Grace Thompson
New Hampshire is home to the Diocese of Manchester, the only diocese in the state. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archbishop of Boston. The first Catholics in the area were likely indigenous people who had been converted by missionaries from the French colony of New France. The first Catholic church in New Hampshire, St. Mary's, was built in 1823 in Claremont, and the first parish was St. Aloysius in Dover, erected in 1830. The Diocese of Manchester was established in 1884, and the state's Catholic population has grown significantly since.
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What You'll Learn
The Diocese of Manchester
The first Catholics in the New Hampshire area were probably members of the Sokwaki and Pennacook tribes, who were converted by missionaries from the French colony of New France. After New Hampshire became a British royal colony in 1680, it enacted discriminatory laws against Catholics. During King William's War in the late 1600s, several women from British settlements in the Province of New Hampshire were captured by Native American allies of the French. These women later converted to Catholicism, and one travelled to New France to enter an Ursuline convent. In 1694, two Jesuit priests celebrated the first Catholic Masses in New Hampshire during a French raid on British settlements near Durham. However, there were no organised Catholic communities in New Hampshire until the 19th century.
The first Catholic church in New Hampshire, St. Mary's, was built in 1823 in Claremont by a father and son, both Anglican priests who had converted to Catholicism. In 1835, there were an estimated 387 Catholics, two churches, and two priests in the state. With the industrialisation of New Hampshire in the 19th century, many Catholic Irish and French Canadian immigrants settled in the state. In 1858, the first Catholic grammar school in the state opened in Manchester. Pope Leo XIII erected the Diocese of Manchester on April 15, 1884, removing New Hampshire from the Diocese of Portland.
Denis Bradley of Portland was appointed as the first bishop of Manchester by Pope Leo XIII. During Bradley's tenure, the Catholic population increased from 45,000 to over 100,000, and the number of priests from 40 to 107. Bradley contacted Benedictine monks about creating a Catholic college in New Hampshire, resulting in the opening of Saint Anselm College in Goffstown in 1889. After Bradley's death in 1903, Pope Pius X appointed John Delany as the second bishop of Manchester. Delany died in 1906, and his replacement, George Guertin, was appointed by Pius X in 1907. Guertin added 16 new parishes to the diocese, five of which were French-speaking and two Polish-speaking.
As of 2018, the diocese served 322,258 Catholics (24.3% of the total population) across 89 parishes with 185 priests, 73 deacons, and 314 lay religious.
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The Catholic population in New Hampshire
The establishment of the Diocese of Manchester in 1884 was a significant milestone for Catholics in New Hampshire. The first bishop, Denis M. Bradley, worked to increase the number of churches, chapels, mission stations, and parish schools. During his tenure, the Catholic population grew from 45,000 to over 100,000, and he added 16 new parishes to the diocese. By 2001, the Catholic population in New Hampshire had reached 477,997, constituting about 27% of the state's total population.
The Catholic Church in New Hampshire has a rich history, dating back to the early Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century. Over time, the Catholic population has grown, and the Diocese of Manchester has played a crucial role in serving and supporting the religious needs of Catholics in the state. The establishment of parishes, schools, and other initiatives by the diocese has contributed to the growth and vibrancy of the Catholic community in New Hampshire.
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The history of the Diocese of Manchester
The Diocese of Manchester (Latin: Diocensis Manchesteriensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church for New Hampshire in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archbishop of Boston.
The first Catholics in the New Hampshire area were probably members of the Sokwaki and Pennacook tribes who had been converted by missionaries from the French colony of New France. During King William's War in the late 1600s, Native American allies of the French captured several women from the British settlements in the Province of New Hampshire. These women later converted to Catholicism, and in 1694, during a French raid on British settlements near Durham, the first Catholic Masses in New Hampshire were celebrated by two Jesuit priests accompanying the expedition.
After New Hampshire became a British royal colony in 1680, it enacted discriminatory laws against Catholics. Following the American Revolution, Pope Pius VI erected the Prefecture Apostolic of the United States in 1784, encompassing the entire territory of the new nation. The State of New Hampshire was admitted to the union in 1788. Pius VI created the Diocese of Baltimore, the first diocese in the United States, to replace the prefecture apostolic in 1789. Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of Boston on April 8, 1808, including New Hampshire in its jurisdiction.
The first Catholic church in New Hampshire, St. Mary's, was built in 1823 in Claremont by a father and son, both Anglican priests who had converted to Catholicism. The first parish in New Hampshire was St. Aloysius in Dover, erected in 1830. It was estimated in 1835 that there were 387 Catholics, two churches, and two priests in the state. With the industrialization of New Hampshire in the 19th century, many Catholic Irish and French Canadian immigrants started settling there.
Pope Leo XIII erected the Diocese of Manchester on April 15, 1884, removing New Hampshire from the Diocese of Portland, and appointed Denis Bradley of Portland as the first bishop of Manchester. During Bradley's tenure, the Catholic population went from 45,000 to over 100,000, and the number of priests increased from 40 to 107. Bradley contacted Benedictine monks about creating a Catholic college in New Hampshire, resulting in the opening of Saint Anselm College in Goffstown in 1889.
After Bradley's death in late 1903, Pope Pius X appointed John Delany as the second bishop of Manchester. Delany died in 1906 after only 21 months in office. His replacement was George Guertin, appointed by Pius X in 1907. Between 1907 and 1926, Guertin added 16 new parishes to the diocese, five of which were French-speaking and two were Polish-speaking. During World War I, Guertin had the diocese purchase a $15,000 war bond, and he personally bought $5 war saving stamps for each student in the cathedral parish school.
