Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo

During the 17th century, present day Ohio was part of the French colony of New France. The Diocese of Quebec, had jurisdiction over the region. However, unlike other parts of the future American Midwest, there were no attempts to found Catholic missions in Ohio.

In 1763, Ohio Country became part of the British Province of Quebec, forbidden from settlement by American colonists. After the American Revolution ended in 1783, Pope Pius VI erected in 1784 the Prefecture Apostolic of the United States, encompassing the entire territory of the new nation. In 1787, the Ohio area became part of the Northwest Territory of the United States. Pius VI created the Diocese of Baltimore, the first diocese in the United States, to replace the prefecture apostolic in 1789.[1][2]

In 1808, Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of Bardstown in Kentucky, with jurisdiction over the new state of Ohio along with the other midwest states. Pope Pius VII on June 19, 1821, erected the Diocese of Cincinnati, taking all of Ohio from Bardstown.[3] In 1842, the first Catholic church in Toledo, St. Francis de Sales, was constructed.[4]

Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Cleveland in 1847, with territory taken from Cincinnati. Northwest Ohio would be part of the Diocese of Cleveland for the next 63 years.

Pius X erected the Diocese of Toledo on April 15, 1910, in territory taken from the Diocese of Cleveland.[5][6] The pope named Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Schrembs of the Diocese of Grand Rapids as the first bishop of the new diocese. Schrembs requested that the Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota, send nuns to Toledo to work with Polish immigrant children. Sister Adelaide Sandusky, director of the College of St. Teresa, and 22 other sisters began teaching in Toledo schools. This community became the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania[7] From 1911 to 1921, Schrembs established 13 new parishes and 33 schools. At Schrembs' invitation, Visitation nuns came to Toledo in 1915 from their Georgetown monastery in Washington, D.C.[8]

In 1921, Pope Pius XI appointed Schrembs as bishop of Cleveland. His replacement in Toledo was Reverend Samuel Stritch, named by Pius XI in 1921. During his tenure as bishop, Stritch established Mary Manse College in Toledo in 1922 and incorporated the diocesan Catholic Charities in 1923. He also began construction of Holy Rosary Cathedral, whose cornerstone was laid by Cardinal János Csernoch in 1926.[9] In 1930, Pius XI named Stritch as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. To replace Stritch, the pope named Reverend Karl Alter, the first priest from Toledo to become its bishop.

During his tenure as bishop, Alter completed construction of Holy Rosary Cathedral in Toledo and built an addition to Central Catholic High School in Toledo. He established DeSales College in Toledo in 1942 and donated a 12-acre (49,000 m2) parcel of land in East Toledo for the construction of St. Charles Hospital. In 1950, after 20 years as bishop of Toledo, Alter was named archbishop of Cincinnati by Pope Pius XII.

Alter was replaced in Toledo by Auxiliary Bishop George Rehring of Cincinnati by Pius XII in 1950. He retired in 1967. Pope Paul VI then named Auxiliary Bishop John Donovan from the Archdiocese of Detroit as the new bishop of Toledo.

Donovan implemented the reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the diocese by joining the Ohio Council of Churches, and establishing a permanent diaconate and a chancery office for divorced, separated, and widowed Catholics.[10] In 1967, he issued a pastoral letter endorsing open housing ballot initiative, which was defeated in a city referendum that fall.[11] He also established the Diocesan Development Fund and special programs for Spanish-speaking, African American and elderly Catholics.[10] During his tenure, Donovan also established Resurrection Parish in Lexington in 1969 and St. Joan of Arc Parish in Toledo in 1978. The Catholic population in the diocese increased from 301,000 to 348,000.[10] Donovan retired in 1980.

The next bishop of Toledo was Auxiliary Bishop James Hoffman, appointed by Pope John Paul II in 1980. Hoffman died in 2003 and was replaced by Auxiliary Bishop Leonard Blair of Detroit, named by John Paul II. On May 9. 2005, Blair directed the Sisters of St. Francis to cancel a three-workshop by New Ways Ministry at the order's campus in Tiffin.[12] In stating his objections, Blair stated:

The positions of New Ways Ministry are not at all in accord with the guidelines for pastoral care which the bishops of the United States issued in 2006 regarding 'Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination.[12]

Reverend Gerald Robinson was convicted in 2006 of the 1980 murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl at Mercy Hospital in Toledo. Pahl had been strangled and stabbed 31 times. Prosecutors in 1980 did not charge Robinson, who denied any guilt, citing insufficient evidence. The Pahl case was reopened in 2003 after a diligent reexamination of the case file. Robinson was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, where he died in 2014.[13]

In July 2011, Blair told parishes and parochial schools in the diocese not to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. He cited concerns that the money could be used to fund embryonic stem-cell research.[14] Pope Francis appointed Blair as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Hartford in 2013. Francis in 2014 appointed Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Thomas from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as the new bishop in Toledo.

