Editor’s note: This is the first of several historical articles that were published in the April 16 issue of the AD Times in a special section for the 65th Anniversary of the Diocese of Allentown. To see the special section, click on AD Times at the top of AD Today.
The first idea for the establishment of a Diocese in East Central Pennsylvania can be traced back to 1852, when Bishop John Neumann of Philadelphia proposed the erection of a Diocese in Pottsville to the Eighth Provincial Council of Baltimore. The Council presented the proposal for submission to the Holy See. Bishop Neumann was also willing to become the First Bishop of Pottsville but the proposal was not approved.
Over 100 years later, that new Diocese would finally be created from the northern part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The Diocese of Allentown was created by Pope John XXIII in an apostolic letter dated Jan. 28, 1961. Pope John XXIII wrote:
“The metropolitan Church of Philadelphia for Catholics of the Latin Rite is so extensive in territory and includes so many faithful that it is deemed opportune and of great advantage to the Christian community to erect from it another Diocese, as one bud sprouting from another. Therefore … we separate the territory of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, and Schuylkill Counties, from which we establish a new Diocese to be known as the Diocese of Allentown. The Cathedral City of this Diocese will be the city of Allentown."
On Feb. 15, 1961 Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi, Apostolic Delegate to the United States, in an official statement to the public and news media, announced that, “His Holiness, Pope John XXIII has divided the Archdiocese of Philadelphia … to form the new Diocese of Allentown…. At the same time the Holy Father has named … the Most Reverend Joseph McShea … to be Bishop of the new See of Allentown.”
On April 11, 1961, Bishop McShea was formally installed as the First Bishop of Allentown by Archbishop Vagnozzi in the Cathedral Church of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown. In his sermon on the day of that solemn ceremony, Bishop McShea spoke about the new Diocese of Allentown.
“This Diocese begins its life with countless resources … but most of all it has almost a quarter of a million Catholic souls. This is a day of birth. The Diocese of Allentown springs forth as another flowering of the Catholic Church, the mighty tree born of the smallest of seeds…. This is a day of dedication. I, your shepherd, and you, my co-workers and flock, offer ourselves without reservation to the spreading of God's Kingdom on earth.”
The day before the installation, more than 100 faithful and clergy expressed their excitement by greeting Bishop McShea at the Lehigh Valley exit on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and providing him with a motorcade escort into Allentown.
At the installation, an estimated 800 people – including civic dignitaries, president judges from each diocesan county, and faithful from each deanery – witnessed the solemn entry of apostolic delegates, the reading of the papal bull, and the Bishop being seated in the “cathedra.”
Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi, Apostolic Delegate to the United States, officiated at the rite and celebrated the Pontifical Mass that was concelebrated by 39 Bishops, scores of monsignors and some 600 priests.
Archbishop John Krol, who had been installed as Archbishop of Philadelphia weeks earlier, occupied an episcopal throne in the sanctuary.
After the ceremony, the excitement flowed over to a luncheon in Agricultural Hall, Allentown, where more than 1,000 guests celebrated the beginning of the Diocese.
The Diocese of Allentown was permitted to send its clerical students to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, now moved to Ambler. The Diocese was also allowed to publish its news in the Catholic Standard and Times.
All the pertinent records relating to the Diocese of Allentown were transferred from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and included: records of the Allentown priests, the spiritual and financial reports of the parishes and institutions of the new Diocese, and all the necessary deeds and titles.
For the convenience of Bishop McShea, the controller's office in Philadelphia continued to administer the financial affairs of Allentown until June 30, 1961. The Bishops of Philadelphia and Allentown soon reached an equitable agreement for the division of funds, and the financial settlement was finalized in June 1962.
Bishop McShea later stated that there had originally been three possibilities for the location of the Diocese: Allentown, Bethlehem, and Reading. He had felt that Allentown was better suited because of its central location, and the parish of St. Catharine of Siena was better suited to be the Cathedral; it had all the resources and would not have been a burden on the new Diocese. So it was at Bishop McShea’s suggestion that Allentown and St. Catharine of Siena were chosen as the See City and the Cathedral for the Diocese.
