Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston

Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston Dioecesis Vhelingensis–Carolopolitanus
St. Joseph Cathedral
Coat of arms
Location
Country	United States
Territory	West Virginia
Ecclesiastical province	Baltimore
Statistics
Area	24,282 sq mi (62,890 km2)
Population - Total - Catholics (including non-members)	(as of 2018) 1,844,128 77,874 (4%)
Parishes	111
Information
Denomination	Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	July 19, 1850 (171 years ago)
Cathedral	Cathedral of Saint Joseph (Wheeling)
Co-cathedral	Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (Charleston)
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Mark E. Brennan
Metropolitan Archbishop	William E. Lori
Bishops emeritus	Michael Joseph Bransfield
Map
Website
dwc.org

The Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston (Latin: Dioecesis Vhelingensis–Carolopolitanus) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church comprising the U.S. state of West Virginia. The Ordinary is the Most. Rev. Mark E. Brennan. The Diocese maintains two cathedrals: the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Wheeling, West Virginia, and the Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Charleston, West Virginia. The Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore.

History[]

In the 1840s, Bishop Richard Vincent Whelan of the Diocese of Richmond was concerned that his diocese encompassed too vast a land area to be pastorally administered. As such, he requested that the diocese be divided, with the Allegheny mountains as a natural boundary. Thus, Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Wheeling, taking the territory of Virginia west of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania border and west of the Allegheny Mountains and designating it as a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore, on 19 July 1850. The pope concurrently appointed Bishop Whelan as the first bishop of the new diocese.^[1]

During Whelan's 24 year tenure as its bishop, the diocese saw the building of 42 churches, 9 schools, 1 orphanage, and a hospital. By the time of his death, the Catholic population within the diocese numbered around 18,000.^[2]

While the diocese had long served the needs of the Italian, Irish, and Polish immigrants, the major growth came during the tenure of Bishop John Joseph Swint. During his forty years as Bishop, the population doubled and he oversaw the building of a new Cathedral, 100 churches, Wheeling Jesuit College, 52 elementary and high schools, and 5 hospitals.^[3]

It was under the tenure of Bishop Joseph Howard Hodges that Pope Paul VI changed the boundary between the Diocese of Richmond and the Diocese of Wheeling to coincide with the Virginia-West Virginia state line by transferring the territory of the Diocese of Richmond that was in West Virginia to the Diocese of Wheeling and the territory of the Diocese of Wheeling that was in Virginia to the Diocese of Richmond on 28 May 1974. The same pope changed the title of the diocese from Diocese of Wheeling to the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston, designating the Church of the Sacred Heart in Charleston as the co-cathedral, on 21 August 1974.^[4][5] Pope Benedict XVI subsequently raised this co-cathedral to the dignity of a minor basilica on 9 November 2009.

Sara C. Tracy[]

Sara Tracy was born on December 6, 1827 in New York City. She was the heiress to the vast fortune of her brother, Edward Tracy. While on a trip to Rome in 1899, she happened to meet Bishop Patrick James Donahue on the ship by which they were traveling to Italy. Tracy spoke with Donahue during their trip on a personal matter. As they disembarked the ship, Tracy handed a check of $5,000 to Donahue for the needs of the diocese. She would continue to support the diocese during her lifetime and would, at her death, leave her entire estate to Bishop Donahue. The proceeds from this estate bequest allowed the establishment of Wheeling Jesuit College (later Wheeling University), the building of numerous facilities across the diocese, as well as the establishment of numerous outreach ministries.^[6] The investments were especially valuable for the lands that produced oil and natural gas revenues over the years. It would be from the confidential fund that the diocese would pay for sexual abuse settlements and that Michael J. Bransfield would draw money for his personal use. Bishop Mark E. Brennan was the first bishop to fully disclose and list the value of the investments from this fund. As of 2020, the investments from securities and mineral rights exceeded $286 million dollars, annual royalty revenues were $13.9 million dollars, with total revenues from investments exceeding $15 million dollars for that year.^[7]

Sexual abuse scandal[]

On November 29, 2018, the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston released the names of 18 clergy who had been "credibly accused" of sexually abusing minors while serving in the Diocese.^[8][9] The list also revealed the names of 13 priests who were transferred to the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston after being accused of committing sex abuse in other Catholic Dioceses.^[8][10] One of the accused clergy on the list, Rev. Felix Owino, taught at the Diocese's Wheeling Jesuit University and was deported to Africa after being convicted in 2010 in the neighboring state of Virginia for sexually abusing a girl.^[11][9] Reported incidents of sex abuse on this list also go as far back as 1950.^[9] 11 of the clergy on the list who were accused of sex abuse while serving in the Diocese are deceased.^[9]

Abuse by Michael J. Bransfield[]

On September 13, 2018, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Michael J. Bransfield and appointed the Metropolitan Archbishop William E. Lori as apostolic administrator. Pope Francis then instructed Archbishop Lori to investigate allegations of sexual harassment of adults against Bishop Bransfield.^[12]

On July 19, 2019, Pope Francis removed Bransfield from public ministry in the Catholic church and also barred him from residing in the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston.^[13][14][15] It was also agreed that a new Bishop would be installed, Bransfield must also consult a settlement on how to make amends for his actions.^[13] Pope Francis appointed Bishop Mark Brennan, then Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore, as Bishop of Wheeling Charleston on 23 July 2019, with his installation taking place on 22 August 2019.^[16][17] On 21 August 2019, the first sexual abuse case against Bransfield was settled.^[18] On 26 November 2019, Bransfield was ordered by Brennan to pay more settlements, and also forfeit financial and personal benefits he obtained from the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston.^[19]

