Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie

Unlike the other British colonies in America, the Province of Pennsylvania did not ban Catholics from the colony or threaten priests with imprisonment. However, the colony did require any Catholics seeing public office to take an oath to Protestantism. In 1784, a year after the end of the American Revolution, Pope Pius VI erected the Apostolic Prefecture of United States of America, including all of the new United States.[2][3]

In 1789, Pius VI converted the prefecture to the Diocese of Baltimore, covering all of the United States.[4] With the passage of the US Bill of Rights in 1791, Catholics received full freedom of worship.

In 1808, Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of Philadelphia, covering all of Pennsylvania.[5] As the Catholic population grew in Pennsylvania in the 19th century, the Vatican erected the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1843 to cover the northwestern part of the state.

On July 29, 1853, Bishop Michael O'Connor of the Diocese of Pittsburgh was appointed as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Erie by Pope Pius IX.[6] The dividing line of the new diocese ran east and west along the northern boundaries of Cambria, Indiana, Armstrong, Butler, and Lawrence Counties, giving thirteen northern counties to the Diocese of Erie.[7]

The pope named Reverend Joshua Young as the new bishop of Pittsburgh. However, Young did not want the job in Pittsburgh. In addition, a group of Pittsburgh Catholics petitioned the pope to bring back O'Connor.[8] Five months later, the Vatican changed course, returning O'Connor to Pittsburgh and making Young the second bishop of Erie.[8]

Due to the 1859 discovery of oil in Titusville and the ensuring oil rush, Young was forced to erect numerous churches to accommodate the new Catholic settlers along Oil Creek and the Allegheny River.[9] At the beginning of Young's tenure, the diocese contained 28 churches and 14 priests,[9] He established several Catholic schools and orphanages, and a hospital.[9] He also introduced into the diocese the Sisters of St. Joseph from Buffalo, New York.[10] By the time of Young's death in 1866, the number of churches and priests in the diocese were both over 50.[9]

In 1868, Monsignor Tobia Mullen of Pittsburgh was appointed the third bishop of Erie by Pope Pius IX.[11] He founded the weekly Lake Shore Visitor newspaper, an orphanage, and two hospitals.[9] His greatest accomplishment was the erection of St. Peter's Cathedral.[12] Originally dubbed as "Mullen's Folly", its cornerstone was laid in 1875 and Mullen dedicated it in 1893.[12] After Mullen suffered a stroke in 1897, Pope Leo XIII named Reverend John Fitzmaurice of Philadelphia as coadjutor bishop to assist Mullen.[9][12]

After Mullen died in 1899, Fitzmaurice automatically succeeded him as the next bishop of Erie. During his 21-year-long tenure as bishop, Fitzmaurice established several parishes and dedicated St. Peter's Cathedral in Erie (1911).[13] The Sisters of St. Joseph added an annex to St. Vincent's Hospital in Erie and in 1901 a nursing school. Fitzmaurice died in 1920.

The next bishop of Erie was Auxiliary Bishop John Gannon of Erie, named by Pope Benedict XV in 1920. Gannon founded Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie in 1921, St. Joseph's Home for Children in 1923 and Mercyhurst College in Erie in 1926.[14] In 1933, he established Cathedral College, a two-year institution.[14] Gannon organized religious education programs under the auspices of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine in every part of the diocese and founded five regional high schools after age 80 alone.[15] Gannon also established the following institutions:

• Andrew Kaul Memorial Hospital in St. Marys (1922)
• Gannondale School for Girls in Erie (1934)
• Erie Day Nursery (1929)[14]

Gannon also erected 28 parishes, 49 churches, seven rectories, and 12 convents.[14]

After 46 years of service as bishop of Erie, Gannon retired in 1966. To replace him, Pope Paul VI that same year named Auxiliary Bishop John Whealon from the Diocese of Cleveland. However, after only two years in Erie, Whealon became archbishop of the Archdiocese of Hartford.[16] The pope then appointed Auxiliary Bishop Alfred Watson as the next bishop of Erie.

