Catholic Dioceses of Columbus and Steubenville again discussing potential merger
Shahid Meighan
The Catholic Dioceses of Columbus and Steubenville are considering a merger, over one year after a previous merger attempt was halted due to push back from many within the dioceses.
Bishop Paul J. Bradley, the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Steubenville, and Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of the Diocese of Columbus, issued a joint statement Monday announcing that they were in "preliminary discussions regarding the potential merger of the dioceses."
"While no decision has been made, due diligence is needed so an educated and responsible decision can be discerned in a timely manner. Ultimately, the decision is up to the Holy Father," the bishops said.
The announcement of the potential merger comes amid a combination of declining church attendance, a nationwide shortage of priests, and the scheduled closure of more than a dozen Catholic churches across central Ohio that are part of the Columbus diocese.
Earlier this year, The Dispatch reported that Bishop Fernandes, who leads the 23-county Columbus diocese, was closing 15 churches as part of the diocese's "Real Presence Real Future" plan. Some of them included:
- St. Mary Church in Groveport in Franklin County;
- St. Mark Church in Lancaster in Fairfield County;
- St. Mary Church in Bremen, Fairfield County;
- St. Francis de Sales in Newcomerstown, Tuscarawas County;
- Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Glenmont, Holmes County;
- Church of Atonement in Crooksville, Perry County;
- St. Bernard Church in Corning, Perry County.
Other churches scheduled for closure were Corpus Christi Church and St. Ladislas Church on the South Side; Holy Rosary/ St. John Church on the Near East Side; Parroquia Santa Cruz on the North Side; St. Philip the Apostle on the East Side; Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal on the Southeast Side; and St. Matthias Church and St. Anthony Church on the Northeast Side. St.
A nationwide shortage of Catholic priests also played a factor in the closings. According to data from Georgetown University researchers, there was a 42% drop in Catholic priests from 1965 to 2022. The Catholic church is also grappling with a 20% decline in church membership since 2000, according to a Gallup poll.
In 2017, the Steubenville diocese faced a financial scandal after David A. Franklin, the former comptroller of the diocese, was sentenced to a year in prison for tax crimes and embezzlement. He was sentenced to prison in December 2020, and was ordered to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution.
Catholic dioceses across the state also came under fire earlier this year when SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) and two other nonprofits called on Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost to launch an investigation into the state's six Catholic dioceses over accusations of rampant sexual abuse. Several Ohio Catholic priests have been convicted in recent years for sexual misconduct and assault, including:
- Rev. Mike Zacharius of Toledo in 2023
- Rev. David Morrier of Franciscan University in Steubenville in 2022
- Rev. Robert McWilliams of Strongsville in 2021
- Rev. Geoff Drew of Cincinnati in 2021
- Rev. Henry Foxhoven of Athens County in 2018
Another possible factor in the potential merger discussions is Steubenville Bishop Bradley's age. He turned 78 years old in October, three years past the age at which Pope Paul VI's apostolic letter stated bishops are expected to submit their resignation to the pope.
According to The Pillar, he is among 13 U.S. diocesan bishops who would be at least 75 years old by the end of this year, the largest number since 1967.
Meanwhile, Columbus Bishop Fernandes, who was the youngest diocesan bishop in the U.S. when appointed on April 2, 2022, turned 51 in September.
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