Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese
of the Roman Catholic Church
in Northern California
. The diocese comprises Alameda
and Contra Costa Counties
in the San Francisco Bay Area
. The Cathedral of Christ the Light
serves as the bishop's seat, replacing the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales
which was demolished after the Loma Prieta earthquake
of 1989.
Once a part of the Archdiocese of San Francisco
, the Diocese of Oakland remains a suffragan of the ecclesiastical province of San Francisco
. Its fellow suffragans include the dioceses of Honolulu
, Las Vegas
, Reno
, Sacramento
, Salt Lake City
, San Jose
, Santa Rosa
and Stockton
.
The Diocese suffered from Catholic sex abuse cases brought forward by parishioners against its priests. From 1994 through 2009, the Diocese paid $60.5 million to its victims of sexual abuse, the largest payments being made in 2004 and 2005.
The patrons of the Diocese of Oakland are the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Francis de Sales.
The first known Mass celebrated in the area that is to become the Diocese of Oakland was on March 27, 1772 by Father Juan Crespi
on the shores of Lake Merritt
. Twenty five years later, Mission San José was established in what is now Fremont
, becoming the first parish in the area. Within time, Mission San José became the most prosperous of the California Missions and after secularization by the Mexican government the Mission remained an integral part of area with many of the early pioneer families sharing close ties with the Mission.
In the 1820s the Peralta family, landowners of much of what would become Alameda County, built a chapel on the grounds of Rancho San Antonio in present-day Oakland
. The chapel was served by priests from the Mission and was called Saint Anthony's chapel.
The area came under episcopal control in 1840 with the establishment of the Diocese of the Two Californians. After the Mexican-American War in 1850, the diocese was split in two with the Diocese of Monterey in California
administering the areas under American control. In 1853 Joseph Sadoc Alemany
, the Bishop of Monterey, moved his seat to San Francisco and became the first Archbishop of San Francisco
. At the time Mission San José was the only parish in the East Bay
.
In 1858, Archbishop Alemany sent Father James Croke to establish a parish in Oakland. Fr. Croke founded St. Mary, Immaculate Conception at Eighth and Jefferson Streets.
By the turn of the twentieth century many parishes were formed in Berkeley
, Fremont, Livermore
, Hayward
, Oakland and San Leandro
to reflect the growing populations in the East Bay. After World War II
rapid growth in the San Francisco region led Pope John XXIII
to establish the Diocese of Oakland in 1962 from the eastern portion of the San Francisco Archdiocese. Saint Frances de Sales was established as the diocesan mother church
and Floyd Begin
of Cleveland, Ohio was installed as Oakland's first bishop.
In the following decades the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales developed a national reputation for a lively liturgies and social ministries. The cathedral parish was also known for its excellence in music, developing what was called the "Oakland Cathedral Sound." Unfortunately, the cathedral church suffered damage in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
. The diocese deemed the repairs too costly (estimates were at $8 million for both the Cathedral and Sacred Heart Church) and instead opted to demolish the churches. It is now known as the Saint Mary-Saint Francis de Sales Parish.
In May 2005, ground was broken for the new $131 million Cathedral of Christ the Light
, located on the shores of Lake Merritt
in Oakland. The new Cathedral opened in 2008 with a new parish formed out of the current cathedral parish of Saint Mary-Saint Francis de Sales.
Nine diocesan clergy have been accused of molesting four or more children each, according to Dan McNevin of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), and court records. Monsignor Vincent Breen was accused of abusing at least fifteen girls, and Monsignor George Francis nine girls. Reverend James Clark was accused of abusing four children, Reverend Arthur Ribeiro four, Reverend Robert Freitas five, Reverend Gary Tollner six, Reverend Robert Ponciroli eight, Reverend Donald Broderson eleven, and Reverend Stephen Kiesle fifteen. One of the victims, Linda Chapin, was awarded $3 million in a 2004 settlement reached with the Diocese, related to her accusation that George Francis raped her "ritualistically and sadistically" several times beginning when she was six years old. Francis died in 1998. Upon winning her settlement, Chapin called upon the Diocese to "name all the priests that there are credible allegations against."
