Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington

Metropolitan Archdiocese of Washington

Archidiœcesis Metropolitae Vashingtonensis
Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
ADW Masthead
Coat of arms
Location
CountryUnited States
TerritoryWashington, D.C. and Montgomery, Prince George's, St. Mary's, Calvert, and Charles counties in Maryland[1]
Ecclesiastical provinceWashington, D.C.
HeadquartersHyattsville, Maryland, U.S.
Statistics
Area2,104 sq mi (5,450 km2)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2017)
2,980,005
655,601[2] (22.0%)
Parishes139
Schools93
Information
DenominationCatholic Church
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
EstablishedJuly 29, 1939[3][4] (85 years ago)
CathedralCathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle
Patron saintBlessed Virgin Mary in her Motherhood[5]
Secular priests262
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
Metropolitan ArchbishopWilton Daniel Gregory
Auxiliary BishopsRoy Edward Campbell
Juan Esposito-Garcia
Evelio Menjivar-Ayala
Bishops emeritusDonald William Wuerl
Map
Website
adw.org
Archdiocese of Washington masthead

The Archdiocese of Washington (Latin: Archidiœcesis Metropolitae Vashingtonensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church for the District of Columbia and several Maryland counties in the United States.

The Archdiocese of Washington is home to the Catholic University of America[6] and Georgetown University. The archdiocese is also home to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The only suffragan diocese of the archdiocese is the Diocese of Saint Thomas.

The mother church of the archdiocese is the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in downtown Washington. As of 2024, Wilton Gregory serves as the Archbishop of Washington.

Territory

The Archdiocese of Washington encompasses the District of Columbia and the following counties in Maryland:

History

17th century

In the 17th century, the present day District of Columbia was part of the British Province of Maryland. Unlike the other American colonies, Maryland had been settled by Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, as a haven for Catholic refugees from Great Britain.[7]

On March 25, 1634, the first Catholic Mass in the English-speaking colonies was celebrated by Andrew White on St. Clement's Island in Maryland.[8] Due to immigration, by 1660 the population of Maryland had gradually become predominantly Protestant. Political power remained concentrated in the hands of the largely Catholic elite.[9] In 1649, Maryland passed the Maryland Toleration Act, mandating religious tolerance for trinitarian Christians. It was the first law requiring religious tolerance in the English North American colonies.[9]

In 1689, a group of Puritans, now the majority in the colony, successfully revolted against the colonial government, which had been controlled by the Catholic elite.[10] After gaining power, the Puritans exacted restrictions on Catholics in the colony. To celebrate Mass, Catholics had to set up private chapels in their homes.

18th century

In 1704, the colonial assembly passed a law prohibiting Catholics from holding political office.[10][8] After the American Revolution ended in 1781, the Vatican needed to move American Catholics out of the jurisdiction of the Diocese of London. In 1784, the pope established the Prefecture Apostolic of United States of America, naming John Carroll as the prefect apostolic.[11]

With the passage of the US Constitution in 1789, religious freedom was guaranteed throughout the United States. In 1789, Pope Pius VI erected the Diocese of Baltimore, covering all of the United States including the State of Maryland. The pope named Carroll as the first bishop of Baltimore.[12] The present day District of Columbia would remain part of this diocese, followed by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, for the next 150 years.

The City of Washington was founded in 1791 as part of the plan to make it the nation's capital.[13] Carroll founded Georgetown College in what was then the village of Georgetown in 1792. It was the first Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher learning in the United States.[14][15]

The first Catholic Church in Washington, St. Patrick's, was established in 1794 to minister to the Irish immigrant stone masons who were constructing the White House and US Capitol Building. A brick church for St. Patrick's was completed in 1809.[16]

19th century

In 1814, the British Army entered Washington during the War of 1812 and set the city on fire. William Matthews, pastor of St. Patrick's, saved the church from burning down, then persuaded British Major General Robert Ross to preserve it from further harm.[17]

In 1889, Catholic University of America opened in Washington, D.C., the first papally-chartered graduate and research university in the country.[18] Trinity College was founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1897 as the nation's first Catholic liberal arts college for women.[19]

20th century

Dahlgren Chapel at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

On July 22, 1939, recognizing the increased population of the District of Columbia, Pope Pius XII erected the new Archdiocese of Washington.[20][4][8][21] The pope appointed Michael Curley, then archbishop of Baltimore, to also serve as archbishop of Washington.[22] Curley died in 1947.

