Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix


The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix in Arizona is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It was established on December 2, 1969 when it was split off from the Diocese of Tucson. Its ecclesiastic territory includes Maricopa, Mohave, Yavapai, and Coconino counties, and also includes the Gila River Indian Reservation in Pinal County. The bishop is Thomas Olmsted.

Early missions

Jesuit priests began to work in northern Mexico in the 1610s in the lowlands near the coast. Originally, these missionaries worked out a peaceful compromise with the people of the Yaqui River valley allowing for the establishment of more than fifty mission settlements. This broke down when the Jesuits opposed the native shamanic religious tradition. The Opata people were more receptive to the missionaries and allied with them. After this, the Jesuits began to move into Pima and Tohono O'odham territories in present-day Arizona. Spanish exploration and missionary work was sufficient to consider the territory part of New Spain. An agreement between General Pedro de Perea and the viceroy of New Spain resulted in the general shaping of the province, initially called Nueva Navarra in 1637, but renamed Sonora in 1648.
The most famous missionary of what is now the American Southwest was Eusebio Kino. He arrived in the province of Nueva Navarra in 1687 and started missionary work in the Pimería Alta area. He began his first mission at Cucurpe, then established churches and missions in other villages such as Los Remedios, Imuris, Magdalena, Cocóspera, San Ignacio, Tubutama and Caborca. To develop an economy for the natives, Father Kino also taught them European farming techniques.

Coat of arms

The official description found in an earlier version of the website of the diocese read as follows: "These arms are composed of a blue field on which is placed a silver mountain to represent Camelback Mountain, a significant aspect of the backdrop of the See City. Arising from the mountain as a gold bird that is coming forth from red flames to represent the mythological phoenix, that arose from the ashes, and for which the See City of Phoenix is named. Above the phoenix is a gold "cross formy fitchée, which is taken from the arms of the Diocese of Tucson to signify that it was from the territory of Tucson that the Diocese of Phoenix was carved in 1969."

Bishops

The list of bishops of the diocese and their tenure of service:

Bishops of Phoenix

  1. Edward Anthony McCarthy, appointed Coadjutor Archbishop and later Archbishop of Miami
  2. James Steven Rausch
  3. Thomas Joseph O'Brien
  4. Thomas James Olmsted

