User:Pbritti/sandbox/Norfolk Schism

The Norkfolk Schism was a brief schism of the Catholic Church from 1817 until 1820 in which Catholics from Norfolk, Virginia ended their communion with Rome over issues of trusteeism and Irish nationalism. The schism ended with the creation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond and the appointment of an Irish bishop.

Background
Following the American Revolutionary War and the establishment of the United States, the Catholics in the former thirteen colonies were placed under the jurisdiction of the Apostolic Prefecture of the United States in 1784. The apostolic prefecture was elevated to a diocese in 1789, creating the Diocese of Baltimore. In 1808, the suffragan dioceses of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Bardstown were created, while the Catholics in Virginia still fell under the direct jurisdiction of the see in Baltimore.

Inside of the United States, it was not atypical for parishes to be partially administered by lay members of the Church who, as part of the Fabrica ecclesiae, were supposed to operate under the precepts of canon law and adhere to the directives of the Holy See. This mode of administration of Church property is commonly known as "trusteeism." In Philadelphia, Bishop Henry Conwell's decision to remove and excommunicate controversial priest William Hogan resulted in a brief schism when the parish trustees of St. Mary's dissented.

Schism
Complaints regarding the distance from Baltimore and the Southern Virginia parishes resulted little change.