Pius XII in 1947 appointed separate archbishops for Baltimore and Washington. His choice as archbishop of Washington was Monsignor Patrick O'Boyle from the Archdiocese of New York. In 1948, O'Boyle racially integrated the Catholic schools in Washington and then the Maryland counties in the diocese. He started first with the colleges and universities, then the high schools, and finally the parochial elementary schools.[23] In 1949, O'Boyle delivered the benediction at the inauguration of U.S. President Harry S. Truman. In 1954, Pope Pius XII confirmed the request of Archbishop O’Boyle to place the Archdiocese of Washington under the patronage of Mary, Mother of God,[24] which at the time was celebrated as the Feast of the Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on October 11, before it was moved to January 1.

In April 1964, during the United States Congress debate on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, O'Boyle chaired the Inter-religious Convocation on Civil Rights at Georgetown University. In giving the invocation before Congress, O'Boyle said that "There is in every man a priceless dignity which is your heritage. From this dignity flow the rights of man, and the duty in justice that all must respect and honor these rights..." He urged Congress to pass the bill and those present to "tell our Representatives our conviction that such a law is a moral obligation."[25] The bill was enacted in July 1964.

The Archdiocese of Washington became a metropolitan see on October 12, 1965, when the Diocese of Saint Thomas became its only suffragan see.[26] O'Boyle was created Cardinal Priest of San Nicola in Carcere by Pope Paul VI in June 1967. O'Boyle retired as archbishop in 1973.

To replace O'Boyle, Paul VI named Bishop William Baum of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau as the next archbishop of Washington. In the 1976 consistory, Paul VI named Baum as cardinal-priest of Santa Croce in Via Flaminia. Baum resigned as archbishop of Washington in 1980 to take a position in the Roman Curia in Rome.[27]

Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop James Hickey from the Diocese of Cleveland as archbishop of Washington in 1980.[28] Hickey's tenure in Washington D.C. oversaw a significant expansion of Catholic Charities, which became the region's largest private social service agency. He also established:

In conjunction with Mother Teresa, Hickey also founded a Washington convent of the Missionaries of Charity for the care of the homeless and terminally ill.[29] Hickey ordered New Ways Ministry, an unauthorized ministry for LGBTQ+ Catholics, to stop any operations on archdiocese property in the early 1980s. He also forced Georgetown University to stop DignityUSA, a national LBGTQ+ ministry organization, from celebrating Mass on campus in 1987.[30]

As chancellor of Catholic University, Hickey ousted theologian Charles Curran from the university's faculty in 1987. Curran had dissented from the church position on artificial contraception.[31] In 1989, Hickey excommunicated African-American priest George Stallings, a one-time protégé, after Stallings formed the unauthorized Imani Temple African-American Catholic Congregation.[32]

21st century

When Hickey retired in 2000, John Paul II named Archbishop Theodore McCarrick from the Archdiocese of Newark as the next archbishop of Washington. McCarrick retired as archbishop in 2008.[33]

Bishop Donald Wuerl of the Diocese of Pittsburgh was named archbishop of Washington by Benedict XVI in 2008.[34] In late 2009, the Council of the District of Columbia was debating a bill that would prohibit discrimination against gay men and lesbians. Wuerl advocated for so-called religious liberty provisions that he said would protect the Catholic Church's ability to provide social services, such as adoption in accordance with Catholic teaching on marriage.[35] Soon after Wuerl made this statement, The Washington Post characterized the archdiocese as giving an "ultimatum" to the city.[36] The New York Times termed the statement a "threat"[37] In response, Wuerl said that there was

