and secondary schools with a total of more than 8000 students. The High Schools include:
- Christian Brothers High School, Memphis
- Immaculate Conception Cathedral High School, Memphis
- St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School, Memphis
- Saint Benedict at Auburndale High School, Cordova (Memphis)
- Sacred Heart of Jesus High School*, Jackson
- * Operates independently and with the blessing of the Bishop.
Closed schools
- Bishop Byrne High School, Memphis
- Memphis Catholic High School, Memphis
See also
- Catholic Church by country
- Catholic Church hierarchy
- List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States
References
- "Diocese of Memphis". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/6676309/memphis-diocese-settles-3-lawsuits-alleging-sex-abuse-by-priest/
- http://archive.knoxnews.com/news/state/church-secrets-memphis-court-documents-unsealed-in-catholic-sex-abuse-lawsuit-ep-408728300-358812771.html/
- https://www.kait8.com/2019/02/19/former-memphis-bishop-accused-sexual-abuse/
- https://wreg.com/2019/09/08/memphis-first-catholic-bishop-replaced-on-downtown-mural-after-child-sexual-abuse-accusations/
- https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2020/02/28/memphis-catholic-diocese-releases-list-clergy-credibly-accused-sexual-misconduct/
Arms
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External links
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Memphis Official Site
- Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. .