Richard Lennon

Richard Gerard Lennon (born 26 March, 1947 in Arlington, Massachusetts) [Citation | first = Walter V. | last = Robinson |year = 2002 | title = The Cardinal Resigns / on the horizon interim leader | page = A13 | publisher = The Boston Globe | location = Boston, Mass | date = 14 December 2002 ] is the Roman Catholic bishop of Cleveland, Ohio, serving in this capacity since May 15, 2006.

Biography

A native of Arlington, Massachusetts, Lennon is the son of an Arlington, Mass. firefighter [Citation | first = Michaela | last = May |year = 2003 | title = Healing the Church will be a difficult task | publisher = The Justice | location = Waltham, Mass | date = 25 February 2003 ] (Lennon's father, Albert, was Arlington's deputy fire chief.) [Citation | first = Michael | last = Paulson |year = 2003 | title = Lennon's Rise: from shy schoolboy to the chancery | page = A1 | publisher = The Boston Sunday Globe | location = Boston, Mass | date = 16 February 2003 ] Lennon attended St. James the Apostle grammar school [Citation | first = Michael | last = Paulson |year = 2003 | title = Lennon's Rise: from shy schoolboy to the chancery | page = A1 | publisher = The Boston Sunday Globe | location = Boston, Mass | date = 16 February 2003 ] in St. James parish in Arlington, where he was an altar boy. [Citation | first = Michael | last = Paulson |year = 2003 | title = Lennon's Rise: from shy schoolboy to the chancery | page = A1 | publisher = The Boston Sunday Globe | location = Boston, Mass | date = 16 February 2003 ] In 1965 Lennon graduated [Citation | first = Frank | last = Bentayou |year = 2006 | title = Highpoints in Lennon's life | page = A10 | publisher = The Plain Dealer | location = Cleveland, Ohio | date = 5 April 2006 2006 ] from Matignon, [Citation | first = Michael | last = Paulson |year = 2003 | title = Lennon's Rise: from shy schoolboy to the chancery | page = A1 | publisher = The Boston Sunday Globe | location = Boston, Mass | date = 16 February 2003 ] a Catholic High School in Cambridge, Mass., where he was a member of the National Honor Society. [Citation | first = Walter V. | last = Robinson |year = 2002 | title = The Cardinal Resigns / on the horizon interim leader | page = A13 | publisher = The Boston Globe | location = Boston, Mass | date = 14 December 2002 ] Bishop Lennon attended Boston College where he was a mathematics major for two years [Citation | first = Walter V. | last = Robinson |year = 2002 | title = The Cardinal Resigns / on the horizon interim leader | page = A13 | publisher = The Boston Globe | location = Boston, Mass | date = 14 December 2002 ] [Citation | first = Michaela | | last = May |year = 2003 | title = Healing the Church will be a difficult task | publisher = The Justice | location = Waltham, Mass | date = 25 February 2003 ] [Citation | first = Frank | last = Bentayou |year = 2006 | title = Highpoints in Lennon's life | page = A10 | publisher = The Plain Dealer | location = Cleveland, Ohio | date = 5 April 2006 2006 ] before entering St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts where he graduated in 1969, with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. [Citation | first = Frank | last = Bentayou |year = 2006 | title = Highpoints in Lennon's life | page = A10 | publisher = The Plain Dealer | location = Cleveland, Ohio | date = 5 April 2006 2006 ] Lennon went on to receive a M.TH in Sacramental Theology in 1973 [Citation | first = Frank | last = Bentayou |year = 2006 | title = Highpoints in Lennon's life | page = A10 | publisher = The Plain Dealer | location = Cleveland, Ohio | date = 5 April 2006 2006 ] and a M.A. in Church History in 1984 [Citation | first = Frank | last = Bentayou |year = 2006 | title = Highpoints in Lennon's life | page = A10 | publisher = The Plain Dealer | location = Cleveland, Ohio | date = 5 April 2006 2006 ] both also from St. John's.Bishop Lennon was ordained in the Boston Archdiocese on 19 May, 1973. Lennon was a parish priest from 1973 to 1988. From from 1973 to 1982 Lennon served at St. Mary of the Nativity Church in Scituate, Massachusetts and from 1982 to 1988 [Citation | first = Frank | last = Bentayou |year = 2006 | title = Highpoints in Lennon's life | page = A10 | publisher = The Plain Dealer | location = Cleveland, Ohio | date = 5 April 2006 2006 ] at St. Mary's Church in West Quincy, Massachusetts. [Citation | first = Frank | last = Bentayou |year = 2006 | title = Highpoints in Lennon's life | page = A10 | publisher = The Plain Dealer | location = Cleveland, Ohio | date = 5 April 2006 2006 ] In 1988 he became the Archdiocese of Boston's archdiocesan assistant for canonical affairs. In 1999, he became the seminary rector. [Citation | first = Walter V. | last = Robinson |year = 2002 | title = The Cardinal Resigns / on the horizon interim leader | page = A13 | publisher = The Boston Globe | location = Boston, Mass | date = 14 December 2002]

On June 29, 2001, Lennon was named as an auxiliary bishop of Boston; he was ordained as a bishop on September 14, 2001. From 2001 until April 2006, Lennon served as a bishop in Boston, holding a variety of positions, including vicar general.

