Joshua Bennett
Vermont is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, which was erected on July 29, 1853, by Pope Pius IX. The diocese has faced numerous abuse claims and financial challenges, becoming the 40th Catholic entity in the nation to file for bankruptcy protection. As of 2023, the Diocese of Burlington had a Catholic population of approximately 110,000, with 36 active priests, 44 permanent deacons, and 15 religious personnel ministering in 63 parishes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington |
| Mother Church | Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Burlington, Vermont |
| Catholic Population | 110,000 |
| Priests | 36 |
| Permanent Deacons | 44 |
| Religious Ministering | 15 |
| Parishes | 63 |
| Deaneries | 12 |
| First Bishop | Joseph Rice |
| Current Bishop | John McDermott (11th Bishop) |
| Previous Bishops | Matthew Brady, Edward Ryan |
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What You'll Learn
The history of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, was erected on July 29, 1853, by Pope Pius IX. The mother church of the diocese is the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Burlington, Vermont. The first Mass in what would become the state of Vermont was celebrated in 1666 by a Sulpician priest from Montreal in the chapel of Fort Sainte Anne on Isle La Motte. The northern region of Vermont was largely settled in the 18th century by Catholic French Canadians who migrated south from the British Province of Quebec.
In 1784, after the conclusion of the American Revolution, Pope Pius VI moved to remove American Catholics from the jurisdiction of the Diocese of London. In 1789, the Vatican placed Vermont under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Baltimore. During the late 18th century, the bishops of Quebec continued to minister to Catholic settlers and Native Americans, mainly in northern Vermont. In 1801, Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore formally accepted the offer of Bishop Pierre Denaut of Quebec to care for French-speaking Catholics in Vermont. Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of Boston in 1808, transferring Vermont to the new diocese. In the early 19th century, there were no Catholic priests residing in Vermont. Francis Matignon of Boston visited Burlington in 1815 and counted about 100 Catholic Canadians living there.
In 1827, James Fitton was ordained. He served with the Passamaquoddy before being sent to serve the scattered Catholics in Vermont and New Hampshire. He visited Burlington in 1829. In 1830, Jeremiah O'Callaghan was sent to Vermont to serve as its first resident priest. He visited Wallingford, Pittsford, and Vergennes, then settled in Burlington. O'Callaghan had St. Mary's church built as his mission base. His territory extended from Rutland, Vermont, to the Canadian border, and from Lake Champlain to the Connecticut River. St. Mary's Church in Burlington was destroyed by arson in May 1838. O'Callaghan served in Vermont for 23 years and was known as the "Apostle of Vermont."
In 1850, Pope Pius IX elevated the Diocese of New York to a metropolitan archdiocese, assigning the Diocese of Boston, with its Vermont parishes, as a suffragan see. In 1852, the bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of New York decided that Vermont should have its own diocese, with Burlington as the Episcopal see. In 1853, De Goesbriand arrived at Burlington and was installed the following day by Bishop Fitzpatrick. He found about 20,000 Catholics scattered throughout Vermont. In 1855, he visited France and Ireland to recruit more priests for the diocese, bringing back several volunteers. The first diocesan synod was held at Burlington in 1855. De Goesbriand appointed Thomas Lynch as vicar-general of the diocese in 1858. He also started the construction of the gothic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in 1861.
In 1875, Pope Pius IX elevated the Diocese of Boston to a metropolitan archdiocese and transferred the Diocese of Burlington from the Archdiocese of New York to the new archdiocese. In 1910, Pope Pius X appointed Joseph Rice as the new bishop of Burlington. Rice placed De Goesbriand Memorial Hospital in Burlington under the care of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph, and opened three high schools and Trinity College in Burlington. In 1925, during a period of anti-Catholic agitation throughout the United States, the Ku Klux Klan burned a cross on the steps of St. Augustine's Church at Montpelier, Vermont.
As of 2023, the Diocese of Burlington had a Catholic population of approximately 110,000, with 36 active priests, 44 permanent deacons, and 15 religious ministering in 63 parishes. The parishes are divided into 12 deaneries. The current bishop of Burlington is John McDermott, who is the 11th bishop of the diocese.
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Vermont's Catholic population and parishes
Vermont is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church. The diocese was erected on July 29, 1853, by Pope Pius IX and encompasses 63 Vermont parishes, with sources stating there are 68 parishes. As of 2023, the Diocese of Burlington had a Catholic population of approximately 110,000, with 36 active priests, 44 permanent deacons, and 15 religious ministering.
The history of the Catholic Church in Vermont dates back to 1666 when a Sulpician priest from Montreal celebrated the first Mass in what would become the state of Vermont in the chapel of Fort Sainte Anne on Isle La Motte. In the 18th century, the northern region of Vermont was settled by Catholic French Canadians who migrated from the British Province of Quebec. During this time, the bishops of Quebec continued to minister to Catholic settlers and Native Americans, mainly in northern Vermont.
In 1784, following the American Revolution, Pope Pius VI removed American Catholics from the jurisdiction of the Diocese of London, placing them under the Diocese of Baltimore in 789. In 1808, Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of Boston, transferring Vermont to this new diocese. However, it wasn't until 1815 that Francis Matignon of Boston visited Burlington, counting about 100 Catholic Canadians living there. The first resident priest in Vermont, Jeremiah O'Callaghan, arrived in 1830 and settled in Burlington after visiting Wallingford, Pittsford, and Vergennes. O'Callaghan served in Vermont for 23 years and was known as the "Apostle of Vermont."