In 2005, Tim Stier, priest at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Fremont, California
, stepped down from his 25-year service with the Oakland Diocese in protest of its failure to address sexuality problems in priests. Stier described the Diocese as hiding or ignoring the child sex abuse cases, and not holding its leaders accountable. He said, "It's not as if I'm a perfect person and I don't have weaknesses and sin. But there is a level of dishonesty and arrogance in this that just tells me we need systemic, radical change." Stier has since endorsed such innovations as female priests, married priests, openly gay priests and married gay priests.
In 2010, Stephen Kiesle was accused of abusing an 11-year-old girl, Teresa Rosson, from 1972, the year he was ordained, until 2001, two decades after he had been removed from the priesthood. Kiesle married Rosson's mother in 1982. In 1978, Kiesle had pleaded no contest
to a misdemeanor
charge of lewd conduct for tying up and molesting two boys in a church rectory and was removed from his duties as a priest. From 1985 to 1988, Kiesle volunteered as a youth minister in a parish in Pinole, but was removed after a worker in the Diocese's Office of Youth Ministry complained. Kiesle was formally defrocked in 1987. Eight of Kiesle's victims settled with the Diocese in 2005 for between $1 million and $1.5 million each, part of a total of $56 million in settlements paid out by the Diocese that year to those who had been abused, and more than a quarter of a million in therapy for victims. Diocese-owned insurance policies covered some 57% of these payments. Kiesle was sentenced to six years in prison; some of the charges were dropped because they were beyond the legal statute of limitations. He was returned to prison for four months for possessing pornography in violation of his parole.
In October 2008, Bishop Allen Henry Vigneron
opened a Healing Garden at the Cathedral of Christ the Light
, dedicated to victims of clergy sexual abuse. From 1994 through 2009, the Diocese paid $60.5 million to its victims of sexual abuse.
, American Sign Language
, Vietnamese
, Filipino
and Latin
(Mass of Paul VI
and Tridentine Mass
).
The diocesan Department of Catholic Schools administers over forty seven elementary/middle schools and nine high schools serving over 19,000 students. Some of the more notable schools include De La Salle High School
, known nationally as a football powerhouse, St. Joseph Notre Dame High School
in Alameda, known as having state championship basketball teams, Bishop O'Dowd High School
, and Salesian High School
.
In addition to the elementary and high schools, seven Universities and Seminaries are located within Diocese of Oakland, these include:
who serves as ordinary
. The first bishop was installed in 1962, appointed from the Diocese of Cleveland
. Thus far, four persons have served as Bishop of Oakland. A former vicar general
of Oakland was appointed by Pope
Benedict XVI as Bishop of Honolulu.
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
. The diocese comprises Alameda
Alameda County, California
Alameda County is a county in the U.S. state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,510,271, making it the 7th most populous county in the state...
and Contra Costa Counties
Contra Costa County, California
Contra Costa County is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025...
in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. The Cathedral of Christ the Light
Cathedral of Christ the Light
The Cathedral of Christ the Light and also called the Oakland Cathedral, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland in Oakland, California. It is the seat of the Bishop of Oakland...
serves as the bishop's seat, replacing the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales
Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales in Oakland
Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales in Oakland was an 1893 church, which served as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland in Oakland, California from 1962 until it was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake....
which was demolished after the Loma Prieta earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time...
of 1989.
Once a part of the Archdiocese of San Francisco
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. It covers the City and County of San Francisco and the Counties of Marin and San Mateo...
, the Diocese of Oakland remains a suffragan of the ecclesiastical province of San Francisco
Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco is the Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, the Roman Catholic Church in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties in California, the United States...
. Its fellow suffragans include the dioceses of Honolulu
Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu
The Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, officially in Latin Dioecesis Honoluluensis, is an ecclesiastical territory or particular church of the Catholic Church in the United States...
, Las Vegas
Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern Nevada region of the United States. It comprises the Counties of Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Nye, White Pine and is governed from the City of Las Vegas...
