Archdiocesan Bicentennial

Celebrating the Bicentennials of the Archdioceses of
Boston, Louisville, New York, and Philadelphia 1808-2008
By Peter Finney

There were many spiritually fluorescent images that composed the breathtaking kaleidoscope of Pope Benedict XVI’s pastoral visit to the United States April 15-20, 2008 – his haunting presence kneeling at ground zero in Manhattan; his admission of human frailty at St. Patrick Cathedral; his "Sermon on the Mound" at Yankee Stadium; and his private meeting with five sexual abuse survivors from the Boston Archdiocese.

Those moments were so intense it might be easy to overlook the stated purpose of his first trip to the U.S. as pope: to address the United Nations General Assembly on the state of human rights across the world and to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the 1808 designation of Baltimore as the first American archdiocese and the creation of the dioceses of Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Bardstown, Ky. (now Louisville).

In his April 20 homily at Yankee Stadium – his final major event on U.S. soil – Pope Benedict honored the legacy of faith passed on through the generations in those areas since 1808. He also made it clear the Kingdom of God has yet to come, and he urged Catholics, "(F)ollow faithfully in the footsteps of those who have gone before you! Hasten the coming of God’s Kingdom in this land!"

He likened the small Catholic communities in Baltimore, Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Bardstown in 1808 to the early Christian communities, filled with spiritual fervor.

"The Church in America has been built up in fidelity to the twin commandments of love of God and love of neighbor," Pope Benedict said. "In this land of freedom and opportunity, the Church has united a widely diverse flock in the profession of faith and, through her many educational, charitable and social works, has also contributed significantly to the growth of American society as a whole."

The bicentennial celebration recalls "a watershed" in U.S. Church history, the pope said, citing the successive waves of Catholic immigrants from many countries "whose traditions have so enriched the Church in America" and whose faith supported the burgeoning network of churches, schools, hospitals, and other social institutions. He spoke of parents, passing on the faith to their children, and a seemingly limitless supply of priests and nuns who not only cared for souls but also made an "incalculable contribution" to children's well-being through the formation of Catholic schools.

"How many ‘spiritual sacrifices pleasing to God’ have been offered up in these two centuries!" Pope Benedict said. "In this land of religious liberty, Catholics found freedom not only to practice their faith, but also to participate fully in civic life, bringing their deepest moral convictions to the public square and cooperating with their neighbors in shaping a vibrant, democratic society."

The bicentennial, however, should be more than "an occasion of gratitude for graces received," the pope said. "It is also a summons to move forward with firm resolve to use wisely the blessings of freedom, in order to build a future of hope for coming generations."

Furthering the Kingdom of God, he said, "means being constantly alert for the signs of its presence, and working for its growth in every sector of society … facing the challenges of present and future with confidence in Christ’s victory and a commitment to extending his reign … not losing heart in the face of resistance, adversity, and scandal … overcoming every separation between faith and life, and countering false gospels of freedom and happiness … rejecting a false dichotomy between faith and political life, since, as the Second Vatican Council put it, ‘there is no human activity – even in secular affairs – which can be withdrawn from God’s dominion’"(Lumen Gentium, 36).

Established by Pope Pius VII on Nov. 6, 1789 – eight months after the effective date of the U.S. Constitution – Baltimore was the first Catholic diocese in the U.S. and served the original 13 states. By 1804, its boundaries stretched north to Maine, west to Idaho and south to the Florida panhandle. Today the archdiocese comprises the city of Baltimore and eight surrounding counties and serves a Catholic population of about 510,000. Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien launched the local bicentennial celebration just before the papal visit.

"The roots of the Catholic Church in the United States are deeply planted here in Baltimore," Archbishop O’Brien said. "We are so very proud of our important role in our church’s history and look forward to celebrating this historic anniversary with the greater Baltimore community."

The Baltimore Archdiocese planned to highlight the bicentennial with a lecture series in honor of John Carroll, America’s first archbishop.

Here are some highlights of the four dioceses celebrating bicentennials in 2008:

Boston: First bishop was Bishop Jean Cheverus. Elevated to an archdiocese in 1875. Serves about 2 million Catholics in 294 parishes. Nearly 50,000 students are enrolled in Catholic schools. Cardinal Sean O’Malley thanked Pope Benedict for allocating 3,000 tickets to the Yankee Stadium Mass for members of the Boston Archdiocese. Other bicentennial celebrations included major men’s and women’s conferences that drew about 10,000 participants in April.

Louisville: The first bishop of what was then known as Bardstown, Ky., was Bishop Benedict Flaget. Bardstown was known as the "American West" and included the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and the future states of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and parts of Arkansas. In 1841 the diocese was moved from Bardstown to Louisville. Elevated to an archdiocese in 1937. Today it is home to about 200,000 Catholics. Several traveling concerts celebrating "200 Years of Sacred Music in Kentucky" were scheduled across the archdiocese to mark the anniversary.

New York: First bishop was Bishop Richard Luke Concanen, who because of travel embargoes imposed by both the English and the French never set foot in New York. He died in Naples in 1810. Elevated to an archdiocese in 1850. What began as an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the state of New York and half the state of New Jersey is now home to about 2.5 million Catholics in the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, the City of New York, and the seven counties north of the city, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester.

Philadelphia First bishop was Bishop Michael Egan. Elevated to an archdiocese in 1875. Philadelphia had just 11 priests and 30,000 Catholics, about 3 percent of the local population, when the diocese was carved out of Baltimore. The diocese comprised Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the southern half of New Jersey. Today the archdiocese is home to 1.48 million Catholics in Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Bucks counties. Catholics represent 38 percent of the population. Cardinal Justin Rigali marked the bicentennial by cutting a giant birthday cake on the steps of the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in April.