"...no threat or ultimatum to end services, just a simple recognition that the new requirements by the city for religious organizations to recognize same-sex marriages in their policies could restrict our ability to provide the same level of services as we do now."[38]

When the Council of DC passed the anti-discrimination bill in December 2009, Wuerl stated that it did not adequately protect religious liberty. However, he said that the archdiocese would continue to serve the poor and hoped to be "working in partnership with the District of Columbia consistent with the mission of the Catholic Church."[39] However, in February 2010, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington ended its foster care and public adoption programs in the District rather than approved same-sex couples as foster or adoptive parents.[40][41] The agency also modified its employee health care benefits to avoid having to extend coverage to same-sex couples.[42]

In 2011, Wuerl established the Saint John Paul II Seminary in Washington.[43]

The archdiocese and other local Catholic institutions in 2012 sued the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over regulations for prescriptions and health services. The plaintiffs objected to HHS requiring Catholic institutions that do not primarily serve Catholics, such as hospitals or universities, to provide health care coverage to employees for artificial contraception and abortion services for women.[44]

In 2017, the archdiocese sued the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) The archdiocese had tried to purchase Christmas ads that would cover bus exteriors. However, WMATA had refused, citing its policy against religious advertising.[45] The archdiocese lost the case in the lower courts and the US Supreme Court in 2020 declined to hear it.[46]

By August 2018, Wuerl was facing increased criticism over his handling of sexual abuse cases against the clergy when he was bishop of Pittsburgh. At the end of August, Wuerl flew to Rome, where he met with Pope Francis. The pope instructed Wuerl to confer with the priests of the archdiocese regarding his next steps.[47] On September 3, 2018, Wuerl met with over 100 archdiocesan priests. He told them he knew nothing about the McCarrick allegations until they became public.[47] Some priests encouraged Wuerl to resign while others told him to "stay and be part of the church's healing process."[47] Protesters started appearing outside the bishop's residence and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.[48] On September 8, 2018, Deacon James Garcia, the master of ceremonies at St. Matthew's Cathedral, informed Wuerl that he was refusing to assist him at Mass anymore due to his handling of sexual abuse cases; Garcia asked Wuerl to resign.[49][50]

Wuerl resigned as archbishop of Washington in October 2018.[51] He remained as apostolic administrator in the archdiocese until a successor was installed.[52][53]

In April 2019, Archbishop Wilton Gregory from the Archdiocese of Atlanta was appointed archbishop of Washington by Pope Francis.[54][55] He became the first African American to lead the archdiocese.[56] Pope Francis raised Gregory to the rank of cardinal at a consistory in Rome in November 2020.

In December 2019, The Washington Post reported that McCarrick had given John Paul II $90,000 during the early 1990s and Benedict XVI $291,000 starting in 2005. McCarrick also made smaller donations to other Vatican officials, The money came from the "Archbishop's Special Fund", a fund controlled by McCarrick and supported by donations from wealthy Catholics. Some critics accused McCarrick of trying to bride the Vatican to ignore accusations of sexual abuse against him. The Vatican responded that the donations did not affect any Vatican policies or actions.[57][58] The archdiocese took in nearly a third less money in its 2019 annual fundraising appeal, which had been renamed from "Cardinal's Appeal" to "Annual Appeal", in the wake of the scandals.[59]

In December 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the archdiocese sued the city of Washington, objecting to an attendance cap of 50 parishioners during any Mass or other service to prevent the spread of infection. Before the suit went to trial, the two parties settled, with the city raising the attendance cap to 250 attendees or one quarter of the church's allowed seating.[60]

As of 2023, Gregory is the current archbishop of Washington.