The Diocese of Burlington has faced recent challenges due to abuse claims, resulting in bankruptcy filings and financial difficulties. The diocese has taken steps to reorganize its finances and continue operating its parishes, becoming the nation's 40th Catholic entity to seek bankruptcy protection due to abuse-related lawsuits.
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Clergy sexual abuse allegations
Vermont is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, which was erected in 1853. The diocese includes 63 Vermont parishes and, as of 2023, had a Catholic population of approximately 110,000, with 36 active priests, 44 permanent deacons, and 15 religious ministering across these parishes.
In 2019, a church report accused 40 Vermont priests of child sexual abuse. The report was compiled by an independent, volunteer committee of lay people, who were given unprecedented access to personnel files once seen only by Catholic leaders and lawyers. The committee released an online summary of its findings, which had been hidden for nearly three-quarters of a century. The report named the accused clergy and acknowledged that past officials of the state's largest religious denomination covered up the claims to avoid scandal and court suits. None of the accused were working at the time of the report's release, but several were still alive.
In the wake of the report, Vermont's Catholic Church faced a wave of lawsuits, with plaintiffs alleging priest misconduct as far back as 1950. In 2022, the diocese settled a lawsuit brought by a man who claimed to have been sexually assaulted by Roger W. Carlin at St. John Vianney church in South Burlington between 1966 and 1967.
In October 2024, facing mounting legal challenges and financial pressures, Vermont's Catholic Church filed for bankruptcy protection. It became the nation's 40th Catholic entity to try to reorganize depleting finances in court due to abuse claims.
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The diocese's finances and bankruptcy filing
Vermont is home to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, which was erected in 1853 by Pope Pius IX. It is a suffragan diocese of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Boston. As of 2023, the diocese had a Catholic population of approximately 110,000, with 36 active priests, 44 permanent deacons, and 15 religious personnel ministering in 68 parishes. The parishes are divided into 12 deaneries.
The Diocese of Burlington has faced financial challenges in recent years due to abuse claims and subsequent lawsuits. In 2024, it filed for bankruptcy protection in the face of mounting legal costs associated with lawsuits alleging priest misconduct as far back as 1950. The diocese estimated its assets at between $10 million and $50 million and its liabilities at between $1 million and $10 million. It also reported having between 100 and 199 creditors, with 30 unresolved lawsuits as its largest unsecured claims.
The decision to file for bankruptcy was likely influenced by the experience of other church entities facing similar challenges. For example, the Diocese of Rochester, New York, headed by former Vermont Catholic Bishop Salvatore Matano, filed for bankruptcy in 2019 and has spent $14 million on legal and consulting fees as of 2024, with civil lawsuits still on hold. The Vermont diocese's financial situation is also impacted by the dropping of deadlines for submitting lawsuits in certain states, including Vermont, which has led to a rise in declarations.
The bankruptcy filing allows the diocese to reorganize its finances while continuing to operate its 63 local parishes. However, the diocese acknowledges that the settlement of additional lawsuits could significantly impact its financial position and liquidity. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington is not alone in its financial struggles, as six out of eight dioceses in neighbouring New York have also filed for bankruptcy due to budget challenges stemming from abuse claims.
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Previous bishops of Burlington
Vermont's Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington was erected on 29 July 1853 by Pope Pius IX. The diocese was created after a meeting of the bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of New York, who decided that Vermont should have its own diocese. The Diocese of Burlington is a suffragan diocese of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Boston.
The first bishop of Burlington was Louis de Goesbriand, vicar-general of the Diocese of Cleveland, who was appointed by Pope Pius IX. De Goesbriand served as bishop of Burlington for 38 years until his death in 1899. During his tenure, he spent his entire fortune constructing churches and orphanages in the diocese and assisting the poor. He was succeeded by John Stephen Michaud, who had been appointed coadjutor bishop by Pope Leo XIII in 1892. Michaud served as bishop until 1908.
In 1910, Pope Pius X appointed Joseph Rice, then pastor of St. Peter's Parish in Northbridge, Massachusetts, as the new bishop of Burlington. Rice remained in this position until his death in 1938. During his tenure, he opened three high schools and Trinity College in Burlington. Pope Pius XI then appointed Matthew Brady from the Diocese of Hartford as Rice's replacement. Brady erected 12 new parishes in Vermont and served until 1944 when he was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Manchester by Pope Pius XII.
Edward Ryan, from the Archdiocese of Boston, succeeded Brady as bishop. However, the dates of his tenure are unclear. Ryan was followed by John Aloysius Marshall, who served as bishop from 1971 to 1991. The current bishop of Burlington is John McDermott, who was ordained and installed as the 11th bishop in July 2024.
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Frequently asked questions
There is one Catholic diocese in Vermont, the Diocese of Burlington.
The Diocese of Burlington was erected on July 29, 1853, by Pope Pius IX.
As of 2023, there are 68 parishes in the Diocese of Burlington, divided into 12 deaneries.
As of 2023, the Diocese of Burlington has a Catholic population of approximately 110,000, with 36 active priests, 44 permanent deacons, and 15 religious ministering across the diocese's parishes.
