A cathedral is the home church for the bishop or archbishop of a Catholic diocese. Ten bishops have served Catholics in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and their ministry is intertwined with the history of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains. This is part three of those archbishops’ histories. Part two is found in the April issue of The Catholic Telegraph

A native son of the archdiocese, Daniel E. Pilarczyk was born in Dayton on August 12, 1934. Ordained to the priesthood in Rome in 1959, he later earned doctoral degrees in sacred theology and classics. In 1974, he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati to assist then Archbishop Bernardin, and on December 20, 1982, he was installed as Archbishop of Cincinnati. He was president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops from 1989 to 1992.

As Archbishop of Cincinnati, he focused heavily on education and initiated programs to address racism, clergy shortages, and other social and pastoral issues facing the Church. The programs include the Decree on Child Protection (first promulgated in 1993) and Stewardship Sunday (implemented in 1991), which educates Catholics about the multiple facets of stewardship. He was a member of the International Committee on English in the Liturgy, chairman of the Common Ground Initiative, and author of two dozen books.

Numerous significant celebrations and events were held at the cathedral during his tenure, including the anniversaries of several religious orders and ministries. A ceremony was held in the cathedral’s Synod Hall on June 4, 1994, to award Archbishop Pilarczyk with the Officer Cross of the Order of Merit from the Republic of Poland. And one door of the cathedral was sealed on November 30, 1997, to serve as the Holy Door for the upcoming Great Jubilee in 2001.

Archbishop Pilarczyk retired effective December 21, 2009, and died on March 22, 2020.

Dennis M. Schnurr was born in Sheldon, Iowa, in 1948 and ordained to the priesthood on July 20, 1974, for the Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa. From 1991 to 1993, Father Schnurr was the national executive director of World Youth Day 1993, which led to a close working relationship with Pope St. John Paul II. He was named bishop of Duluth, MN, on January 18, 2001, then Coadjutor Archbishop of Cincinnati on October 17, 2008, before being named Archbishop of Cincinnati on December 21, 2009.

On Nov. 7, 2020, Archbishop Schnurr presided at the 175th anniversary Mass of St. Peter in Chains with priests and deacons from across western and southwestern Ohio in a combined celebration that also marked the structure’s designation as a minor basilica.

Archbishop Schnurr resigned as archbishop, effective February 12, 2025, succeeded by Archbishop Robert G. Casey in a Mass of Installation at the Cathedral Basilica on April 3, 2025.

As it approaches its 180th anniversary later this year, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains will continue as a place of worship, prayer, and celebration under the leadership of Archbishop Casey and Father Jan Schmidt, rector.

This article appeared in the May 2025 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.