Sex abuse scandal

The Archdiocese of Washington in December 2006 paid a $1.6 million settlement to 16 men with credible accusations of sexual abuse by archdiocesan clergy from 1962 to 1982.[61]

In September 2018, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced that it was investigating the archdiocese for reports of sex abuse by clergy.[62]

In October 2018, the archdiocese released the names of 31 archdiocesan clergy with credible accusations of sexually abusing minors since 1948.[63][64][65]

Reverend Urbano Vazquez from the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Columbia Heights was convicted in August 2019 of four counts of sexual abuse involving two girls.[66] He had groped a 13-year-old in 2015, kissed and groped a nine-year-old in 2016 and sexually assaulted an adult female in 2016. In November 2019, Vazquez was sentenced to 15 years in prison.[67]

In October 2019, The Washington Post reported that police were investigating an allegation that Bishop Michael Bransfield from the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston had inappropriately touched a nine-year-old girl at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington while on a 2012 trip.[68] Bransfield served at the basilica in several positions during the 1980s[69][70] Bransfield denied the allegation.[68] Bransfield, who had resigned as bishop in 2018, had been banned from performing priestly functions in his former diocese in March 2019.[71]

Bishops

Archbishops of Washington

  1. Michael Joseph Curley (1939–1947), concurrently the Archbishop of Baltimore
  2. Patrick Aloysius O'Boyle (1947–1973)
  3. William Wakefield Baum (1973–1980), appointed Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education and later Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary
  4. James Aloysius Hickey (1980–2000)
  5. Theodore Edgar McCarrick (2001–2006; former cardinal, laicized for sexual abuse)[72]
  6. Donald William Wuerl (2006–2018)
  7. Wilton Daniel Gregory (2019–present)
Cathedra in St. Matthew's Cathedral, affixed with Archbishop Curley's coat of arms

Auxiliary bishops

Other archdiocesan priests who became bishops

Parishes

Main article: List of parishes in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington

Education

See also: List of schools in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington

The Archdiocese of Washington centralized its school administration as part of its Center City Consortium, established in 1997.[73]

High schools in Maryland

High schools in District of Columbia

Colleges and universities in District of Columbia

Seminaries in District of Columbia

Cemeteries

In addition to the nearly four dozen of its parishes which have their own cemeteries,[74] the archdiocese owns and operates five major cemeteries:[75]

Two former parish cemeteries are also operated by the archdiocese:

Province of Washington

Ecclesiastical Province of Washington map
See also: List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States