Pope John XXIII appointed Ernest Primeau as bishop of Manchester in 1958 following Brady's death. Primeau founded the first foreign mission of the diocese in 1963 in Cartago, Colombia. During his tenure, the number of Catholics in the diocese increased by 43,000, and the number of parishes increased by 11; however, weekly Mass attendance declined from over 70% to below 50%. Primeau retired as bishop in 1974 and was replaced by Odore Gendron, appointed by Pope Paul VI.
In 2003, the diocese reached a settlement with the Attorney General, agreeing to pay $15.5 million involving 176 claims of sex abuse. Gendron was implicated in helping a priest accused of sexual abuse avoid criminal charges. In 1983, four nuns with the Sisters of Mercy settled a lawsuit against Gendron and the diocese after being fired from their teaching jobs in 1982.
John McCormack was appointed by John Paul II in 1998. In 2011, McCormack criticized proposed cuts in the New Hampshire state budget that would impact the poor, which led to a backlash from Republican State Representative D.J. Bettencourt. McCormack retired in 2011 and was replaced by Peter Libasci, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI. As of 2023, Libasci is the current serving bishop.
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The Bishop of Manchester
The first Catholics in the New Hampshire area were likely members of the Sokwaki and Pennacook tribes who were converted by missionaries from the French colony of New France. During King William's War in the late 1600s, several women from British settlements in the Province of New Hampshire were captured by Native American allies of the French and later converted to Catholicism. In 1694, the first Catholic Masses in New Hampshire were celebrated by two Jesuit priests accompanying a French raid. Despite this early presence, there were no organised Catholic communities in New Hampshire until the 19th century.
The first Catholic church in New Hampshire, St. Mary's, was built in 1823 in Claremont, and the first parish, St. Aloysius, was erected in Dover in 1830. In 1835, there were an estimated 387 Catholics, two churches, and two priests in the state. With industrialisation in the 19th century, many Catholic Irish and French Canadian immigrants settled in New Hampshire. In 1853, New Hampshire became part of the Diocese of Portland in Maine, and in 1858, the first Catholic grammar school in the state opened in Manchester.
In 1884, Pope Leo XIII erected the Diocese of Manchester, removing New Hampshire from the Diocese of Portland, and the Most Reverend Denis M. Bradley, born in Ireland but raised in Manchester, became the first Bishop of Manchester. During his tenure, the Catholic population grew from 45,000 to over 100,000, and he increased the number of churches, chapels, mission stations, and parish schools. He also founded Saint Anselm College in Goffstown in 1889.
John Delany was appointed as the second bishop in 1903, but he died in 1906 after only 21 months in office. He was replaced by George Guertin, who added 16 new parishes to the diocese between 1907 and 1926, including five French-speaking and two Polish-speaking parishes. Ernest Primeau was appointed as bishop in 1958, and during his tenure, the number of Catholics in the diocese increased by 43,000, with 11 new parishes established. Odore Gendron was appointed in 1974 and founded Magdalen College in Bedford and Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack.
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The role of the Diocese of Manchester's staff
The Diocese of Manchester is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church for New Hampshire in the United States. The Diocese of Manchester's staff plays a crucial role in serving the Catholic community and ensuring the smooth functioning of the diocese's operations.
The Bishop of Manchester is at the head of the diocese and oversees all its activities. The bishop delegates responsibilities to seven secretariats, each headed by a secretary. These secretariats manage the day-to-day operations of the diocese, including priest support, charity work, and Catholic schools. The bishop's leading aides include vicars and secretaries. Vicars, in Catholic teaching, are deputized by the bishop to carry out specific functions on his behalf. In New Hampshire, this includes vicars general, a judicial vicar, and a vicar for canonical affairs, who is an authority on Catholic canon law.
The diocese also includes priests who serve as deans, acting as the Church's equivalent of county officers and providing support to their fellow priests across the state.
Additionally, there are several positions within the diocese that are mandated by canon law. These include the chancellor, who is the highest-ranking non-clergy member and oversees official records and legal matters, the finance officer, who manages financial concerns, and the tribunal, which is the diocese's court system for canon law issues, overseen by the judicial vicar.
The staff of the Diocese of Manchester work closely with other Church entities, such as Church of England parishes in Greater Manchester and the Archdiocese of Manchester, to promote collaboration and ensure the well-being of their community. They also engage in outreach to new and existing residents, aiming to uphold Christian faith and values within the diverse communities of Manchester.
The diocese has a strong commitment to education, with initiatives such as the establishment of Saint Anselm College in 1889 and Magdalen College, as well as a focus on heritage and history, the arts, and music to enrich the lives of their congregation and visitors.
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Frequently asked questions
There is only one Catholic diocese in New Hampshire, the Diocese of Manchester.
The Diocese of Manchester was established on April 15, 1884, by Pope Leo XIII.
It is unclear who the current bishop of Manchester is. However, the most recently mentioned bishop of Manchester was Odore Gendron, who was appointed by Pope Paul VI in 1974.
The Cathedral of St. Joseph in Manchester is the diocese's mother church.
As of 2018, the Diocese of Manchester served 322,258 Catholics, representing 24.3% of the total population of New Hampshire.
