Diocese of Rockville Centre Dioecesis Petropolitana in Insula Longa
Location
Country	United States
Territory	Long Island, New York
Ecclesiastical province	New York
Statistics
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2014) 2,851,977 1,531,445[1] (53.7%)
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	April 6, 1957
Cathedral	St. Agnes Cathedral
Patron saint	Saint Agnes
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	John Barres
Metropolitan Archbishop	Timothy Cardinal Dolan
Auxiliary Bishops	Andrzej Jerzy Zglejszewski Robert Joseph Coyle Richard Garth Henning
Bishops emeritus	William Murphy
Map
Website
drvc.org

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre (Latin: Dioecesis Petropolitana in Insula Longa) comprises the territory of Nassau and Suffolk counties (regionally known as Long Island) in New York state, USA; although Fishers Island is part of Suffolk County, it is included in the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut. Founded in 1957, this diocese was created from territory that once belonged to the Diocese of Brooklyn. It is the sixth-largest Catholic diocese in the United States, currently serving approximately 1.5 million people in 134 parishes.^[2] The diocese is named for the village where its cathedral, St. Agnes Cathedral, is located, Rockville Centre in Nassau County. The fifth and current bishop is John Barres.^[3]

The Diocese of Rockville Centre was split off from the Diocese of Brooklyn April 6, 1957. St. Agnes Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

Most Reverend Walter P. Kellenberg, former Bishop of Ogdensburg served as first bishop of the diocese from 1957-1976.^[4] He founded the diocese's Catholic Charities office in 1957.^[5] Kellenberg was followed by Bishop John McGann, who retired in 2000 and died in 2002. The diocese was led briefly by Bishop James T. McHugh, who died of cancer on December 10, 2000.

The Most Reverend William Murphy served as the diocese's fourth bishop from 2001 to 2017. Murphy arrived in Long Island from his native Archdiocese of Boston, where he served as the archdiocese's vicar general. He was succeeded by John Barres on January 31, 2017.

By August 2019, 68 clergy who served in the Diocese of Rockville Centre were "credibly accused" of committing acts of sex abuse.^[6] Some were either convicted for their crimes or agreed to pay financial settlements.^[6] Former priest Robert E. Guglielmone, who was later appointed Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston in South Carolina, was also revealed to have been named as a defendant in a sex abuse lawsuit in the state of New York and is accused of committing acts of sex abuse while serving in the Diocese of Rockville Centre.^[7]

1. Walter P. Kellenberg (1957-1976)
2. John R. McGann (1976-2000)
3. James T. McHugh (2000)
4. William F. Murphy (2001-2017)
5. John O. Barres (2017-present)

• James T. McHugh (1998-2000)

• Vincent John Baldwin (1962–1979)
• Gerald Augustine John Ryan (1977–1985)
• James Joseph Daly (1977–1996)
• Alfred John Markiewicz (1986–1994), appointed Bishop of Kalamazoo
• Emil Aloysius Wcela (1988–2007)
• John Charles Dunne (1988–2013)
• Paul Henry Walsh (2003–2012)
• Peter Anthony Libasci (2007–2011), appointed Bishop of Manchester
• Nelson J. Perez (2012-2017), appointed Bishop of Cleveland
• Robert J. Brennan (2012–2019), appointed Bishop of Columbus
• Andrzej Jerzy Zglejszewski (2014–present)
• Robert J. Coyle (2018-present) (had been auxiliary bishop of Military, U.S.)
• Richard Garth Henning (2018-present)

• Robert E. Guglielmone, appointed Bishop of Charleston in 2009

Coat of arms of Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre

Notes Arms was designed and adopted when the diocese was erected Adopted 1957 Escutcheon The arms of the Diocese of Rockville Centre is divided per saltire and is bordered by a bordure composed of wavy lines. The colors of the field within the bordure are gold and blue. Three of the four partitions formed by the saltire are emblazoned with a scallop shell. The top partition is filled with a lamb’s head. A black roundel in the center of the shield with the three stones or rocks is present. Symbolism The arms is based on the history of Long Island and the etymology of the name Rockville Centre. The colors of the field within the bordure, gold and blue, appears on the coat of arms of King William III of the House of Nassau and on the arms which the county of Suffolk in England has used at times, these arms being those of Ipswich. Although there are more than 12 names for Long Island, the name generally preferred by the Indians of the mainland was Seawanhacky or “Island of Shells.” The scallop shell is also truly heraldic, and a symbol which is often used to signify the flowing of water in the Sacrament of Baptism. The wavy silver bordure is the heraldic equivalent of water and surrounding, as it does, the other charges, signifies the insular nature of the diocese. The lamb’s head is the symbol of St. Agnes, virgin and martyr, the titular of the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. St. Agnes has been represented with a lamb, the symbol of her virginal innocence, since the Middle Ages. The black roundel in the center of the shield with the three stones or rocks affords canting arms for Rockville Centre. The black roundel is in the exact center of the shield. The three rocks or stones are derived from the coat of arms of Pope Pius XII, who established the new Diocese of Rockville Centre in April, 1957. The roundel is tinctured in black to represent the seventeenth century name of Brooklyn, from the diocese from which the See of Rockville Centre was separated. The black tincture represents the marshes, which recalled to the Dutch their homeland in Breuckelen in the Province of Utrecht. The Dutch who first settled Brooklyn called it “Breuck-Landt’” meaning “broken land,’ or “marshland,” inasmuch as a great deal of the land was broken up by patches of water.

