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The Most Reverend Dennis Marion Schnurr
Archbishop of Cincinnati
Archbishop Schnurr in 2023.
Archdiocese	Cincinnati
Appointed	October 17, 2008 (Coadjutor)
Installed	December 21, 2009
Predecessor	Daniel Edward Pilarczyk
Previous post(s)	Coadjutor Archbishop of Cincinnati (2008-2009) Bishop of Duluth (2001-2008)
Orders
Ordination	July 20, 1974 by Frank Henry Greteman
Consecration	April 2, 2001 by Harry Joseph Flynn, Gabriel Montalvo Higuera, and Lawrence Donald Soens
Personal details
Born	(1948-06-21) June 21, 1948 (age 76) Sheldon, Iowa, U.S.
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Motto	"Quaerite faciem Domini" (Seek the face of the Lord)

Styles of Dennis Marion Schnurr
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Archbishop

Dennis Marion Schnurr (born June 21, 1948) is an American Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Cincinnati in Ohio since 2009. He previously served as Bishop of Duluth in Minnesota from 2001 to 2009.

Biography

Early life and education

Dennis Schnurr was born on June 21, 1948, in Sheldon, Iowa, to Edward and Eleanor (née Jungers) Schnurr. One of six children, he has two brothers and three sisters. Raised in Hospers, Iowa, he attended Spalding Catholic High School in Granville, Iowa, before entering Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. Schnurr graduated from Loras with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1970. He then went to Rome, where he earned a Master of Theology degree in 1974 from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Ordination and ministry

Schnurr was ordained to the priesthood at St. Anthony Church in Hospers, Iowa, by Bishop Frank Greteman on July 20, 1974, for the Diocese of Sioux City.

After his 1974 ordination, the diocese assigned Schnurr as an associate pastor at the Cathedral of the Epiphany Parish and Blessed Sacrament Parish, both in Sioux City, Iowa, for the next three years.

In 1977, Schnurr went to Washington, D.C. to study at the Catholic University of America School of Canon Law, receiving a Doctorate of Canon Law in 1980. After his graduation, he returned to Sioux City, where Bishop Frank Henry Greteman appointed him vice-chancellor of the diocese. Greteman also named Schnurr as the diocesan finance officer and as a judge on the diocesan tribunal. In 1981, Schnurr became chancellor and secretary of the presbyteral council.

In 1985, Schnurr left Sioux City to serve on the staff of the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C. He was appointed as associate general secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in 1989. During his tenure in this position, he supervised departments dealing with education, domestic and international social policy, and communications. Schnurr organized the 1993 World Youth Day, held in Denver, Colorado. He was raised by the Vatican to the rank of prelate of honor in 1993 and elected general secretary of the USCCB in 1994.

Bishop of Duluth

On January 18, 2001, Schnurr was appointed as the eighth bishop of Duluth by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center on April 2, 2001, from Archbishop Harry Flynn, with Archbishop Gabriel Higuera and Bishop Lawrence Soens serving as co-consecrators. Schnurr selected as his episcopal motto: Quaerite faciem Domini, meaning, "Seek the face of the Lord" from Psalms 105:4.

Coadjutor archbishop and archbishop of Cincinnati

Schnurr was named coadjutor archbishop of Cincinnati by Pope Benedict XVI on October 17, 2008. As coadjutor, Schnurr automatically succeeded Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk when he retired on December 21, 2009.

In 2010, Schnurr revoked permission for a "Violence Against Women" event at Seton High School, a Catholic school in Cincinnati, because one of the speakers supported abortion rights for women. The sponsors disinvited the speaker, but the archdiocese still denied its support for the event.

In November 2018, Schnurr expressed "enormous disappointment" at a Vatican request for the USCCB to delay a vote on tightening procedures for sexual abuses case. The Vatican said it wanted to consider a global response first.

In August 2019, Schnurr removed Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Binzer from his position as the head of priest personnel for the archdiocese. Reverend Geoff Drew, a priest in St. Jude Parish, had raped a 10 year-old boy between 1988 and 1991. After learning about these allegations, Binzer failed to report them to the archbishop or other officials in the archdiocese. Binzer resigned as auxiliary bishop in May 2020.

In May 2020, Schnurr decided not to renew the contract of Jim Zimmerman, a teacher at Archbishop Alter High School in Kettering, Ohio, because he was part of a same-sex marriage. A teacher at the school for 23 years, Zimmerman was open about his marriage with school officials, other faculty and students. According to Zimmerman, his principal told him that a community member had alerted Schnurr about the marriage. Zimmerman's supporters at Alter High School and in Kettering accused Schnurr of homophobia, which he strongly denied.

In July 2021, Schnurr said that he disapproved of a town hall being held by US President Joe Biden at Mount Saint Joseph University in Cincinnati, but admitted he had no power to block it. Schnurr did not explain his reasoning. Schnurr said that he would have never approved this event on archdiocese property.

