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Bishop Richard G. Lennon, whose tenure as the 10th bishop of Cleveland was marked by a commitment to evangelization, died Oct. 29 following a long illness. He was 72.
He was granted early retirement Dec. 28, 2016, by Pope Francis.
Bishop Nelson J. Perez of Cleveland recalled Bishop Lennon as a man with great love for the Catholic Church.
“In his service to the diocese, Bishop Lennon showed a deep dedication to the faithful governance of the diocese and a tremendous love of the Church and the people he shepherded,” Bishop Perez said in a statement.
Bishop Lennon was installed in the Cleveland Diocese in 2006, following the retirement of Bishop Anthony M. Pilla. The diocese was undergoing a reconfiguration that led to the closing of 50 parishes, many in inner city neighborhoods, and the realignment of ministries across eight counties of Northeast Ohio that saw 17 merged new parishes open in 2009 and 2010.
Members of 12 of the closed parishes appealed Bishop Lennon’s decision to the Vatican. The Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy overturned the closings of the parishes in 2012, saying the process outlined in canon law for shuttering a parish was not followed.
Before Bishop Lennon’s appointment to Cleveland by Pope Benedict XVI, he was an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Boston, where he served as apostolic administrator for seven months beginning in December 2002 in the aftermath of the clergy sexual abuse crisis that emerged that year.
In Cleveland, he established an internal financial audit procedure for parishes and schools and he introduced norms on models for Catholic schools and catechetics.
He also oversaw the Rooted in Faith capital campaign that resulted in $170 million being raised to strengthen parishes and Catholic schools, build the clergy retirement fund, boost evangelization efforts and support St. John the Evangelist Cathedral.
Born in Arlington, Mass., he attended Boston College before entering St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, Mass., to study for the priesthood. He was ordained in 1973.
He served as a parish priest, fire department chaplain, assistant for canonical affairs and rector of St. John’s Seminary before being appointed an auxiliary bishop in 2001.—CNS