After Bernard Francis Law resigned his position as Archbishop of Boston in December 2002 amid the church sex scandal, Lennon became very important in leading the troubled archdiocese through the turbulent times as he was the interim leader. He served as the Apostolic Administrator of the archdiocese between Law's resignation and the accession of its new Archbishop, Sean O'Malley.

On 5 April, 2006, Lennon was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the replacement for Bishop Anthony Pilla in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. He became the 10th bishop of Cleveland in an installation ceremony on 15 May, 2006.

Criticism

Lennon's appointment as Apostolic Administrator of the Boston Archdiocese, following the resignation of Cardinal Law, brought criticism from some sex-abuse victims' groups.

This criticism increased after Lennon's appearance in the Frontline Documentary "Hand of God." The movie documents the history of a Salem, Massachusetts sex scandal and its effects on the film maker's own family. Church figures are shown minimizing the scandal, lying about their knowledge of the priest involved in the scandal, and refusing to speak with victims. Lennon closes the Salem parish despite the fact it is not losing money for the Church. Then, when the movie's filmmaker attempts to film the administrative building where his brother reported his own sexual abuse, Lennon exits the building, shoves the camera, declares he won't "feel bad about this" after being told why the filmmaker wants to film the building's exterior, attempts to avoid any discussion of the sex scandal by refusing to talk about anything other than the Church's private property rights, and responds to the film maker's claim that he doesn't care by calling the filmmaker a "sad little man."

In June 2007, Bishop Lennon announced plans to shutter at least 30 parishes in inner city Cleveland and older parishes in Cleveland's inner ring suburbs. This plan has drawn ire from members of Cleveland's City Council members. Michael Polensek of Ward 11 has sounded off on this plan. The Bishop is doing this in face of a priest shortage and loss of parishioners.

There is some criticism of the Clusters of Parishes system that he has implemented. Example of this is Cleveland's Slavic Village are clusters of churches. List of Churches
*St. John Nepomenuce (1902)
*St. Stanislaus Shrine Church (1873)
*Sacred Heart Parish (1918)
*Immaculate Heart of Mary (1894)
*St. Hycinith (1911)
*Our Lady of Lourdes (1893)

In this cluster, Bishop Lennon has asked for 3-4 of these parishes to either merge or close.

Another Cluster (Garfield-Maple Hts)
*Sts. Peter and Paul (1927)
*St. Therese (1927)
*St. Monica (1952)
*St. Martin of Tours (1960)

In this cluster there will no changes but Bishop Lennon would like approximately 2 schools, This is already happening. In 2007-08, Sts Peter and Paul and St. Therese will form John Paul II Academy. St. Monica and Martin of Tours are regional parishes. As 6/2007 this plan is not set in stone.

Trivia

In June 2001 Bishop Lennon was installed as a Knight of Malta and into the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. [ [http://dioceseofcleveland.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=41&Itemid=110 Diocese of Cleveland - Bishops ] ]

Bishop Lennon's motto is "Diligamus nos Invicem", meaning, in Latin, to "Let us Love Each Other".

Bishop Lennon was born with a speech problem as a child. He had a stutter that almost cost him his chance to be a priest. He worked on his stutter while in the seminary.

As Bishop of Cleveland, Bishop Lennon has become a friend to the Cleveland Fire Department, since their headquarters is down the street from St. John's Cathedral on Superior Street. He has also presided over two police officer funerals (Cleveland Police Det. A. J. Schroder and Cleveland Heights P.D., Officer Jason West). Bishop Anthony Pilla, his predecessor, was a friend of the Cleveland Police Department.

When Bishop Lennon was a priest and Bishop in Boston, he helped with the Boston Fire Department as a Chaplain. He even trained with the Fire Department to understand firefighting. In the New England Storm of 1978, in Boston, Bishop Lennon as a priest rode a Massachusetts National Guard bulldozer to get to a sick parishioner.

Lennon is a self-proclaimed "die-hard Red Sox fan."

References

Footnotes

Additional sources

*Briggs, David. "New bishop: 'I am humbled'." The Plain Dealer 5 April 2006: A1, A11.
*Associated Press. "Richard Lennon." The Plain Dealer 5 April 2006: A1.
*http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dbost.html
*http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/handofgod/
*http://www.myfoxcleveland.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=2320109&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.1.1
*Cleveland Plain Dealer 6/5/2007
*Catholic Universe Bulletin

See also