, Reno
Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno is an ecclesiastical territory of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern Nevada region of the United States, centered on the city of Reno. With the urging of Cardinal George Mundelein, Archbishop of Chicago, Pope Pius XI established the Diocese on March 27, 1931...
, Sacramento
Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento is an ecclesiastical territory or particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States...
, Salt Lake City
Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, officially in Latin Dioecesis Civitatis Lacus Salsi, is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the entire state of Utah. Also known as the Utah Catholic Church or the See of Salt Lake City, its mother church is the...
, San Jose
Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San José; in California is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. It comprises Santa Clara County, and is led by a bishop. Its patron saints are Saint Joseph and Saint Clare of...
, Santa Rosa
Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa in California
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa in California is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States, named in honor of St. Rose of Lima. It comprises the Counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa and...
and Stockton
Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Central Valley and Mother Lode region of California in the United States. It comprises the Counties of Alpine, Calaveras, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne...
.
The Diocese suffered from Catholic sex abuse cases brought forward by parishioners against its priests. From 1994 through 2009, the Diocese paid $60.5 million to its victims of sexual abuse, the largest payments being made in 2004 and 2005.
The patrons of the Diocese of Oakland are the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Francis de Sales.
History
Juan Crespi
Father Juan Crespí was a Majorcan missionary and explorer of Las Californias. He entered the Franciscan order at the age of seventeen. He came to America in 1749, and accompanied explorers Francisco Palóu and Junípero Serra. In 1767 he went to the Baja Peninsula and was placed in charge of the...
on the shores of Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt is a large tidal lagoon that lies just east of downtown Oakland, California. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods. A popular 3.1 mile walking and jogging path runs along its perimeter...
. Twenty five years later, Mission San José was established in what is now Fremont
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
, becoming the first parish in the area. Within time, Mission San José became the most prosperous of the California Missions and after secularization by the Mexican government the Mission remained an integral part of area with many of the early pioneer families sharing close ties with the Mission.
In the 1820s the Peralta family, landowners of much of what would become Alameda County, built a chapel on the grounds of Rancho San Antonio in present-day Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. The chapel was served by priests from the Mission and was called Saint Anthony's chapel.
The area came under episcopal control in 1840 with the establishment of the Diocese of the Two Californians. After the Mexican-American War in 1850, the diocese was split in two with the Diocese of Monterey in California
Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey in California
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey in California is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese in the United States of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Central Coast region of California...
administering the areas under American control. In 1853 Joseph Sadoc Alemany
Joseph Sadoc Alemany
Joseph Sadoc Alemany y Conill, O.P. was a Catalan American Roman Catholic archbishop and missionary. He served as the first Bishop of Monterey from 1850 until 1853, and as the first Archbishop of San Francisco from 1853 until 1884.-Background:Born in Vic, 60 km north of Barcelona, Spain , Alemany...
, the Bishop of Monterey, moved his seat to San Francisco and became the first Archbishop of San Francisco
Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco is the Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, the Roman Catholic Church in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties in California, the United States...
. At the time Mission San José was the only parish in the East Bay
East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)
The East Bay is a commonly used, informal term for the lands on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States...
.
In 1858, Archbishop Alemany sent Father James Croke to establish a parish in Oakland. Fr. Croke founded St. Mary, Immaculate Conception at Eighth and Jefferson Streets.
By the turn of the twentieth century many parishes were formed in Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, Fremont, Livermore
Livermore, California
Livermore is a city in Alameda County. The population as of 2010 was 80,968. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area....
, Hayward
Hayward, California
Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. With a population of 144,186, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward was ranked as the 37th most populous municipality in California. It is included in...
, Oakland and San Leandro
San Leandro, California
San Leandro is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is considered a suburb of Oakland and San Francisco. The population was 84,950 as of 2010 census. The climate of the city is mild throughout the year.-Geography and water resources:...
to reflect the growing populations in the East Bay. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
rapid growth in the San Francisco region led Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
to establish the Diocese of Oakland in 1962 from the eastern portion of the San Francisco Archdiocese. Saint Frances de Sales was established as the diocesan mother church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
and Floyd Begin
Floyd Lawrence Begin
Floyd Lawrence Begin was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Oakland from 1962 until his death in 1977.-Early life and education:...
of Cleveland, Ohio was installed as Oakland's first bishop.
