To the editor:

In October 2022, former Diocese of Steubenville Bishop Jeffrey Monforton informed his diocesan staff and clergy that a potential merger with the Diocese of Columbus was necessary and would be presented at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for their vote that November. The vote never took place and was removed from the meeting agenda due to push back from the clergy and laity.

Last Feb. 7, more than two years later, Apostolic Administrator Bishop Edward Lohse issued the Report of the State of the Diocese of Steubenville in The Steubenville Register. This report was submitted for consideration to the bishops of Ohio for their recommendation on the diocese’s future.

In The Pillar article of Nov. 10, the future of the Diocese of Steubenville’s potential merger with the Diocese of Columbus was expected to be discussed in the meeting of United States bishops at the USCCB in Baltimore on Nov. 10-13. It appears from all accounts that this discussion and possible vote on the merger did not take place with the bishops in attendance. If this is true, why wasn’t it discussed again?

Lohse, last year in his report to the diocese and Ohio bishops states that “the faithful and clergy have been in limbo waiting for the merger to take place. The mistrust that arose from the financial mismanagement has contributed to a mistrust of this process, which some see as not only as lacking in transparency but even as disingenuous. The sudden replacement of the Apostolic Administrator Bishop Paul Bradley in June 2024 exacerbated the situation.”

I am sure that many continue to see the process as lacking transparency and disingenuous.

Lohse, in his report, asks, “What is the Lord asking of us?” I would rephrase that question and ask, what is the Lord asking of his leaders of the flock? I believe he is telling them to make a decision. It should not take more than three years to justify a decision to merge or not to merge. The diocese has been in limbo for too long and deserves to hear a decision.

Frank Krajovic

CCHS Class of 1965

Woodstock, Ga.