Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese
of the Roman Catholic Church
in the southern Illinois
region of the United States
. It comprises the southern counties of the state of Illinois and is administered from the City of Belleville
. The prelate
is a bishop
serving as pastor
of the mother church
, the Cathedral of Saint Peter
. Its current bishop is Bishop Edward Braxton
.
The Diocese of Belleville was created on January 7, 1887.
There are 111,000 Catholics in the Diocese today.
In October 2009, the diocese agreed to settle a lawsuit from a former altar boy over allegations that he had been sexually abused by priest Raymond Kownacki of Dupo, Illinois
.
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in the southern Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
region of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It comprises the southern counties of the state of Illinois and is administered from the City of Belleville
Belleville, Illinois
Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 44,478. It is the eighth-most populated city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area and the most populated city south of Springfield in the state of Illinois. It is the county...
. The prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
is a bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
serving as pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of the mother church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
, the Cathedral of Saint Peter
Cathedral of Saint Peter in Belleville
The Cathedral of Saint Peter is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville, located in Belleville, Illinois.The cathedral parish of Saint Peter was founded in 1842 at a location east of the present structure, and named after Saint Barnabas the Apostle; it was rededicated to Saint...
. Its current bishop is Bishop Edward Braxton
Edward Braxton
Edward Kenneth Braxton was a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago when he was appointed bishop by Pope John Paul II on March 28, 1995. He was consecrated auxiliary bishop of Saint Louis by Justin Francis Rigali on May 17, 1995, in the city's Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. Braxton was...
.
The Diocese of Belleville was created on January 7, 1887.
There are 111,000 Catholics in the Diocese today.
In October 2009, the diocese agreed to settle a lawsuit from a former altar boy over allegations that he had been sexually abused by priest Raymond Kownacki of Dupo, Illinois
Dupo, Illinois
Dupo is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,933 at the 2000 census. The village was settled in about 1750 and was incorporated in 1876. Its name is derived from Prairie du Pont .-Geography:...
.
Bishops
- John JanssenJohn JanssenJohn Janssen was the first Roman Catholic bishop of Belleville, Illinois, serving from 1888 until his death in 1913....
(1888–1913) - Henry J. AlthoffHenry J. AlthoffHenry J. Althoff was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Belleville from 1914 until his death in 1947.-Biography:...
(1913–1947) - Albert Rudolph ZurowesteAlbert Rudolph ZurowesteAlbert Rudolph Zuroweste was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Belleville from 1948 to 1976.-Biography:...
(1947–1976) - William Michael CosgroveWilliam Michael CosgroveWilliam Michael Cosgrove was an American Roman Catholic clergyman.He was born in Canton, Ohio, and attended John Carroll University. He was ordained to the priesthood on December 18, 1943. On June 12, 1968, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland and Titular Bishop of Trisipa by Pope Paul VI...
(1976–1981) - John Nicholas WurmJohn Nicholas WurmJohn Nicholas Wurm was the fifth Bishop of Belleville, Illinois.-Biography:John Wurm was born the seventh of fourteen children of Anthony and Rose Wurm on December 6, 1927 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was baptized on December 18, 1927, at All Souls Church in Overland, Missouri...
(1981–1984) - James Patrick KeleherJames Patrick KeleherJames Patrick Keleher was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Belleville and Archbishop of Kansas City .-Early life and education:...
(1984–1993) - Wilton Daniel Gregory (1993–2004)
- Edward Kenneth Braxton (2005 - )
High schools
- Althoff Catholic High SchoolAlthoff Catholic High SchoolAlthoff Catholic High School is a secondary education, Roman Catholic, private school, in Belleville, Illinois, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville....
, Belleville - Gibault Catholic High SchoolGibault Catholic High SchoolGibault Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Waterloo, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville. The school is named in honor of Father Pierre Gibault.-Background:...
, Waterloo - Mater Dei High SchoolMater Dei High School (Breese, Illinois)Mater Dei High School is a Catholic, co-educational high school in Breese, Illinois in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville. It was founded in 1954 through the merger of St. Dominic’s High School in Breese and St...
, Breese