    Auxiliary Bishop

According to 2019 data from the diocesan web site, the Diocese of Phoenix reported these statistics:
  1. Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission, Aguila
  2. St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Church, Anthem
  3. St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Avondale
  4. St. Philip Benizi Mission, Black Canyon City
  5. St. Henry Church, Buckeye
  6. Our Lady of Joy Church, Carefree
  7. St. William Church, Cashion
  8. St. Gabriel the Archangel, Cave Creek
  9. St. Andrew the Apostle Church, Chandler
  10. St. Mary Church, Chandler
  11. St. Columba Kim Korean Church, Chandler
  12. Santa Teresita Church, El Mirage
  13. Ascension Church, Fountain Hills
  14. St. Michael Mission, Gila Bend
  15. St. Anne Church, Gilbert
  16. St. Mary Magdalene Church, Gilbert
  17. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Glendale
  18. St. Helen Church, Glendale
  19. St. James Church, Glendale
  20. St. Louis the King Church, Glendale
  21. St. Raphael Church, Glendale
  22. St. Thomas More Church, Glendale
  23. St. John Vianney Church, Goodyear
  24. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Guadalupe
  25. St. John the Baptist Church, Komatke Gila River Indian Community Mission
  26. All Saints Church, Mesa
  27. Christ the King Church, Mesa
  28. Holy Cross Church, Mesa
  29. Queen of Peace Church, Mesa
  30. St. Bridget Church, Mesa
  31. St. Timothy Church, Mesa
  32. All Saints Catholic Newman Center, Tempe ASU
  33. Good Shepherd Mission, New River
  34. St. Charles Borromeo Church, Peoria
  35. Cathedral of Saints Simon and Jude, Phoenix
  36. Corpus Christi Church, Phoenix
  37. Holy Family Church, Phoenix
  38. Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Phoenix
  39. Most Holy Trinity Church, Phoenix
  40. Our Lady of Czestochowa Polish Church, Phoenix
  41. Our Lady of the Valley Church, Phoenix
  42. Sacred Heart Church, Phoenix
  43. St. Agnes Church, Phoenix
  44. St. Anthony Church, Phoenix
  45. St. Augustine Church, Phoenix
  46. St. Benedict Church, Phoenix
  47. St. Catherine of Siena Church, Phoenix
  48. St. Edward the Confessor Church, Phoenix
  49. St. Francis Xavier Church, Phoenix
  50. St. Gregory Church, Phoenix
  51. St. Jerome Church, Phoenix
  52. St. Joan of Arc Church, Phoenix
  53. St. Joseph Church, Phoenix
  54. St. Luke Church, Phoenix
  55. St. Mark Church, Phoenix
  56. St. Martin de Porres Church, Phoenix
  57. St. Mary's Basilica, Phoenix
  58. Mater Misericordiae Mission Tridentine Latin Masses, Phoenix
  59. St. Matthew Church, Phoenix
  60. St. Paul Church, Phoenix
  61. St. Theresa Church, Phoenix
  62. St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Phoenix
  63. St. Vincent de Paul Church, Phoenix
  64. Vietnamese Martyrs Church, Phoenix
  65. Our Lady of Fatima Mission, Phoenix
  66. St. Dominic Mission, Rio Verde
  67. St. Francis of Assisi Mission, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
  68. St. Paschal Baylon Chapel, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
  69. San Lucy Mission, San Lucy Village of the Tohono O'odham Nation, Gila Bend
  70. Blessed Sacrament Church, Scottsdale
  71. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Scottsdale
  72. Our Lady of the Angels Conventual Franciscan Church and Renewal Center, Scottsdale, a ministry of the OFM Franciscan Province of Saint Barbara
  73. St. Bernadette Church, Scottsdale
  74. St. Bernard of Clairvaux Church, Scottsdale
  75. St. Daniel the Prophet Church, Scottsdale
  76. St. Maria Goretti Church, Scottsdale
  77. St. Patrick Church, Scottsdale
  78. St. Clement of Rome Church, Sun City
  79. St. Elizabeth Seton Church, Sun City
  80. St. Joachim and St. Anne Church, Sun City
  81. Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Sun City West
  82. Prince of Peace Church, Sun City West
  83. St. Steven Church, Sun Lakes
  84. St. Clare of Assisi Church, Surprise
  85. All Saints Catholic Newman Center, Tempe ASU
  86. Holy Spirit Church, Tempe
  87. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Tempe
  88. Resurrection Church, Tempe
  89. St. Margaret Church, Tempe
  90. Blessed Sacrament Church, Tolleson
  91. St. Anthony of Padua Church, Wickenburg

    Pinal County

Missions
  1. St. Peter Mission, Bapchule
  2. Holy Family Mission, Blackwater
  3. St. Anthony Mission, Sacaton
  4. Our Lady of Victory Mission, Sacaton Flats
  5. St. Anne Mission, Santan
  6. St. Catherine Mission, Santa Cruz
Ak-Chin Indian Community
  1. St. Francis Mission

    Yavapai County

  2. St. Francis of Assisi Mission, Bagdad
  3. St. Frances Cabrini Church, Camp Verde
  4. St. Catherine Laboure Mission, Chino Valley
  5. St. Cecelia Mission, Clarkdale
  6. Good Shepherd of the Desert Mission, Congress
  7. Immaculate Conception Church, Cottonwood
  8. St. Joseph Mission, Mayer
  9. Sacred Heart Church, Prescott
  10. St. Germaine Church, Prescott Valley
  11. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Queen Creek
  12. St. John Vianney Church, Sedona
  13. St. Mary Mediatrix Mission, Yarnell

