Cleveland Catholic Bishop Richard Lennon Dies at Age 72

By Cliff Pinckard
Plain Dealer
October 29, 2019

https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2019/10/cleveland-catholic-bishop-richard-lennon-dies-at-age-72.html

The Plain Dealer The Rev. Richard Lennon, who died Tuesday morning, served as bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland for more than 10 years.

The Rev. Richard Lennon, bishop emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland for more than 10 years, died Tuesday morning at the age of 72.

Lennon was appointed the 10th bishop of the Cleveland Diocese in May 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI. He served as the bishop for nearly 800,000 Catholics in Northeast Ohio. He resigned in December 2016 because of poor health. At the time of his resignation, the Diocese said Lennon suffered from vascular dementia, a cognitive impairment caused by reduced blood flow to the brain.

“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," said the Rev. Nelson Perez, who has succeeded Lennon as bishop. "May the Lord grant him eternal rest.”

Lennon was born in Arlington, Mass. He attended Boston College, then earned an master of arts in church history a master of theology in sacramental theology at St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, Mass. He was ordained in the priesthood in May 1973.

Lennon is best known in Cleveland for closing about 30 churches in Northeast Ohio in 2009 and 2010, a decision that sparked fervent backlash from some of the 700,000 parishioners in the diocese. More recently, his career was marked by much-needed and successful fundraising campaigns, raising an estimated $170 million, according to the Diocese.

Lennon was appointed interim administrator of the Boston Archdiocese in 2002, when longtime Cardinal Bernard Law resigned amidst the sex-abuse scandal involving priests. He went on to serve as a bishop in the Archdiocese of Boston for five years before being sent to Cleveland to replace retiring Bishop Anthony Pilla.

Lennon was progressive at times in Cleveland, choosing to stop charging $450 for marriage annulments two years before the Vatican ordered all Catholic churches to do so. He could also be more conservative, preventing students at Catholic schools in the diocese from participating in the social media phenomenon known as the ALS ice bucket challenge. Although the challenge raised money to fight Lou Gehrig’s Disease, the research includes the destruction of embryonic stem cells. He also required teachers in Catholic schools to sign a morality clause.

Among the special recognitions Lennon received were being named as a domestic prelate in April 1998, and his installation as a Knight of Malta and as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre in June 2001.