As of 2023, Thomas is the bishop of Toledo.

1. Joseph Schrembs (1911–1921), appointed Bishop of Cleveland and archbishop (personal title) in 1939
2. Samuel Alphonsius Stritch (1921–1930), appointed Archbishop of Milwaukee and later Archbishop of Chicago and Pro-Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (elevated to cardinal in 1946)
3. Karl Joseph Alter (1931–1950), appointed Archbishop of Cincinnati
4. George John Rehring (1950–1967)
5. John Anthony Donovan (1967–1980)
6. James Robert Hoffman (1980–2003)[21]
7. Leonard Paul Blair (2003–2013), appointed Archbishop of Hartford
8. Daniel Edward Thomas (2014–present)

1. Albert Henry Ottenweller (1974–1977), appointed Bishop of Steubenville
2. James Robert Hoffman (1978–1980)[21]
3. Robert William Donnelly (1984–2006)[22]

• Augustus John Schwertner, appointed Bishop of Wichita in 1921
• John Stowe, OFM Conv., Bishop of Lexington in 2015

The Diocese of Toledo as of 2014 had 124 parishes.

In 2014, the Diocese of Toledo had the following personnel:

• 210 active priests
• 38 of these active priests were from religious orders
• 68 priests were retired/senior status.
• Ten religious brothers, 440 women religious (sisters), 197 permanent deacons and 23 diocesan seminarians.[25]

In 2018, the diocese had the following personnel:

• 203 active priests
• 44 priests were from religious orders (32 active and 12 retired/senior status)
• 63 priests were retired/senior status.
• Nine religious brothers, 410 religious women (sisters), 187 permanent deacons and 17 diocesan seminarians.[26]

• Helping Hands of St. Louis
• H.O.P.E. Pantry

• La Posada
• Miriam House

• Homelessness Prevention
• Supportive Housing
• Life & Home Management Workshops
• Community Emergency Services

• Adoption Services
• Pregnancy Support
• Respect Life Ministry
• Abortion Healing/Support
• Bereavement Ministry
• Elder Guardianship Services
• Rural Life Ministry
• Jail & Prison Ministry
• Catholic Club
• Daycare
• Elder Ministry

• Campaign for Human Development
• Disaster Response

• Alter Elementary – Rossford, Ohio (now All Saints)
• Divine Word Seminary – Perrysburg (closed in 1984)
• Franciscan Academy – Sylvania (closed, 2014)
• Holy Angels – Sandusky (combined with Sandusky Central Catholic Schools)
• Holy Spirit Seminary – Toledo (closed in 1982)
• Immaculate Conception – Toledo (combined with Sts. Peter & Paul to form Queen of Peace)
• Mary Immaculate Elementary (closed, 2013)
• McAuley High School – Toledo
• Pope John Paul II – Toledo (closed, 2008)
• Queen of Peace – Toledo (combined with St. James to form Queen of Apostles)
• St. Adalbert – Toledo (combined with St. Hedwig to form Pope John Paul II in 2005)
• St. Agnes – Toledo (closed, 2005)
• Saint Bernard Elementary – New Washington(closed,2021)
• St. Charles – Toledo (closed, 2008)
• St. Clement – Toledo (closed)
• St. Hedwig – Toledo (combined with St. Adalbert to form Pope John Paul II in 2005)
• St. Hyacinth – Toledo (closed, 2005)
• St. James – Toledo (combined with Queen of Peace to form Queen of Apostles)
• St. John the Baptist – Toledo (closed, 2016)
• St. Jude – Toledo (closed, 2002)
• St. Martin de Porres – Toledo (closed, 2002)
• St. Mary – Sandusky (combined with Sandusky Central Catholic Schools)
• St. Mary of the Assumption – Toledo (closed, 2002)
• Sts. Peter & Paul – Toledo (combined with Immaculate Conception to form Queen of Peace)
• Sts Peter and Paul – Sandusky (combined with Sandusky Central Catholic Schools)
• St. Thomas Aquinas, Sacred Heart, St. Stephen – Toledo and St. Jerome – Walbridge combined to form Kateri Catholic Academy, later renamed Cardinal Stritch Catholic Academy
• St. Wendelin High School – Fostoria (Closed, 2017)