    Coconino County

  14. San Francisco de Asis, Flagstaff
  15. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel, Flagstaff
  16. St. Pius X Center, Flagstaff
  17. Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel, Flagstaff
  18. Holy Trinity Newman Center, Flagstaff NAU
  19. El Cristo Rey Mission, Grand Canyon Village
  20. Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona
  21. St. Francis Church, Seligman
  22. St. Joseph Church, Williams

    Mohave County

  23. St. Margaret Mary Church, Bullhead City
  24. Our Lady of the Desert Mission, Dolan Springs
  25. Our Lady of the Lake Church, Lake Havasu City
  26. La Santisima Trinidad Mission, Littlefield and Scenic
  27. St. Mary Church, Kingman

    Eastern Catholic Churches and Communities active in the area of the Diocese of Phoenix

  28. Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix
  29. St Stephen Byzantine Catholic Cathedral in Phoenix
  30. St. Thomas the Apostle Byzantine Catholic Church in Gilbert
  31. Mar Auraha Chaldean and Assyrian Catholic Church in Scottsdale
  32. St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church in Phoenix
  33. St. John of the Desert Melkite Catholic Church in Phoenix
  34. Dormition of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church in Phoenix
  35. Syro Malabar Catholic Mission in Phoenix

    Education

There are seven Catholic high-schools within the Diocese of Phoenix, 29 elementary schools, and 29 pre-schools.
Benedictine University and the University of Mary offer degree programs within the Diocese of Phoenix, and the diocese operates campus ministry programs at Newman Centers for four public universities.

Media

The diocese uses several types of media to fulfill its evangelization efforts:

Radio ministry

Radio Family Rosary is a radio ministry of the Diocese of Phoenix founded in 1983. The station begins with a recitation of the rosary every day. After the rosary the station focus on a particular saint, or a point of catechism is held. The station was founded by Dorothy Westfall, after a suggestion from a Phoenix parishioner suffering from arthritis.
Bishop Thomas Olmsted often uses radio communication and has a website with information about his "bishop's hour." on Immaculate Heart Radio.
The diocese began financially supporting En Familia radio KIDR in 2012 to reach out to those who speak Spanish.

Newspaper

The Catholic Sun is the official newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.
The paper is delivered to more than 115,000 homes in the counties of Coconino, Maricopa, Mohave, and Yavapai.

Television

Mass is broadcast live from Cathedral of Saints Simon and Jude each Sunday morning by KAZT, along with a show immediately following entitled "Catholics Matter". The Mass was once on KUTP.

Social media

The diocese has an active presence on YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and others and continues to expand its presence online.

Religious orders active in the diocese

As of 2020, twenty-eight communities of religious men and fifty communities of religious women have a presence in the Diocese of Phoenix. A diocesan Office for Consecrated Life serves as a guide for members of religious communities and for persons interested in consecrated life in its various forms.

Other Catholic organizations in the Diocese of Phoenix

This list is fairly complete, but there might be others to add.
In 2009 the Diocese contributed $50,000 to the successful campaign by Stand For Marriage Maine to overturn an impending legalization of same-sex civil marriage in Maine.
On June 11, 2014, the diocese was "stunned and deeply saddened" at an attack on two priests during a burglary at Mater Misericordiae Mission in Phoenix. Parochial vicar Rev. Kenneth Walker, FSSP, 28, ordained a priest just two years, was fatally shot. Rev. Joseph Terra, FSSP, was wounded.
On August 4, 2017, it was announced that a civil lawsuit was filed against Thomas J. O'Brien, who served as Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Phoenix between the years 1982 to 2003, O'Brien is accused of sexually molested a boy on several occasions at parishes in Phoenix and Goodyear from 1977 to 1982. O'Brien died on August 26, 2018, following complications from Parkinson's Disease.
In June 2019, Joseph J. Henn, a former priest, was extradited from Italy to face charges of molestation in Phoenix. He had been laicized and expelled from the Salvatorian order in 2006.
On February 25, 2020, indicted Diocese of Phoenix priest Thomas Spaulding, who was accused of sexually abusing at least two boys in Maricopa County, died awaiting trial. Spaulding, who was 75 years old when he died, was charged in January 2020 with six counts of sexual misconduct and one charge of child molestatation.