Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing

The Diocese of Lansing encompasses an area of 6,218 square miles (16,100 km²) including the counties of Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Hillsdale, Ingham, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Shiawassee and Washtenaw.^[1]

During the 17th century, present-day Michigan was part of the French colony of New France. The Diocese of Quebec had jurisdiction over the region. In 1763, the Michigan area became part of the British Province of Quebec, forbidden from settlement by American colonists. After the American Revolution, the Michigan region became part of the new United States. For Catholics, Michigan was now under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which then comprised the entire country.

In 1808, Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of Bardstown in Kentucky, with jurisdiction over the new Michigan Territory. In 1821, the pope erected the Diocese of Cincinnati, taking the Michigan Territory from the Diocese of Bardstown.^[2]Pope Gregory XVI formed the Diocese of Detroit in 1833, covering the entire Michigan Territory. The Lansing area would be part of the Diocese of Detroit, followed by the Archdiocese of Detroit, for the next 104 years.

The first Catholic church in Flint, St. Michael's, was dedicated in 1848.^[3] In 1864, St. Mary Church opened in Lansing, the first Catholic church in that city. The present St. Mary Cathedral was constructed in 1913.^[4]

Pope Pius XI created the Diocese of Lansing May 22, 1937, removing its territory from the Archdiocese of Detroit. He named Auxiliary Bishop Joseph H. Albers of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati as the first bishop of Lansing that same year.

In 1938, the rectory of St. Mary Cathedral caught fire. Albers, still suffering from lungs weakened from poison gas in World War I, collapsed at the scene and had to be rescued by firefighters.^[5] In 1940, Albers moved into Meadowvue in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, his episcopal residence.^[6][7]

During Albers's episcopacy, the diocese built 38 parishes, 42 elementary schools and two high schools. This earned Albers the appellation "The Builder".^[5] Albers enjoyed a special devotion to St. Joseph; one of the new parishes was named for him.^[8] In 1954, the diocesan newsletter Catholic Weekly, Lansing began publication. Albers was instrumental in its startup.^[9] Pope Paul VI named Auxiliary Bishop Alexander M. Zaleski of the Diocese of Pittsburgh as coadjutor bishop in Lansing in 1964 to assist Albers.^[10]

When Albers died in 1965, Zaleski automatically succeeded him as bishop of Lansing. In 1971, Paul VI separated territory from the Lansing Diocese to form the new Diocese of Kalamazoo.^[11] Zaleski died in 1975.

The next bishop of Lansing was Bishop Kenneth Povish of the Diocese of Crookston, appointed by Paul VI in 1970. After 20 years of service in Lansing, Povish retired in 1995 due to poor health.^[12] Monsignor Carl Mengeling from the Diocese of Gary was named bishop of Lansing that same year by Pope John Paul II.^[13][14][15] During his tenure, Mengeling opened several parochial schools and churches. He also involved himself with the activities of Hispanic, Vietnamese, and African-American Catholics in his diocese.^[16] Mengeling retired in 2008.

Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 named Auxiliary Bishop Earl Boyea of Detroit as the next bishop of Lansing.^[17]

In May 2017, Reverend Jonathan Wehrle was accused of embezzling $5 million from his parish in Okemos over a 30-year period. Wehrle had used the money to build an 11,300 square foot house with eight bedrooms, 12 bathrooms and a $45,000 swimming pool. During a July 2017 search, investigators found $63,000 in cash hidden in a ceiling.^[18] Wehrle died in 2020 before he could go on trial.^[19]

In January 2021, the diocese instituted a new policy for schools, parishes, and charities regarding the biological sex of students, parishioners and others. This policy included direction on the use of pronouns and requirements that bathrooms and sports be segregated according to biological sex. The policy also required school officials to avoid participating in the administration of hormonal treatment of students that was designed to alter their sexual characteristics.^[20]

The diocese claimed that the new policy affirmed the reality and discomfort of gender dysphoria. The diocese recommended that transgender individuals visit counselors who "hold a correct Christian anthropology of the human person and understand and adhere to Catholic teaching."^[20]

In 2022, St. John's Parish sued Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, claiming that the Michigan Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which deals with discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, violated the church's constitutional rights. Boyea expressed his support of the lawsuit.^[21]

As of 2023, Boyea is the current bishop of Lansing.

The Diocese of Lansing paid a $225,000 settlement in August 2010 to a man who said he was sexually assaulted by Monsignor John Slowey at St. Vincent Home in Lansing in 1955.^[22] That same month, the diocese announced that Reverend John Martin of Laingsburg had molested at least six boys during the 1950s and 1960s.^[23]

Reverend Vincent DeLorenzo from Flint was charged by the Michigan Department of Attorney General in May 2019 with six counts of first- and second-degree sexual misconduct. Eight victims had accused him of sexual abuse.^[24] In 2019, the diocese requested that the Vatican laicize DeLorenzo. In April 2023, DeLorenzo pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault. His victim was a five-year-old boy, whom he assaulted after officiating at a family funeral.^[25] DeLorenzo was sentenced to one year in prison and five years of probation.^[26]

In July 2021, the diocese announced that it had determined two sexual abuse allegations against the late Bishop James Sullivan from the Diocese of Fargo to be credible. Two men had accused Sullivan of inappropriate behavior with them as boys during the 1960s, when Sullivan was a priest in the Diocese of Lansing. Sullivan later served as an auxiliary bishop in Lansing.^[27]

The diocese in September 2019 published a list of 17 clergy with credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors dating back to 1937. The list was updated in 2022.^[28]

In September 2020, Joseph Comperchio, a former teacher at St. John Catholic School in Jackson, was arrested in Fort Myers, Florida. He was charged in Michigan with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. Comperchio committed these acts at the school between 1974 and 1977.^[29][30][31] He was convicted and sentenced in 2021 to 12 to 30 years in prison.^[32]

1. Joseph H. Albers (1937–65)
2. Alexander M. Zaleski (1965–75)
3. Kenneth Joseph Povish (1975–95)
4. Carl Frederick Mengeling (1995–2008)
5. Earl Boyea (2008–present)

• Michael Joseph Green (1962–67), appointed Bishop of Reno
• James Stephen Sullivan (1972–85), appointed Bishop of Fargo

• Paul Vincent Donovan, appointed Bishop of Kalamazoo in 1971
• James Albert Murray, appointed Bishop of Kalamazoo in 1997
• Steven John Raica, appointed Bishop of Gaylord from 2014 to 2020, appointed Bishop of Birmingham in 2020^[33]
• Gerald Lee Vincke, appointed Bishop of Salina in 2018

• Father Gabriel Richard High School – Ann Arbor
• Lansing Catholic High School – Lansing
• Lumen Christi Catholic High School – Jackson
• Powers Catholic High School – Flint
• St. Thomas More Academy* – Burton

* Operates independently with the oversight of the diocese.

The Diocese of Lansing owns the publisher FAITH Catholic, which publishes Catholic magazines for dioceses and organizations. FAITH Catholic also operates the website MassTimes.org.^[34]

• Catholic Church by country
• Catholic Church hierarchy
• List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States

• Roman Catholic Diocese Of Lansing Official Site
• FAITH Magazine - diocesan magazine

42°44′08″N 84°33′22″W / 42.73556°N 84.55611°W / 42.73556; -84.55611