The Diocese of Allentown covered 2,773 square miles and the counties of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, and Schuylkill. In 1961, these five counties served a total of 243,260 Catholics out of a total population of 897,325 people.
The new Diocese included a total of 150 parishes, 98 Catholic elementary schools with 30,000 students, 14 diocesan high schools with 7,000 students, 275 diocesan priests, 60 religious priests, numerous religious orders of men and women, a Vincentian house of theological studies, a Jesuit novitiate at Wernersville, 3 orphanages, 2 schools for special needs children, a training school for girls, 3 hospitals, and 4 homes for the convalescent and the aged.
Allentown was the seventh suffragan See of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The other six dioceses previously created were Pittsburgh 1843, Erie 1853, Scranton 1868, Harrisburg 1868, Altoona-Johnstown 1901, and Greensburg 1951.
The coat of arms of the Diocese of Allentown was created in 1961. The golden ring on the silver bar symbolizes St. Catharine of Siena, the Titular Saint of the Cathedral of the Diocese of Allentown. The ring designates her mystical marriage to Christ, a ring given to her by Our Lord in an apparition. The red background of the diocesan shield signifies the sufferings of St. Catharine at the hands of her parents, and recalls her devotion to the Church leading to the persuasion of Pope Gregory XI to return from Avignon to Rome.
The two silver fleurs-de-lis are taken from the coat of arms of Pope John XXIII, to honor the Pontiff who established the Diocese of Allentown. The silver roundel bearing the red cross was derived from the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to commemorate the See that gave the Counties of Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, and Schuylkill to form the entire territory of the Diocese of Allentown.
On Feb. 8, 1952, Bishop McShea had been named Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia. He was consecrated a Bishop by Cardinal Amleto Cicognani at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, Philadelphia on March 19, 1952.
He was elected as Administrator of the Archdiocese on Aug. 28, 1960, after the death of Cardinal John O’Hara. He served as Auxiliary Bishop and Administrator of Philadelphia until April 11, 1961, when he was formally installed as the First Bishop of Allentown.
On March 20, 1961, a Tudor-style home on Chew Street in Allentown’s west end was purchased as the Bishop’s Residence. The home also served as a meeting place for the assembly of the School Board, Charity Board and Diocesan Consultors.
Half a duplex on Chew Street was purchased for Bishop McShea’s formal office. The Diocese later acquired the other half and purchased a nearby building for more office space for diocesan business.
In late 1961, Pope John XXIII appointed Bishop McShea as a member of the Pontifical Commission of Religious for the preparatory sessions of the Second Vatican Council and Consultor for the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
He left for Rome to attend the meetings on Jan. 10, 1962 and was received in a private audience by Pope John XXIII on Jan. 24, 1962. The opening of the Second Vatican Council took place on Oct. 11, 1962. On Oct. 22, 1962, Bishop McShea was elected to the Commission for Religious and was one of only 18 Americans elected to the 10 commissions that facilitated the Council's work before returning to Allentown on Dec. 7, 1962.
On Feb. 7, 1962, the Diocese purchased land to construct Holy Family Manor, Bethlehem, and the home for the aged was opened on Jan. 13, 1963.
On Sept. 6, 1962, he announced a multi-million-dollar education expansion program for the Diocese. The program included plans for a new college, three new high schools, and additions to three existing high schools. An intensive fund drive was undertaken.
These funds provided for the creation of four new school buildings and Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales (now DeSales University), Center Valley. Three new parishes were also established over the next few years.
Bishop McShea served until his retirement in 1982. More about Bishop McShea, and his successors, in an upcoming article.
Click through the gallery below to view 1) The papal bull establishing the Diocese of Allentown, 2) The reading of the papal bull, 3) Overview of the Cathedral during the installation, and 4) The installation procession.
The header image of this article is Bishop McShea accepting the crozier at his installation.
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