Critics accused Watson of being too slow to implement the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, and met considerable opposition from the diocesan clergy.[17] During his tenure, he ordained 88 priests, but was forced to close or merge several Catholic schools.[17] Pope John Paul II named Auxiliary Bishop Michael Murphy of the Diocese of Cleveland as a coadjutor bishop in Erie in 1978. Murphy soon visited every parish in the diocese and reorganized the diocesan administration to improve pastoral service to Catholics, delegating some of the bishop's authority and allowing more participation of religious and laity.[18]

When Watson retired in 1982, Murphy became the new bishop. He founded the Emmaus Program, an annual convocation of diocesan clergy in 1983. In 1984, he announced a three-year plan to raise $9 million to cover diocesan expenses, including educational and social needs and the renovation of St. Peter Cathedral; the appeal raised over $14 million in pledges.[19] In 1985, Murphy launched a spiritual growth process called RENEW, which attracted the participation of more than 20,000 people throughout the diocese and lasted until 1988.[19] He established St. Mark Catholic Center and the Diocesan Committee on Human Sexuality in 1987 and merged several parishes and closed one school in 1989.[19] Murphy retired in 1990.

John Paul II appointed Auxiliary Bishop Donald Trautman of the Diocese of Buffalo as bishop of Erie in 1990. As bishop, he improved the diocesan youth and vocational programs, renovated the interior of St. Peter Cathedral, and established a diocesan Deposit and Loan Fund and a retirement home for clergy named after Murphy. Trautman retired in 2011.

As of 2023, the current bishop of the Diocese of Erie is Lawrence T. Persico from the Diocese of Greensburg, named by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.[20]

1. Michael O'Connor (1853–1854), appointed Bishop of Pittsburgh
2. Joshua Maria Young (1854–1866)
3. Tobias Mullen (1868–1899)
4. John Edmund Fitzmaurice (1899–1920)
5. John Mark Gannon (1920–1966), elevated to Archbishop (ad personam) in 1953
6. John Francis Whealon (1966–1968), appointed Archbishop of Hartford
7. Alfred Michael Watson (1969–1982)
8. Michael Joseph Murphy (1982–1990)
9. Donald Walter Trautman (1990–2012)
10. Lawrence T. Persico (2012–present)

• John Mark Gannon (1917–1920), appointed Bishop of Erie
• Edward Peter McManaman (1948–1964)
• Alfred Michael Watson (1965–1969), appointed Bishop of Erie

• Thomas Francis Brennan, appointed Bishop of Dallas in 1891
• Lawrence Eugene Brandt, appointed Bishop of Greensburg in 2004
• Richard Thomas Guilfoyle, appointed Bishop of Altoona in 1936
• Mark Leonard Bartchak, appointed Bishop of Altoona-Johnstown in 2011

• Parishes in Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, McKean, and Potter counties
• Deaneries at Bradford, Clearfield, Dubois, and St. Mary's

• Parishes in Erie, part of Forest, and Warren counties
• Erie East and Erie West deaneries in Erie and a deanery in Warren

• Parishes in Clarion, Crawford, part of Forest, Mercer, and Venango counties
• Deaneries in Meadville, Oil City, and Sharon[21]

Sean O'Hara complained to the diocese in April 2002 that he had been sexually assaulted by Reverend Chester Gawronski in 1977. O'Hara said that Gawronski fondled his genitals in the shower once and attacked him in a swimming pool on another occasion. When Sean told his father Donald O'Hara about the assaults in 1984, Donald immediately complained to the diocese. A diocesan official said that they were sending Gawronski away for treatment and that he would be restricted from minors in the future. The official asked the O'Hara family to not say anything about Gawronski for the sake of the parish.[23]Gawronski confessed in 1987 to abusing as many as 20 boys.

