Three others marking their Sesquicentennials

The Albany Diocese isn't the only one marking its Sesquicentennial this year. From the east coast to the southwest, Catholicism is being celebrated as the dioceses of Buffalo, Cleveland and Galveston-Houston join with Albany to celebrate their creation on April 23, 1847.

BUFFALO

Just as the Albany Diocese originally encompassed what are now the Syracuse and Ogdensburg dioceses, the Buffalo Diocese originally included what is now the Rochester Diocese.

Also like the Albany Diocese, the history of Catholicism in the Buffalo area predates the founding of the diocese. In 1626, Rev. Joseph de la Roche Dallion, a French Franciscan, was the first missionary to visit the area which now includes the diocese.

In 1678, Rev. Louis Hennepin, a Franciscan traveling with French explorer Robert Cavalier LaSalle's party of explorers, offered the first Mass celebrated on the banks of the Niagara.

Father Hennepin and his party were probably the first white persons to see Niagara Falls, according to the "History of the Diocese of Buffalo" by Sister Fran Gangloff.

The first Catholic family to live in Buffalo didn't arrive until 1804. In 1836, St. John Neumann arrived in western New York to serve the German-speaking Catholics of the area.

After the Buffalo Diocese was established, parishes, schools and hospitals were begun, and religious orders came to staff them.

In more recent history, the Diocese was visited in 1976 by Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, now Pope John Paul II, and a group of Polish bishops. In 1982, Mother Teresa of Calcutta addressed the graduates and guests of Niagara University during its commencement.

To celebrate its Sesquicentennial, the Buffalo Diocese will host a Mass on April 23 at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Buffalo with Cardinal John O'Connor of New York City in attendance. The Mass will be followed by a benefit concert at Our Lady of Victory Basilica by the Buffalo Harmonic. In October, the Diocese will host a Mass at Marine Midland Arena with representatives from each parish participating.

Each parish, school, hospital and other organization has also been asked to host a day of Eucharistic adoration. This will begin in April and continue until the following April, said Msgr. David Lee, director of communications for the Diocese.

He added that other regularly scheduled events, like the annual youth convention in Niagara Falls, will focus on the Sesquicentennial. The Diocese's monthly television program will also focus on the anniversary.

CLEVELAND

Since its establishment in 1847, the Cleveland Diocese has grown to become the 11th largest in the United States. Comprised of eight counties in north central Ohio, it encompasses 3,414 square miles and includes 236 parishes.

The commitment of the Catholic community to education centered in the Gospel message is reflected in an extensive system of elementary schools in the Cleveland Diocese, said Richard Krivanka, co-director of the Sesquicentennial celebration and director of pastoral planning.

There are 53,862 students enrolled in Catholic elementary schools and 14,447 enrolled in Catholic high schools, making the Cleveland Catholic school system the second largest of any school system in the state.

Some historical events of the Diocese include the creation of hospitals, orphanages and missionary efforts. In 1865, a cooperative effort between the Diocese and city officials formed St. Vincent Charity Hospital. The hospital was placed in the care of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. In 1925, the first Catholic "cottage plan" children's village in the world opened. Known as Parmadale, it served as an orphanage for boys until the 1940s when it was expanded to include girls.

In 1965, heeding the call of Vatican II to participate in the universal Church's mission of evangelization, the Diocese established a mission in El Salvador. In 1980, two members of the Diocesan Mission Team in El Salvador -- Sister Dorothy Kazel, OSU, and lay woman Jean Donovan -- and two Maryknoll sisters were murdered by government soldiers. Despite the violence and danger, the Mission Team continued its work in El Salvador.

The Cleveland Diocese has several events planned to celebrate its anniversary, Mr. Krivanka said. They will begin their year-long celebration on April 23 with a Mass at St. John's Cathedral. In August, there will be a "Celebration on the Mall," a day-long event in downtown Cleveland that will include a Mass, food, games, music and fireworks.

In September, there will be a "Walk-A-Thon/Pray-A-Thon." Religious communities and the laity will gather in seven parts of the Diocese to walk or pray. Funds raised through the event will help fund local housing projects.

Other community groups are joining with the Diocese to celebrate. The Western Reserve Historical Society is hosting an exhibit that will highlight the journey, struggle and contributions of the Catholic community. The Cleveland Museum of Art will present the Vatican Art Exhibit, which will serve as a symbol of the Diocese's relationship to the life and history of the universal Church. The Cleveland Institute of Music will present Mahler's "Resurrection Symphony."

The Diocese also produced a video and recorded a special Sesquicentennial song, Mr. Krivanka said.

GALVESTON-HOUSTON

While the Diocese of Galveston-Houston was not formed until 1847, Catholics lived there prior to that date. In fact, from 1548 to 1777, the area was actually a part of Mexico's Guadalajara Diocese. From 1777 to 1836, it was part of the Archdiocese of Monterrey; from 1836 until 1847, it was part of the New Orleans Diocese.

When created in 1847, the Diocese of Galveston-Houston included the whole state of Texas. Today, it is comprised of 11 counties in Texas.

According to Rev. Frank Rossi, chancellor, the Diocese decided to celebrate the Sesquicentennial with "fewer events, but more prepared events." The Sesquicentennial year began with a Mass on Galveston Island, the center of the Diocese. At the Mass, proclamations were issued to each parish that thanked them for their contributions to the Diocese. The proclamations addressed the specific history of each parish.

The Diocese also made arrangements for a day for Catholics at a local theme park. The park was open only to Catholics, and participants enjoyed a fun-filled celebration, Father Rossi said.

Like the Cleveland Diocese, Galveston-Houston produced a Sesquicentennial video.

In April, a banquet will be held for 2,400 people to thank them for their work in the Diocese. The Diocese also made a time capsule filled with mementos from the Sesquicentennial year.

The Sesquicentennial year will end for the Diocese on April 20, 1997, with a Mass in the public arena. Father Rossi described it as a "multicultural Eucharistic celebration."

(02-27-97) [[In-content Ad]]