See also

References

  1. ^ "Archdiocese of Washington".
  2. ^ "Statistics". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. December 6, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  3. ^ "75th Anniversary". Archdiocese of Washington. Retrieved October 20, 2020. Cardinal Donald Wuerl, then-archbishop of Washington, celebrated a special Mass for the 75th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Washington at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle on September 21, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Although the archdiocese was created on July 29, 1939, it shared its first archbishop with the Archdiocese of Baltimore — Archbishop Curley — who continued to administer the two archdioceses as a single unit, until Washington's first residential archbishop was appointed on November 15, 1947. Most Rev. Michael J. Curley Archived February 21, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Archdiocese of Baltimore. Retrieved on November 19, 2016. Archbishops of the Modern Era Archived November 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Archdiocese of Baltimore. Retrieved on 2016-11-19.
  5. ^ "Acta Apostolicae Sedis 47 (1955) 209-210".
  6. ^ "About Us". The Catholic University of America. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  7. ^ Frances Copeland Stickles, A Crown for Henrietta Maria: Maryland's Namesake Queen (1988), p. 4
  8. ^ a b c "Who We Are". Archdiocese of Washington. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  9. ^ a b Brugger, Robert J. (1996-09-25). Maryland, A Middle Temperament: 1634-1980. JHU Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-5465-1.
  10. ^ a b Roark, Elisabeth (2003-12-30). Artists of Colonial America. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-0-313-32023-1.
  11. ^ "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: John Carroll". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  12. ^ "Prefect Apostolic". The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  13. ^ Crew, Harvey W.; Webb, William Bensing; Wooldridge, John (1892). Centennial History of the City of Washington, D.C. Dayton, OH: United Brethren Publishing House. pp. 89–92.
  14. ^ "Georgetown University History". Georgetown University. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  15. ^ Tikkanen, Amy; Campbell, Heather; Goldberg, Maren; Wallenfeldt, Jeff; Augustyn, Adam (2023-05-04). "Washington, D.C." Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  16. ^ "Our History". St. Patrick Parish. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  17. ^ Durkin, Joseph Thomas (1963). William Matthews: Priest and Citizen. New York: Benziger Brothers. pp. 16–17.
  18. ^ "At a Glance". The Catholic University of America. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  19. ^ "Mission and History". Trinity Washington University. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  20. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. XXXI. 1939. pp. 668–70. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  21. ^ "Baltimore (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  22. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. XXXI. 1939. p. 691. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  23. ^ Winers, Michael Sean. "Cardinal Patrick O'Boyle", National Catholic Reporter, August 2, 2010
  24. ^ "Acta Apostolicae Sedis 47 (1955) 209-210".
  25. ^ "Archbishop Patrick Cardinal O'Boyle Prayer on Civil Rights Act · The Catholic Church, Bishops, and Race in the Mid-20th Century · American Catholic History Classroom".
  26. ^ "Washington (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  27. ^ "William Wakefield Cardinal Baum [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  28. ^ "James Aloysius Cardinal Hickey [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  29. ^ a b "About Us: James Cardinal Hickey". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. Archived from the original on 2008-07-03.
  30. ^ Murphy, Caryle (2004-10-25). "A Steadfast Servant of D.C. Area's Needy". The Washington Post.
  31. ^ "Papal Slate". TIME Magazine. 1988-06-13. Archived from the original on November 26, 2010.
  32. ^ Cramer, Jerome and Richard N. Ostling (1990-05-14). "Catholicism's Black Maverick". TIME Magazine. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008.
  33. ^ "Mister Theodore Edgar McCarrick [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  34. ^ "Donald William Cardinal Wuerl [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  35. ^ Archdiocese of Washington website – Same Sex Marriage Archived October 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  36. ^ Craig, Tim; Boorstein, Michelle (November 12, 2009). "Catholic Church Gives D.C. Ultimatum". The Washington Post.
  37. ^ Urbina, Ian (November 12, 2009). "New Turn in Debate over Law on Marriage". The New York Times. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  38. ^ Wuerl, Donald W. (November 22, 2009). "Archbishop Donald Wuerl on D.C.'s Same-Sex Marriage Bill". The Washington Post.
  39. ^ Archdiocese of Washington Website – News Release Archived January 11, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  40. ^ Wright, Laura (February 9, 2010). "Catholic Charities Ends Foster Care Program to Avoid Compromising Religious Beliefs". Catholic Standard. Archdiocese of Washington.