The 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report would criticize Bishops Trautman and Murphy for allowing Gawronski to remain in ministry despite numerous allegations of sexual abuse.[24][25] The two bishops had reassigned Gawronski multiple times between 1987 and 2002, and Trautman renewed Gawronski's five-year term as a chaplain in St Mary's Home in Erie in 2001.[24] In his own defense, Trautman noted that he had set guidelines in 1993 on handling sexual abuse and established the diocesan Office for the Protection of Children and Youth in 2003.[26]

Also in April 2002, three individuals accused Reverend William Presley of physical and sexual abuse when they were minors between 1963 and 1974. The victims said that Presley would punch and slap them as well as force them into sodomy and oral sex. [27]When Trautman confronted Presley that month, he admitted to sexually abusing the victims. Trautman then permanently removed him from ministry. In 1987, two different victims had approached the diocese with similar complaints about Presley. Conceding that Presley had violent tendencies, the diocese sent him in 1990 to a psychologist for evaluation. After the evaluation, the diocese returned Presley to ministry.[27]

In 2005, the Vatican tasked Bishop Mark Bartchak of the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, who had served as a priest in Erie, with investigating Presley. During his investigation, Bartchak continuously re-interviewed a male victim who had complained about Presley in 1982, 1987 and 2002.[28] In August 2005, Bartchak sent a secret memo to Trautman.[28] Parts of the memo read

"I was not surprised to learn from other witnesses from the Elk County area, that there are likely to be other victims" and that "it is likely that there may be others who were also of the age for the offenses to be considered delicts, but to what end is it necessary to follow every lead?"[28]

Bartchak stated in another memo, following a meeting with Trautman on August 29, 2005:

"Bishop Trautman decided that in order to preclude further scandal, these additional witnesses should not be contacted, especially given the fact that it is not likely that they will lead to information concerning delicts involving minors under 16 years of age."[28]

The 2018 grand jury report criticized Bartchak for how he interviewed the Presley's victim and for his communications with Trautman.[28]

In early 2016, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro convened a special grand jury to investigate allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy in six Pennsylvania dioceses, including the Diocese of Erie.[29] In April 2018, the diocese published a list of 34 priests and 17 laypeople who had been "credibly accused" of sexually abusing children.[30][31] By July 2018, the list had grown to 64 names.[32]

In August 2018, the Pennsylvania grand jury report was released, revealing 41 clergy in the Diocese of Erie with credible accusations of sexually abusing children.[33][34]The report praised Bishop Persico, who acknowledged there had been a cover-up of sexual abuse crimes in the diocese.[24]

In October 2018, Reverend David Lee Poulson pleaded guilty to charges of corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children. Poulson had been accused of repeatedly sexually abusing one boy and attempting to sexually abuse another.[35] In January 2019, Poulson received a two and a half to 14-year prison sentence.[36] In March 2019, the Vatican laicized Poulson.[37][38][39]

In July 2020, it was revealed that the diocese was undergoing a potential new sex abuse lawsuit. The plaintiffs alleged that diocese's compensation fund had yet to pay victims of abuse allegedly committed at St. Hedwig Catholic Church and its long-closed school.[40]

Also in July 2020, a woman alleging abuse by Reverend Michael G. Barletta sued the diocese. She accused the diocese of shielding Barletta from potential prosecution after Barletta molested her when she was in grade school in the 1970s.[41] By this point in time, at least three other sex abuse lawsuits were filed against the diocese in between July 15, 2020, as well.[41] In August 2020, it was revealed that a total of 21 lawsuits were filed against the diocese since the 2018 grand jury report was released.[42]

• Benedictines
• Franciscans
• Marists
• Redemptorists

• Bridgettines
• Felicians
• Sisters of the Humility of Mary
• Sisters of St. Joseph
• Sisters of Mercy

• Cathedral Preparatory School – Erie
• Central Catholic High School – DuBois
• Elk County Catholic High School – St. Marys
• Kennedy Catholic High School – Hermitage
• Mercyhurst Preparatory School – Erie
• Venango Catholic High School – Oil City
• Villa Maria Academy – Erie

Gannon University – Erie.