• Catholic Faith Network, formerly known as "Telecare" was founded in 1969 by Monsignor Thomas Hartman of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York. CFn's programming includes live religious services, talk shows, devotional programs, educational programming, entertainment, and children's programs. It also presents coverage of special events at the Vatican and of papal journeys. It serves subscribers in three states.

In 2012 the diocesan weekly newspaper Long Island Catholic switched to a subscription-based monthly magazine.^[8]

• Seminary of the Immaculate Conception

As of 2019, there were nine Catholic high schools on Long Island.

• Holy Trinity Diocesan High School, Hicksville
• St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School, West Islip
• St. Pius X Preparatory Seminary, Uniondale (closed in 1984)
• Bishop McGann-Mercy Diocesan High School, Riverhead (closed in June 2018)

• Academy of Saint Joseph, Brentwood (Closed June 2009)
• Chaminade High School, Mineola
• Kellenberg Memorial High School, Uniondale
• Our Lady of Mercy Academy, Syosset
• Sacred Heart Academy, Hempstead
• St. Anthony's High School, South Huntington
• St. Dominic High School, Oyster Bay
• St. Mary's High School, Manhasset

• Holy Child Academy (Old Westbury)
• St. Christopher's (Baldwin)
• Our Lady of Grace (Manhasset)
• St. Martin de Porres (Uniondale)
• De La Salle (Freeport)
• Our Lady of Mercy (Hicksville)
• St. Patrick (Huntington)
• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Bellmore)
• St. Peter of Alcantara (Port Washington)

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Rockville Centre began operating in 1957. In 1974, they opened a residence for the developmentally disabled in Valley Stream. As of 2019, there were thirteen such residences. A shelter for single mothers opened in 1968 and in 2009 expanded to include transitional housing. Catholic Charities is the one largest provider of affordable senior housing on Long Island, operating over 1,300 units.^[9]

Catholic Health Services of Long Island was founded in 1997 and operates under the sponsorship of the Diocese of Rockville Centre.^[10] CHS operates six hospitals: Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, Saint Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown, Saint Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, Saint Francis Hospital and Heart Center in Roslyn, and Saint Joseph Hospital in Bethpage.^[11] With 17,000 employees, CHS is the third-largest employer on Long Island.^[12]

See: List of the Catholic bishops of the United States

• The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre Official Site

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre
Bishops	Ordinaries Walter P. Kellenberg John R. McGann James T. McHugh William F. Murphy John Barres Present auxiliaries Robert J. Coyle Luis Miguel Romero Fernández Andrzej Jerzy Zglejszewski Former auxiliaries Vincent John Baldwin Robert J. Brennan James Joseph Daly John Charles Dunne Richard Henning Peter Anthony Libasci Alfred John Markiewicz Nelson J. Pérez Gerald Augustine John Ryan Paul Henry Walsh
Churches	Cathedral St. Agnes Cathedral Basilica Basilica of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Southampton Parishes St. Dominic Roman Catholic Church, Oyster Bay
Education	Diocesan high schools Holy Trinity Diocesan High School, Hicksville Bishop McGann-Mercy Diocesan High School, Riverhead St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School, West Islip Private high schools Chaminade High School, Mineola Kellenberg Memorial High School, Uniondale Our Lady of Mercy Academy, Syosset Sacred Heart Academy, Hempstead St. Anthony's High School, South Huntington St. Dominic High School, Oyster Bay St. Mary's High School, Manhasset Closed Academy of Saint Joseph, Brentwood St. Pius X Preparatory Seminary, Uniondale Seminary of the Immaculate Conception
Cemeteries	Holy Rood Queen of Peace Holy Sepluchre
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40°39′48″N 73°38′13″W / 40.66333°N 73.63694°W / 40.66333; -73.63694