Episode 13: Bishop Rappe and Irish Parishes of the 1860s: When is an Irish Priest too Irish?

Cleveland's population exploded after the Civil War. In the 1860s, Bishop Amadeus Rappe--the French-born clergyman in charge of the fledgling Cleveland Diocese--began subdividing old parishes and designating new ones to accommodate the city's rapid growth. However, Bishop Rappe was resistant to Catholic immigrants over-investing in their ethnic heritage. Believing that they should identify as Catholics first and foremost, he often tried to mix and match French and German priests with Irish flocks. However, Irish-born priests and parishioners increasingly made clear that they wanted parishes that harbored and protected tight-knit Irish immigrant communities.