In the following decades the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales developed a national reputation for a lively liturgies and social ministries. The cathedral parish was also known for its excellence in music, developing what was called the "Oakland Cathedral Sound." Unfortunately, the cathedral church suffered damage in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time...
. The diocese deemed the repairs too costly (estimates were at $8 million for both the Cathedral and Sacred Heart Church) and instead opted to demolish the churches. It is now known as the Saint Mary-Saint Francis de Sales Parish.
In May 2005, ground was broken for the new $131 million Cathedral of Christ the Light
Cathedral of Christ the Light
The Cathedral of Christ the Light and also called the Oakland Cathedral, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland in Oakland, California. It is the seat of the Bishop of Oakland...
, located on the shores of Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt is a large tidal lagoon that lies just east of downtown Oakland, California. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods. A popular 3.1 mile walking and jogging path runs along its perimeter...
in Oakland. The new Cathedral opened in 2008 with a new parish formed out of the current cathedral parish of Saint Mary-Saint Francis de Sales.
Child molestation scandals
At least 64 Roman Catholic clergy members accused of molesting children have served in 61 of the 86 parishes in the Oakland Diocese, and in all seven of the Diocese's male-run high schools. The Diocese has only acknowledged 12 of the molesters, according to a 2008 MediaNews analysis of court and church records.Nine diocesan clergy have been accused of molesting four or more children each, according to Dan McNevin of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), and court records. Monsignor Vincent Breen was accused of abusing at least fifteen girls, and Monsignor George Francis nine girls. Reverend James Clark was accused of abusing four children, Reverend Arthur Ribeiro four, Reverend Robert Freitas five, Reverend Gary Tollner six, Reverend Robert Ponciroli eight, Reverend Donald Broderson eleven, and Reverend Stephen Kiesle fifteen. One of the victims, Linda Chapin, was awarded $3 million in a 2004 settlement reached with the Diocese, related to her accusation that George Francis raped her "ritualistically and sadistically" several times beginning when she was six years old. Francis died in 1998. Upon winning her settlement, Chapin called upon the Diocese to "name all the priests that there are credible allegations against."
In 2005, Tim Stier, priest at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Fremont, California
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
, stepped down from his 25-year service with the Oakland Diocese in protest of its failure to address sexuality problems in priests. Stier described the Diocese as hiding or ignoring the child sex abuse cases, and not holding its leaders accountable. He said, "It's not as if I'm a perfect person and I don't have weaknesses and sin. But there is a level of dishonesty and arrogance in this that just tells me we need systemic, radical change." Stier has since endorsed such innovations as female priests, married priests, openly gay priests and married gay priests.
In 2010, Stephen Kiesle was accused of abusing an 11-year-old girl, Teresa Rosson, from 1972, the year he was ordained, until 2001, two decades after he had been removed from the priesthood. Kiesle married Rosson's mother in 1982. In 1978, Kiesle had pleaded no contest
Nolo contendere
is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of...
to a misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
charge of lewd conduct for tying up and molesting two boys in a church rectory and was removed from his duties as a priest. From 1985 to 1988, Kiesle volunteered as a youth minister in a parish in Pinole, but was removed after a worker in the Diocese's Office of Youth Ministry complained. Kiesle was formally defrocked in 1987. Eight of Kiesle's victims settled with the Diocese in 2005 for between $1 million and $1.5 million each, part of a total of $56 million in settlements paid out by the Diocese that year to those who had been abused, and more than a quarter of a million in therapy for victims. Diocese-owned insurance policies covered some 57% of these payments. Kiesle was sentenced to six years in prison; some of the charges were dropped because they were beyond the legal statute of limitations. He was returned to prison for four months for possessing pornography in violation of his parole.
