Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown

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.

The earliest Catholic mission in the LeHigh Valley was established in the 1720's in Goshenhoppen, its residents coming from a community in Philadelphia. The first resident priest arrived there in 1741. The mission would serve Catholics throughout the southeastern part of the British Province of Pennsylvania. One years during the Feast of Corpus Christi, some Protestant residents of Goshenhoppen mistook a Catholic procession for a military drill and complained to the colonial governor.[1]

During the French-Indian War, the colonial government prohibited Catholics from joining the colonial militia out of fear that their loyalties were with the French. However, during the American Revolution, many Pennsylvania Catholics served in the militias and colonial army. Catholic missionaries and army chaplains tended to wounded and sick American and French soldiers at a military hospital in Allentown. The first Catholic settlers in Allentown started arriving around 1763. For the next several decades, they were only seen by traveling priests.[2]

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. In 1789, Pius VI converted the prefecture to the Diocese of Baltimore., covering all of the United States. [3]With the passage of the US Bill of Rights in 1791, Catholics received full freedom of worship.[1]

After the discovery of anthracite coal in the region, Catholic immigrants started moving in to work in the mines and related industries. The first Catholic parish in the Lehigh Valley, St. Bernard's, was erected in Easton in 1836.[4] In the Hazelton area, the first Catholic church was constructed in Beaver Meadows in 1847.[5] The first Catholic church in Allentown was Immaculate Conception, dedicated in 1857.[2] In Bethlehem, the first Catholic church was Holy Infancy, opening in 1861.[6] Alvernia College was founded in Reading by the Benedictine Sisters in 1958.

The Diocese of Allentown was founded on January 28, 1961 by Pope John XXIII with territory from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He appointed Auxiliary Bishop Joseph McShea of Philadelphia as the first bishop of the new diocese.[7] During his 22-year tenure, McShea oversaw the construction, purchase, and renovation of over 300 church buildings. In 1964, McShea, together with the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, founded Allentown College.[8] He convened the first diocesan synod in May 1968.

McShea founded "Operation Rice Bowl" which began in the form of a small cardboard box in the parishes of the diocese to receive alms directed to relieving a famine in Africa. In 1976 it was adopted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as a national program[9] He founded Holy Family Manor, a nursing and rehabilitation center at the former Eugene Grace mansion in Bethlehem.[10] He also established Holy Family Villa, a retirement home for priests. McShea retired in 1983

Pope John Paul II in 1983 named Bishop Thomas Welsh from the Diocese of Arlington as the second bishop of Allentown.[11] Welsh established the first Youth Ministry Office in the diocese and raised $13 million in an endowment campaign for diocesan schools and other educational efforts.[12] Walsh gained recognition for his work to improve relations between Catholics and Jews. He established a diocesan newspaper, the AD Times and founded the Catholic Distance University.[11]Welch retired in 2007.

Bishop Edward Cullen was the third bishop of the Diocese of Allentown, appointed by John Paul II in 1998. In 2008, Cullen closed 47 parishes in the diocese, reducing the total number from 151 to 104. Some of the closed churches were then sold.[13] In 2004, Cullen revoked the celebration of mass and other sacraments at The National Centre for Padre Pio in Barto. Cullen had previously expressed concern over the Centre's fundraising practices and lavish salaries for family members managing the Centre.[14] The Centre appealed Cullen's ruling to the Vatican, which rejected its appeal.[15] Cullen retired in 2008.

Pope Benedict XVI named Monsignor John Barres in 2008 as the next bishop of Allentown.[16] During his tenure, Barres established the Saint Thomas More Society for lawyers, and expanded the diocese's Hispanic ministry and evangelization.[17] Barres became bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in 2016

As of 2023, Alfred Schlert is bishop of the Diocese of Allentown, named by Pope Francis in 2016.[18]

1. Joseph Mark McShea (1961–1983)
2. Thomas Jerome Welsh (1983–1997)
3. Edward Peter Cullen (1997–2009)
4. John Oliver Barres (2009–2016), appointed Bishop of Rockville Centre
5. Alfred A. Schlert (2017–present)

• Ronald William Gainer, appointed Bishop of Lexington in 2002 and later Bishop of Harrisburg
• Joseph Edward Kurtz, appointed Bishop of Knoxville in 1999 and later Archbishop of Louisville
• David B. Thompson, appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Charleston in 1989 and later Bishop of Charleston

• DeSales University, Center Valley
• Alvernia University, Reading

• Allentown Central Catholic High School
• Bethlehem Catholic High School
• Berks Catholic High School, Reading
• Marian Catholic High School, Tamaqua
• Nativity BVM High School, Pottsville
• Notre Dame High School, Easton