In October 2021, Schnurr presented a restructuring plan for the archdiocese that could close 70% of its parishes. Schnurr was diagnosed in May 2024 with stage 3 small bowel cancer and immediately commenced chemotherapy.

In October 2024, Schnurr announced the severing of a 110-year partnership with the Girl Scouts of the USA and the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio. Schnurr stated that recent changes by the national organization did not align with Catholic teaching on sexuality and gender identity.

Viewpoints

Abortion

Schnurr in August 2023 urged Ohio Catholics to reject the Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety ballot measure, which would have enshrined abortion rights for women in the Ohio State Constitution. He claimed that the measure would allow doctors to“take the lives of innocent children in the womb while harming women and families in the process.” Voters approved the amendment by a large margin in November 2023.

Immigration

In January 2017, Schnurr expressed his opposition to the refugee ban on people from certain Muslim majority nations that was enacted by the Trump administration. Schnurr said that refugees had a right to seek a safe place for themselves and their families.

Same sex marriage

In June 2015, Schnurr expressed his disapproval of the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. In an official statement, he explained that the court's decision "disregarded not only the clearly expressed will of the electorate in Ohio and other states," but that is had undermined a notion of matrimony "shared by virtually all cultures" until the very recent past.

Sexuality

In February 2015, Schnurr condemned the 2015 film Fifty Shades of Grey, calling it an attack on marriage, and asked Catholics to boycott it.

Schnurr in April 2018 persuaded the administration of Mercy Health – Clermont Hospital in Batavia, Ohio, to stop the distribution of condoms at their facility. The Hamilton County Public Health Harm Reduction Program, which was hosting a needle exchange program in the hospital parking lot, had also been providing condoms to participants to promote safe sex.

See also

• Catholic Church hierarchy
• Catholic Church in the United States
• Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
• List of Catholic bishops of the United States
• Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops

References

1. Fox, Joanne (December 26, 2009). "Hospers native Archbishop of Cincinnati". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
2. ^ "Archbishop Dennis Marion Schnurr". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
3. ^ "Our Shepherd and His Archdiocese". Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
4. ^ "Archbishop Schnurr - Archdiocese of Cincinnati". Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
5. Ho, Dan (October 18, 2008). "Duluth's bishop to lead Catholics". Cincinnati Enquirer. ProQuest 237640007.
6. "Cincinnati bishop among sponsors to pull support from women's conference". National Catholic Reporter. April 29, 2010. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
7. Garbe, Will. "Cincy archbishop 'stunned' by Vatican request to delay sex abuse vote". dayton-daily-news. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
8. CNA. "Former auxiliary bishop who mishandled abuse reports named pastor in Cincinnati". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
9. "St. Max mom took Cincy archbishop to task about priest's 'red flags' a year before rape accusations surfaced". WCPO. August 23, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
10. Horn, Dan. "Cincinnati's archbishop defends firing of Catholic high school teacher who is gay". The Enquirer. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
11. "Gay teacher ousted from Catholic school after 23 years". Sentinel-Tribune. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
12. "Ohio teacher in same-sex marriage loses Catholic high school job". National Catholic Reporter. May 8, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
13. CNA (July 20, 2021). "Archbishop: I would not have approved Biden's visit to Catholic university". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
14. CNA. "Archbishop: I would not have approved Biden's visit to Catholic university". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
15. "Schnurr gets started". The Pillar. October 1, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
16. "Cincinnati archbishop diagnosed with cancer, will begin chemotherapy". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
17. "Cincinnati Archdiocese to cut ties with the Girl Scouts due to moral differences". Fox 19 WXIX. October 29, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
18. "Cincinnati archbishop urges Catholics to reject state abortion amendment in November". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
19. "Ohio voters overwhelmingly approve amendment enshrining abortion in state constitution". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
20. Horn, Dan. "Archbishop: Refugees need 'special path'". The Enquirer. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
21. ^ Telegraph, The Catholic (June 26, 2015). "Archbishop Schnurr reacts to SCOTUS ruling on same-sex marriage". Catholic Telegraph. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
22. Horn, Sharon Coolidge and Dan. "Archbishop calls boycott: '50 Shades' attacks marriage". USA Today. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
23. "Condom distribution at Catholic hospital stops after Cincinnati archdiocese speaks up". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved September 27, 2024.

External links

• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Duluth
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City