In October 2008, Bishop Allen Henry Vigneron
Allen Henry Vigneron
-References:-External links:[Oakland Diocese Biography http://www.oakdiocese.org/notes.htm]...
opened a Healing Garden at the Cathedral of Christ the Light
Cathedral of Christ the Light
The Cathedral of Christ the Light and also called the Oakland Cathedral, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland in Oakland, California. It is the seat of the Bishop of Oakland...
, dedicated to victims of clergy sexual abuse. From 1994 through 2009, the Diocese paid $60.5 million to its victims of sexual abuse.
The Diocese Today
Today, the Diocese of Oakland serves an estimated 560,000 Catholics in the East Bay region. As the Bay Area is known for a diverse population the diocese celebrates mass in fifteen different languages including SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, American Sign Language
American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
, Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
, Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
(Mass of Paul VI
Mass of Paul VI
The Mass of Pope Paul VI is the liturgy of the Catholic Mass of the Roman Rite promulgated by Paul VI in 1969, after the Second Vatican Council...
and Tridentine Mass
Tridentine Mass
The Tridentine Mass is the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published from 1570 to 1962. It was the most widely celebrated Mass liturgy in the world until the introduction of the Mass of Paul VI in December 1969...
).
The diocesan Department of Catholic Schools administers over forty seven elementary/middle schools and nine high schools serving over 19,000 students. Some of the more notable schools include De La Salle High School
De La Salle High School (Concord, California)
De La Salle High School is a Roman Catholic Private school for boys in Concord, California, United States. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, the school was founded in 1965 as a Lasallian institution. De La Salle currently enrolls just over 1,000 students, and roughly 99% of each...
, known nationally as a football powerhouse, St. Joseph Notre Dame High School
St. Joseph Notre Dame High School
St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda, California is a coeducational Roman Catholic high school. It is one of the few Catholic high schools in the world to possess an on-campus minor basilica, the Basilica of St. Joseph, Alameda. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and...
in Alameda, known as having state championship basketball teams, Bishop O'Dowd High School
Bishop O'Dowd High School
Bishop O'Dowd High School is a Catholic, co-educational, college preparatory school in Oakland, California, administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland and named for the late auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, James T. O'Dowd . About 44% of students are non-Catholic...
, and Salesian High School
Salesian High School (Richmond, California)
Salesian High School is a coeducational Roman Catholic preparatory high school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland. The school's patron saint is Saint John Bosco, the Italian founder of the Salesian order. The school's motto is "Loyalty - Excellence"...
.
In addition to the elementary and high schools, seven Universities and Seminaries are located within Diocese of Oakland, these include:
- Affiliates of the Graduate Theological UnionGraduate Theological UnionThe Graduate Theological Union ' is a consortium of nine independent theological schools, and eleven centers and affiliates. Eight of the theological schools are located in Berkeley, California. The GTU was founded in 1962. It maintains the Graduate Theological Union Library, one of the most...
- Dominican School of Philosophy and TheologyDominican School of Philosophy and TheologyThe Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology is a Roman Catholic college, seminary, and graduate school in Berkeley, California. It is located at 2301 Vine Street in Berkeley....
- Franciscan School of TheologyFranciscan School of TheologyThe Franciscan School of Theology is a Roman Catholic graduate theological school, owned and operated by the Province of Saint Barbara of the Order of Friars Minor...
- Jesuit School of Theology at BerkeleyJesuit School of Theology at BerkeleyThe Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University is a Jesuit Seminary that is a school of Santa Clara University and one of the member colleges of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California...
- The Sabbatical School of Applied Theology
- Holy Names UniversityHoly Names UniversityHoly Names University is a private, coeducational university located in Oakland, California. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church and is administered by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.-History:...
- Queen of the Holy Rosary College
- St. Mary's College of California
Ordinaries
The Diocese of Oakland is led by a bishopBishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
who serves as ordinary
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
. The first bishop was installed in 1962, appointed from the Diocese of Cleveland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ohio. It was erected on April 23, 1847 by Pope Pius IX. The diocese lost territory in 1910 when the Diocese of Toledo was erected by Pope Pius X, and in 1943 when the Diocese of Youngstown was erected by Pope Pius XII...
