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 on April 23, 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 the Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota, to send nuns to the Toledo area to work with the children of the Polish immigrants. 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, Ohio[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 the Diocese 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 oversaw the beginning of the 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 the diocese 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 the Archdiocese 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, which was defeated in a citywide 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, Ohio, in 1969 and St. Joan of Arc Parish in Toledo in 1978. He increased the number of Catholics in the diocese 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 the Archdiocese 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, Ohio.[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]

In July 2011, Blair told parishes and parochial schools in the diocese not to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, citing concerns that the money could be used to fund embryonic stem-cell research.[13] 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 and current bishop of the Diocese 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)[17]
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)[17]
3. Robert William Donnelly (1984–2006)[18]

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

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo currently has 124 parishes.

• In 2014, the Diocese of Toledo had 210 total priests, of whom 38 were from religious orders serving in the diocese and 68 were retired/senior status. It also had 10 religious brothers, 440 women religious (sisters), 197 permanent deacons and 23 diocesan seminarians.[21]
• In 2018, the Diocese of Toledo had 203 total priests, of whom 63 were retired/senior status. Also included in the total number of priests are 44 from religious orders serving in the diocese (32 active, and 12 retired/senior status). The diocese also had 9 religious brothers, 410 religious women (sisters), 187 permanent deacons and 17 diocesan seminarians.[22]

• As of 2018, the Diocese of Toledo had:
  • 54 elementary schools serving 10,561 students
  • 13 Catholic high schools serving 4,170 students
  • 2 colleges/universities with 3,816 full- and part-time students[22]

• 3,006 Infant and Child Baptisms
• 357 Adult Baptisms
• 3,462 First Communions
• 3,287 Confirmations
• 1,117 Marriages

Ministries/Services Food Helping Hands of St. Louis H.O.P.E. Pantry Housing Shelters La Posada Miriam House Housing Services Homelessness Prevention Supportive Housing Life & Home Management Workshops Community Emergency Services Family Support 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 Community Services 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)