Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts

Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts Dioecesis Campifontis
Location
Country	United States
Territory	Western Massachusetts
Ecclesiastical province	Archdiocese of Boston
Metropolitan	Springfield, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°06′19″N 72°35′07″W / 42.10528°N 72.58528°W / 42.10528; -72.58528Coordinates: 42°06′19″N 72°35′07″W / 42.10528°N 72.58528°W / 42.10528; -72.58528
Population - Catholics	235,000
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	June 14, 1870
Cathedral	St. Michael's Cathedral
Patron saint	St. Michael
Current leadership
Pope	Benedict XVI
Bishop	Timothy A. McDonnell Bishop of Springfield
Metropolitan Archbishop	Sean Patrick O'Malley Archbishop of Boston
Map
Diocese of Springfield (Massachusetts) map 1.jpg
Website
diospringfield.org

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts (Latin: Dioecesis Campifontis) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States comprising the counties of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden in the state of Massachusetts. It is led by Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell.

The Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts was canonically erected on June 14, 1870 by Pope Pius IX. Its territories were taken from the present-day Archdiocese of Boston.

The Basilica of St. Stanislaus in Chicopee is under the circumscription of the diocese.^[1]

Suppression and closure of parishes

In an online news brief by the Catholic News Service (CNS) that was posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2011:

"The Springfield Diocese has been informed that the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican's highest tribunal, has upheld the diocese's decision to suppress and close three parishes.

According to a Nov. 10 press release issued by the diocese, the upholding of the parish closings "is a definitive finding which supports the actions of the diocese, thus removing any possibility for their restoration as parishes."

The three parishes in the western Massachusetts diocese involved in the final ruling are: St. Stanislaus Kostka in Adams, Massachusetts and St. George and St. Patrick in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The decision affirmed merging St. Stanislaus Kostka with Pope John Paul the Great Parish, and St. George and St. Patrick with Holy Name of Jesus.

It also affirms a ruling made earlier this year by the Vatican Congregation for Clergy that upheld the parish mergers.

In the same action, the press release said, the Vatican court indicated the diocese had not yet provided sufficient cause to use the former churches for nonreligious uses, a similar point made by the Vatican Congregation for Clergy in its decision.

But the diocese said the court's secondary finding does not require that these church buildings be reopened, and does not mandate that they be restored as regular worship sites, since the parishes they were assigned to no longer exist.

"This action simply means they cannot be actively used for any nonreligious purpose. It allows for no use, or a wide range on other nonworship religious uses," the diocesan news release said.

The finding of the Apostolic Signature will be reviewed by diocesan canon lawyers, the release stated, and "discussions will take place with each of the successor parishes and their legitimate consultative bodies as to their recommendations on proceeding."

The release also said: "The diocese intends to pursue this matter following the suggestions given by the court and other options as provided in canon law. The concern of the diocese remains with regard to the resources needed to keep these and other facilities open. Even limited use might pose a tremendous financial strain on the successor parishes."

Future actions by the diocese may include using the clarification now provided by the Apostolic Signatura to issue a decree stating "the need to reduce the status of the church buildings or alternative uses as permitted."..."^[2]

The only other actions available beyond those already pointed out would be to ask the Apostolic Signatura to reexamine its decision or to appeal directly to the Pope, although neither recourse is usually granted. The Signatura, led by American Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, is the highest of three final appellate tribunals (courts) of the Vatican. It hears appeals of all other diocesan or archdiocesan court cases that have exhausted other appeals having to do with actual legal disputes (only procedural matters are on trial here), arguments between Vatican agencies, matters given to it by the Pope, or appeals for reversal of a decision from the other two courts (the Roman Rota, which deals mainly with nullity of marriages, or the Apostolic Penitentiary, which deals mainly with appeals of complex matters involving the forgiveness of sins).

Bishops

• Patrick Thomas O'Reilly (1870-1892, Died)
• Thomas Daniel Beaven (1892-1920, Died)
• Thomas Michael O'Leary (1921-1949, Died)
• Christopher Joseph Weldon (1950-1977, Retired)
• Joseph Francis Maguire (1977-1992, Retired)
• John Aloysius Marshall (1992-1994, Died)
• Thomas Ludger Dupré (1995-2004, Resigned)
• Timothy Anthony McDonnell (2004-present)

High schools

• Cathedral High School, Springfield
• Holyoke Catholic High School, Chicopee
• Saint Mary High School, Westfield
• St. Joseph Central High School, Pittsfield

Resources

1. ^ Giga-Catholic Information
2. ^ http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1104515.htm

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts
• Catholic Hierarchy Profile of the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts
•  "Springfield". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.