Lawsuits[]

In March 2019, the same month that the first sex abuse lawsuit was filed against Bransfield,^[18] West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of the State of West Virginia against the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston and Bransfield, alleging violations of West Virginia consumer protection laws.^[20] The complaint filed by the state specifically alleges that the diocese advertised itself as a safe place for children while "knowingly employed pedophiles and failed to conduct adequate background checks" on workers in Catholic schools and camps.^[20] The lawsuit was groundbreaking because it named a diocese as a defendant, rather than individual priests, and because it sought to make use of consumer-protection law to obtain discovery of church records.^[20]

On August 21, 2019, the first sex abuse lawsuit against Bransfield was settled.^[18]

On 30 September 2019, it was revealed that a second sex abuse lawsuit had been filed against Bransfield^[21] and that both lawsuits against Bransfield included the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston.^[21]

In June 2019, after details of the report became public, West Virginia Attorney General Morrisey called for the report to be publicly released, and the SNAP, the Survivors Network called for a law enforcement investigation.^[22]

In October 2019, the Washington Post reported that police were investigating an allegation that Bransfield molested a 9-year-old girl during a September 2012 pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., while on a trip led by Bransfield.^[23] The Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston was subpoenaed for documents in connection with the investigation.^[23] Bransfield denied the allegation.^[23]

On November 26, 2019, Bishop Brennan ordered Bransfield to pay restitution to the diocese in the amount of $792,638 (and $110,000 to the IRS) and to issue an apology "for the severe emotional and spiritual harm his actions caused" to his victims and to the diocese.^[19] Brennan also revoked certain retirement benefits of Bransfield and barred him from being buried in the diocesan cemetery.^[19] The directive is believed to be a rare or unprecedented example of a bishop being ordered to pay restitution.^[19] The survivors' group SNAP criticized the measures as insufficient because they suggested "that Bransfield alone should make reparations"; the group called for consequences for Church officials who concealed, or failed to address, Bransfield's conduct.^[19] However, the Vatican later agreed to lower Bransfield's required restitution.^[24][25]

Bransfield apologizes[]

On August 20, 2020, an apology written by Bransfield after he paid $441,000 to the Diocese was made public.^[26] In his letter, dated August 15, 2020, Bransfield wrote “I am writing to apologize for any scandal or wonderment caused by words or actions attributed to me during my tenure as Bishop of the Wheeling–Charleston Diocese.”^[27]

Bishops[]

Bishops of Wheeling[]

1. Richard Vincent Whelan (1850–1874)
2. John Joseph Kain (1875–1893), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of St. Louis and later succeeded to that see
3. Patrick James Donahue (1894–1922)
4. John Joseph Swint (1922–1962), appointed Archbishop ad personam in 1954
   - Thomas John McDonnell (coadjutor bishop 1951–1961); died before succession
5. Joseph Howard Hodges (1962–1974); title changed with title of diocese

Bishops of Wheeling–Charleston[]

1. Joseph Howard Hodges (1974–1985)
2. Francis B. Schulte (1985–1988), appointed Archbishop of New Orleans
3. Bernard William Schmitt (1989–2004)
4. Michael Joseph Bransfield (2004–2018)
5. Mark E. Brennan (2019–present)

Auxiliary bishops of Wheeling[]

• John Joseph Swint (1922), appointed Bishop of Wheeling
• James Edward Michaels, S.S.C.M.E. (1973–1974); title changed with title of diocese

Auxiliary bishops of Wheeling–Charleston[]

• James Edward Michaels, S.S.C.M.E. (1974–1987)
• Bernard William Schmitt (1988–1989), appointed bishop of this diocese

Vicariates[]

There are seven vicariates in the Diocese:

• Wheeling Vicariate
• Parkersburg Vicariate
• Charleston Vicariate
• Beckley Vicariate
• Weston Vicariate
• Clarksburg Vicariate
• Martinsburg Vicariate

High schools[]

Present high schools[]

• Charleston Catholic High School, Charleston
• Madonna High School, Weirton
• Notre Dame High School, Clarksburg
• Parkersburg Catholic High School, Parkersburg
• St. Joseph Central Catholic High School, Huntington
• Wheeling Central Catholic High School, Wheeling

Former schools[]

• Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy, Wheeling
• St. Francis, Morgantown
• St. Patrick, Weston
• De Sales Heights Academy, Parkersburg
• St. Margaret Mary (Elementary), Parkersburg
• St. Joseph Preparatory Seminary, Parkersburg
• Bishop Donahue Memorial High School, McMechen. Bishop Donahue was closed and now houses the Police Department, City Clerks Office, and is occasionally used for community functions.

Universities[]

• Wheeling University
• Catholic Distance University, was founded by Bishop Thomas Jerome Welsh of Arlington but has relocated to West Virginia

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)

References[]

External links[]

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston Official Site
• Catholic Hierarchy Profile of the Diocese of Wheeling–Charleston

Coordinates: 40°04′13″N 80°41′55″W / 40.07028°N 80.69861°W / 40.07028; -80.69861