• Biography
• Catholicism
• Ohio

v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
v t e Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Bishop Edward Fenwick Archbishops John Baptist Purcell William Henry Elder Henry K. Moeller John T. McNicholas Karl Joseph Alter Paul Francis Leibold Joseph Bernardin Daniel Edward Pilarczyk Dennis Marion Schnurr Catholicism portal
v t e Churches in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Cathedral Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains Parishes Cincinnati Church of the Annunciation Immaculata Church Old St. Mary's Church St. Aloysius on the Ohio St. Francis De Sales Church Saint Francis Seraph Church St. Francis Xavier Church St. Lawrence Church St. Pius X Church St. Rose Church Dayton Holy Cross Church Sacred Heart Church St. Adalbert Church St. Mary's Church Springfield St. Joseph's Church St. Raphael's Church Other Immaculate Conception Church, Botkins St. Aloysius Church, Carthagena Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Cassella Immaculate Conception Church, Celina Precious Blood Church, Chickasaw Our Lady of Victory Church, Delhi Township St. Joseph's Church, Egypt Holy Family Church, Frenchtown St. John's Church, Fryburg St. Patrick's Church, Glynwood St. John the Baptist Church, Maria Stein Sacred Heart Church, McCartyville St. Michael's Church, Mechanicsburg St. Augustine's Church, Minster St. Louis Church, North Star St. Nicholas Church, Osgood St. Anthony's Church, Padua St. Remy's Church, Russia St. Henry's Church, St. Henry Holy Rosary Church, St. Marys St. Rose's Church, St. Rose St. Sebastian's Church, Sebastian St. Joseph's Church, Wapakoneta Former parishes All Saints Church, Cincinnati Holy Trinity Church, Cincinnati St. Augustine Church, Cincinnati St. George's Church, Cincinnati St. Michael the Archangel Church, Cincinnati St. Paul Church, Cincinnati St. Philomena's Church, Cincinnati St. Patrick's Church, St. Patrick Shrine Shrine of the Holy Relics
v t e Education in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Higher education Chatfield College University of Dayton Edgecliff College Mount St. Joseph University Xavier University Seminary Athenaeum of Ohio – Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West High schools Cincinnati DePaul Cristo Rey High School Elder High School La Salle High School Mercy McAuley High School Archbishop McNicholas High School Purcell Marian High School Seton High School St. Ursula Academy St. Xavier High School Summit Country Day School Ursuline Academy Dayton Carroll High School Chaminade Julienne High School Other Archbishop Alter High School, Kettering Father Stephen T. Badin High School, Hamilton Catholic Central School, Springfield Bishop Fenwick High School, Franklin Lehman Catholic High School, Sidney Moeller High School, Kenwood Mount Notre Dame High School, Reading Royalmont Academy, Mason Roger Bacon High School, St. Bernard St. Rita School for the Deaf, Evendale
v t e Clergy of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Auxiliary bishops Sylvester Horton Rosecrans Joseph H. Albers George John Rehring Paul Francis Leibold Edward A. McCarthy Nicholas Elko Daniel Edward Pilarczyk James Henry Garland Carl K. Moeddel Joseph R. Binzer Priests John Martin Henni Edward Fitzgerald Clarence George Issenmann Henry Damian Juncker Joshua Maria Young John Baptist Lamy James Frederick Wood John Henry Luers Caspar Henry Borgess Richard Gilmour John Quinlan Augustus Toebbe Joseph Gregory Dwenger Henry Richter Francis Beckman Urban John Vehr Francis Augustine Thill Anthony John King Mussio John Joseph Kaising Robert Daniel Conlon Michael William Warfel Earl K. Fernandes
Miscellany	The Catholic Telegraph Der Wahrheitsfreund Former St. Charles Seminary Gruenwald Convent Minster Elementary School St. John Cemetery, Cincinnati New St. Joseph Cemetery, Cincinnati Old St. Joseph's Cemetery, Cincinnati
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Duluth
Bishops	Ordinaries James McGolrick John T. McNicholas Thomas Anthony Welch Francis Joseph Schenk Paul Francis Anderson Robert Henry Brom Roger Lawrence Schwietz Dennis Marion Schnurr Paul Sirba Daniel John Felton Auxiliary Lawrence Alexander Glenn
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, Duluth Parishes Resurrection Church, Eveleth Holy Spirit, Virginia Historic Sacred Heart Cathedral, Duluth Church of Sts. Joseph and Mary, Cloquet Church of St. Joseph, Elmer Church of St. Francis Xavier, Grand Marais
Education	The College of St. Scholastica
Priests	Jozef Cieminski Mike Schmitz
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City
Bishops	Ordinaries Philip Garrigan Edmond Heelan Joseph M. Mueller Frank H. Greteman Lawrence D. Soens Daniel N. Dinardo R. Walker Nickless Coadjutor Thomas Lawrence Noa
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of the Epiphany Parishes St. Boniface Church, Sioux City Former parishes St. Patrick's Church, Cedar Saints Peter and Paul Church, Pocahontas Corpus Christi Church, Fort Dodge Sacred Heart Church, Fort Dodge Holy Guardian Angels Church, Roselle St. Casimir Church, Sioux City
Education	Higher education Briar Cliff University K–12 schools Kuemper Catholic School System, Carroll High schools Bishop Garrigan High School, Algona Bishop Heelan Catholic High School, Sioux City Gehlen Catholic High School, Le Mars St. Edmond High School, Fort Dodge St. Mary's High School, Remsen St. Mary's High School, Storm Lake Former high schools Spalding Catholic High School, Granville
Priests	Kevin McCoy Dennis Marion Schnurr
Miscellany	Grotto of the Redemption Sacred Heart Hospital, Le Mars
Catholicism portal

• 1948 births
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