. Thus far, four persons have served as Bishop of Oakland. A former vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of Oakland was appointed by Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
Benedict XVI as Bishop of Honolulu.
Bishops of Oakland
- Most Rev. Floyd Lawrence BeginFloyd Lawrence BeginFloyd Lawrence Begin was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Oakland from 1962 until his death in 1977.-Early life and education:...
(1962–1977), deceased. - Most Rev. John Stephen CumminsJohn Stephen CumminsJohn Stephen Cummins is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Oakland from 1977 to 2003.-Early life and education:...
(1977–2003), retired. - Most Rev. Allen Henry VigneronAllen Henry Vigneron-References:-External links:[Oakland Diocese Biography http://www.oakdiocese.org/notes.htm]...
(2003–2009), Archbishop of Detroit. - Most Rev. Salvatore Cordileone (2009-)
Bishops from Oakland
- Most Rev. Clarence Richard SilvaClarence Richard SilvaClarence Richard Silva, popularly known as Larry Silva , is a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fifth Bishop of Honolulu, appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on May 17, 2005, to oversee the Diocese of Honolulu. Previous to his appointment to the epicopacy, he served as a diocesan priest...
, Bishop of Honolulu (2005–present) and former Vicar General of Oakland (2003–2005)
For boys
- De La Salle High SchoolDe La Salle High School (Concord, California)De La Salle High School is a Roman Catholic Private school for boys in Concord, California, United States. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, the school was founded in 1965 as a Lasallian institution. De La Salle currently enrolls just over 1,000 students, and roughly 99% of each...
, (1965) Concord
For girls
- Carondelet High SchoolCarondelet High SchoolCarondelet High School is an all-girls private Catholic high school in Concord, California. Carondelet High School was founded by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. The school of about 800 students was founded in 1965. It shares some resources with the all-boys school, De La Salle High School, which is...
, (1965) Concord - Holy Names High School, (1868) Oakland
Coeducational
- Bishop O'Dowd High SchoolBishop O'Dowd High SchoolBishop O'Dowd High School is a Catholic, co-educational, college preparatory school in Oakland, California, administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland and named for the late auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, James T. O'Dowd . About 44% of students are non-Catholic...
, (1951) Oakland - Moreau Catholic High SchoolMoreau Catholic High SchoolMoreau Catholic High School is a college preparatory Roman Catholic secondary school founded by the Southwest Province of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. It is located in Hayward, California, within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland under the care of Salvatore J. Cordileone, the Bishop of...
, (1965) Hayward - St. Elizabeth High SchoolSt. Elizabeth High School (Oakland, California)St. Elizabeth High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Oakland, California, established in 1921 by the Franciscan Friars. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland.http://www.stliz-hs.org/-Notes and references:...
, (1912) Oakland - St. Joseph Notre Dame High SchoolSt. Joseph Notre Dame High SchoolSt. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda, California is a coeducational Roman Catholic high school. It is one of the few Catholic high schools in the world to possess an on-campus minor basilica, the Basilica of St. Joseph, Alameda. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and...
, (1881) Alameda - St. Mary's College High SchoolSt. Mary's College High SchoolSaint Mary's College High School came into being as part of St. Mary's College of California, founded in 1863 by the Catholic Church, and put under the auspices of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1868...
, (1863, San Francisco) Berkeley - Salesian High SchoolSalesian High School (Richmond, California)Salesian High School is a coeducational Roman Catholic preparatory high school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland. The school's patron saint is Saint John Bosco, the Italian founder of the Salesian order. The school's motto is "Loyalty - Excellence"...
, (1960) Richmond
Resources
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland
- Cathedral of Christ the Light
- Official 2009 Catholic DirectoryCatholic DirectoryCatholic Directories are various publications and reference works about or produced for the Roman Catholic Church.-Early history:The earliest English attempt at anything of the sort seems to have been a little Catholic Almanac, which appeared for three or four years in the reign of James II...
of the Diocese of Oakland, Published by the Catholic Voice.