RENO, DIOCESE OF

The diocese of Reno, nevada (Dioecesis Renensis ), which encompassed the entire state of Nevada, was originally established in 1931 during the pontificate of Pope Pius XI. In 1976, during the time of Pope Paul VI, it was redesignated as the diocese of Reno-Las Vegas. In 1995 Pope John Paul II divided the diocese into the diocese of Reno in the western part of the state and the diocese of las vegas in the southern part. The first bishop of Reno was Thomas K. Gorman, who served from 1931 until 1952 when he was appointed coadjutor bishop of Dallas. His successor, Robert J. Dwyer served from 1952 to 1966 when he was named archbishop of Portland, Oregon, and he in turn was succeeded in 1967 by Bishop Joseph Green who resigned for reasons of health at the end of 1974. It was during the time of Bishop Norman F. McFarland who first served as apostolic administrator (1974–76) that Pope Paul VI redesignated the diocese Reno–Las Vegas. McFarland served until he was transferred to the diocese of Orange, California in 1987. Bishop Daniel F. Walsh, first named bishop of Reno–Las Vegas in 1987, became bishop of the newly established diocese of Las Vegas in 1995, and Bishop Phillip F. Straling, the bishop of San Bernardino, California, was installed as the sixth bishop of Reno.

At the time of the division, Catholics in Nevada numbered about 432,970, the largest single religious group in the state. The Reno diocese covers the twelve northern counties in the state. The diocesan newspaper is the Northern Nevada Catholic. It is a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

[j. filteau/eds.]