  41. ^ "Same-Sex 'Marriage' Law Forces D.C. Catholic Charities to Close Adoption Program". Catholic News Agency. February 17, 2010. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  42. ^ Urbina, Ian (March 3, 2010). "Gay Marriage Is Legal in U.S. Capital". The New York Times. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  43. ^ "Mission and History". Saint John Paul II Seminary. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  44. ^ "Archdiocese of Washington Files Lawsuit Defending Religious Freedom". Georgetown, DC Patch. 2012-05-21. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  45. ^ Freed, Benjamin (2017-11-28). "Archdiocese of Washington Sues Metro Over Advertising Policies - Washingtonian". The Washingtonian. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  46. ^ Zimmermann, Mark (April 9, 2020). "Supreme Court declines review of case involving Washington Archdiocese ad". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  47. ^ a b c Lovett, Ian (September 4, 2018). "Under Pressure to Resign, Cardinal Wuerl Meets With Priests About Future". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  48. ^ Boorstein, Michelle (2021-10-27). "Calls for Cardinal Wuerl's resignation build after archbishop's accusing letter". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  49. ^ Julie Zauzmer (September 9, 2018). "Donald Wuerl is a con man under a Cardinal's cap". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  50. ^ Keara Dowd (September 9, 2018). "Local deacon at high-profile parish calls on Wuerl to resign". WTOP.com website. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  51. ^ Chappell, Bill (12 October 2018). "Pope Accepts Resignation Of D.C. Archbishop Donald Wuerl Amid Sex Abuse Crisis". NPR.org.
  52. ^ "So Long, Cardinal Wuerl | Ed Condon". First Things. 21 May 2019.
  53. ^ White, Christopher (October 12, 2018). "Wuerl resigns amid papal praise, will stay as interim administrator". Crux. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  54. ^ "Resignations and Appointments". press.vatican.va.
  55. ^ "Pope Francis appoints new Archbishop for Washington - Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va. April 4, 2019.
  56. ^ "Wilton Gregory installed as new archbishop of Washington". spectrumlocalnews.com.
  57. ^ Boburg, Shawn; Robert Jr, O'Harrow; Harlan, Chico. "Ousted cardinal McCarrick gave more than $600,000 to fellow clerics, including two popes, records show" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  58. ^ "Washington Post: Former Newark archbishop accused of abuse gave more than $600K to fellow clerics". News 12 - New Jersey. December 27, 2019.
  59. ^ Boorstein, Michelle. "Donations to D.C. Catholic archdiocese's key appeal down nearly a third after year of controversy". The Washington Post.
  60. ^ "D.C. Archdiocese Settles Lawsuit Against the City - Washingtonian". 2020-12-22. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  61. ^ "WASHINGTON ARCHDIOCESE PAYS $1.3 MILLION SETTLEMENT TO 16 VICTIMS OF CLERGY ABUSE". News on 6. December 16, 2006. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  62. ^ "Bishops to investigate 4 dioceses after Pope nixes Vatican McCarrick probe". cruxnow.com. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  63. ^ Boorstein, Michelle; Zauzmer, Julie. "Washington Catholic Archdiocese releases names of 31 clergy members 'credibly accused' since 1948 of sexually abusing minors" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  64. ^ Lam, Kristin. "Washington Catholic Archdiocese names of 31 priests credibly accused of abuse since 1948". USA Today.
  65. ^ "Washington diocese names 31 ex-clergy accused of abuse". www.aljazeera.com.
  66. ^ Alexander, Keith L. "Catholic priest found guilty of sexually abusing girls at his D.C. parish" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  67. ^ Wagner, Paul (November 22, 2019). "DC priest sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually abusing kids at Shrine of the Sacred Heart". FOX 5 DC.
  68. ^ a b Boburg, Shawn; Jr, Robert O'Harrow (2019-10-03). "Former W.Va. bishop Michael Bransfield is under police investigation for alleged abuse of 9-year-old girl on church trip". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  69. ^ Rutkowski, Ryan (2010). Catholic West Virginia. Arcadia Publishing. p. 20. ISBN 9780738586397. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  70. ^ "Bishop Michael J. Bransfield". Bishop Accountability. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  71. ^ Robert O'Harrow Jr. & Shawn Boburg, Three priests accused of enabling W.Va. bishop's 'predatory and harassing conduct' resign, The Washington Post (June 10, 2019).
  72. ^ Zauzmer, Julie; Boorstein, Michelle; Hedgpeth, Dana. "Cardinal McCarrick, former archbishop of Washington, accused of sexual abuse and removed from ministry" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  73. ^ Palestini, Robert H. (2008-09-24). Catholic School Administration: Theory, Practice, Leadership. DEStech Publications, Inc. p. 315. ISBN 9781885432445.
  74. ^ Parish Cemeteries from the official website of the Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Washington
  75. ^ History from the official website of the Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Washington

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