About a dozen orders of religious men – both priests and brothers – work in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland filling various roles in education, parish life, as chaplains and in other capacities.
Auxiliary Bishop emeritus Roger Gries shared insight on the various orders during a virtual presentation on April 12 to the Theology on the Rocks West group.
Bishop Gries, who himself was a professed Benedictine monk before his 2001 appointment as auxiliary bishop of Cleveland, said the religious orders serve in the diocese at the invitation of the diocesan bishop. Currently, about 74 religious order priests work in the Cleveland Diocese.
After his appointment as auxiliary bishop, he resigned his membership in the Benedictine Order of Cleveland, Bishop Gries said, and he joined the diocesan presbyterate (diocesan priests).There are about 231 active diocesan priests serving 185 parishes.
“You do the math,” the bishop said. “There aren’t enough priests to do everything so the religious order priests are a great blessing.”
During his introduction of Bishop Gries, Deacon Ken DeLuca offered a brief biography, noting the bishop graduated from Benedictine High School before discerning a vocation as a Benedictine monk. He professed his vows in July 1957 and was ordained a priest in May 1963.
As a monk, he worked as a bus driver, a math teacher and coach at Benedictine High School. He later served as principal. In 1981, he was elected the fifth abbot of the Benedictine Order of Cleveland, a position he held until his consecration as bishop in June 2001. As required by Church law, he submitted his resignation in March 2012 when he turned 75. Pope Francis accepted his resignation in November 2013, but he was asked to continue assisting in the diocese – which he still does.
Each religious order has its own charism, the bishop explained. For the Benedictines, it is work and prayer, based on the rule of St. Benedict.
The Benedictines were founded in the late fifth century. St. Benedict left his studies in Rome and the distractions of society to become a hermit. He attracted a following and became the spiritual father or abbot to many followers, Bishop Gries said. In 1846, the first monks immigrated to Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where they established an abbey. Other abbeys were established elsewhere, including in Lisle, Illinois, which provided the first Benedictine monks in Cleveland.
In 1922, the Cleveland bishop realized there were many Slovak immigrants working in the steel mills but no Slovak priests to minister to them, so he invited St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle to send some monks. The first six Benedictines arrived in Cleveland soon after and established St. Andrew Svorad Abbey. In 1928, they founded Benedictine High School, which remains their primary ministry in the diocese. Bishop Gries said there are about 25 monks at the abbey, 18 of whom are priests. Two monks staff Assumption Parish in Broadview Heights and others assist at parishes around the diocese on weekends. Another monk works as a counselor in Lorain.
In addition to the Benedictines, the other orders serving in the diocese are the Apostles of Jesus, Missionaries of the Precious Blood, Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer, Congregation of Holy Cross, Congregation of St. Joseph, Missionaries of St. Francis De Sales, Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy (Mercedarian friars), Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans), Capuchin Franciscan Friars, Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament.
The Congregation of Holy Cross staffs St. Edward High School, Gilmour Academy and Archbishop Hoban High School. Many members are brothers who serve as teachers and in other educational capacities.
Bishop Gries said he attended a seminary that was operated by the Blessed Sacrament fathers. The order was founded in 1856 in France by St. Peter Julian Eymard and it was invited to Cleveland in 1931. They established St. Paschal Baylon Parish in 1953 and continue to staff it. The order has 10 active and three retired priests in the diocese. For many years they maintained a 24/7 perpetual adoration.
The Congregation of St. Joseph was founded in 1873 in Italy and often worked with youth. The order was invited to Cleveland and worked in Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood for several years, the bishop said. The community established a retreat house in Avon and works with youth in Lorain County. There are two active and one retired priest in the diocese. One member of the congregation was a longtime professor at the diocesan seminaries.
The Capuchin Franciscan Friars, who can be identified by their brown, hooded habits, trace their roots to 1528 Italy, where they were founded by Father Matteo Bassi. They are a branch of the Franciscans. In 1978, they were invited to Cleveland. Five friars work at four parishes and one shrine in the diocese: Holy Spirit Parish, Garfield Heights; St. Agnes + Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Cleveland; St. Peter Parish, Cleveland; and Conversion of St. Paul Shrine, Cleveland.
The Order of Friars Minor, also Franciscans, were founded in the 13th century by St. Francis of Assisi in Italy. “They were called by Jesus to rebuild his Church,” Bishop Gries said.
Because they take a vow of poverty, the friars could not own property. They would “rent” space from someone, sometimes another religious order like the Benedictines, and would pay with fish and bread.
The Mercedarian friars were founded in 1218 in Spain by St. Peter Nolasco. In addition to taking the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, they take a fourth vow and are willing to offer their lives for the redemption of a soul.
The friars staff two Cleveland parishes: St. Rocco and Our Lady of Mount Carmel (West). They arrived in the diocese in the early 1920s and are distinguishable by their long white habits.
One of the most familiar religious orders in the diocese is the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. Bishop Gries said they were founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1534 in Paris and follow the spirituality of St. Ignatius. The order is known for its educational, missionary and charitable works.
They founded St. Ignatius High School and John Carroll University (originally called St. Ignatius College) in 1886. The Jesuits established a novitiate-training center in Parma that expanded to include the Jesuit Retreat House, now called the Jesuit Retreat Center. Later, a second retreat house was founded in Clinton. They also established Church of the Gesu in University Heights and staff Walsh Jesuit High School.
The Apostles of Jesus is a missionary order founded about 50 years ago in Africa. There are nine priests serving in parishes and as hospital and nursing home chaplains in the diocese.
“They are fantastic people who love the priesthood and love the people they serve,” Bishop Gries said.
The Precious Blood Fathers have one priest in the diocese, Cleveland native Father Bill O’Donnell, who recently was named administrator of St. Augustine Parish in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood.
Although their names, charisms and religious habits may differ, Bishop Gries said religious orders share many things with diocesan priests. He said the training for priests takes the same amount of time – generally nine years. Religious order members serve a novitiate year (in the case of Jesuits, formation is longer) instead of the internship year served by diocesan seminarians. Members of the order are under the guidance of their order’s leadership and take direction from the bishop and pope where indicated.
Bishop Gries said he weighed religious life and diocesan priesthood, but said his heart led him to the Benedictines.
“I love my ministry, I love being a diocesan bishop and I cherished my time living in community as a monk. When you follow your heart and learn what God wants you to do, you find peace,” he added.
Father Dan Schlegel, vicar for clergy and religious, will speak on Mary, the matriarch of the Catholic family and our faith at the 7 p.m. May 10 virtual program. Click here for more information.