TITULAR DIOCESE OF RUMNEY MARSH
In 1997 Rev. Fr. David Dismas was appointed Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Fairhaven (MA), L’Eglise Catholique Charismatique du Canada [Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada] and promoted to the rank of Monsignor. On Christmas Day, 25 December 1999, Patriarch Andre II LeTellier signed the mandate for his consecration as Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Fairhaven. A large number of parishioners and guests from the three New England dioceses of the Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada gathered in the Marsh Chapel at Boston University [David's seminary Alma Mater] on 24 June 2000 to participate in the Mass of Consecration as David was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Fairhaven and Titular Bishop of Rumney Marsh. Archbishop Roland of Fairhaven served as principal consecrator, with Bishops Joseph of Philadelphia, Raymond of Belchertown (MA), and Dennis of Ossipee (NH) serving as co-consecrators.
AUTOCEPHALOUS DIOCESE OF RUMNEY MARSH
In August 2001, Archbishop Roland announced his retirement from the See of Fairhaven effective 14 September 2001; this triggered a natural time for restructuring. Adopting a spirituality and approach to ministry greatly influenced by the legacies of Nicholas of Myra, Francis of Assisi, Julian of Norwich, Damien of Molokai, Carlos Duarte Costa, John XXIII, Andre Barbeau, Oscar Romero, Dorothy Day, Henri Nouwen, C. David Luther, Teresa of Calcutta, and Mychal Judge—each of whom exhibited a special sensitivity to those who no longer felt welcomed by other faith communities—David amicably separated from the Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada to establish the Diocese of Rumney Marsh as an autocephalous—i.e., independent, self-governing—jurisdiction effective 15 September 2001. Due to the sad events of 11 September 2001, the founding of the new diocese was marked simply with a signing of the announcement in the then Cathedral Chapel of Saint Florian.
When asked to explain the 'intention' behind the founding of the Diocese of Rumney Marsh, David wrote: "In this Diocese, we are committed to reaching out to those who no longer feel comfortable, for whatever reason, in their church of origin. We feel a special compassion for those who have been 'dissed' by their home church—I.e., those who have come to feel disrespected, discouraged, disillusioned, disenfranchised, displaced, disheartened, etc.—by their own particular branch of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church."
When asked to explain the 'intention' behind the founding of the Diocese of Rumney Marsh, David wrote: "In this Diocese, we are committed to reaching out to those who no longer feel comfortable, for whatever reason, in their church of origin. We feel a special compassion for those who have been 'dissed' by their home church—I.e., those who have come to feel disrespected, discouraged, disillusioned, disenfranchised, displaced, disheartened, etc.—by their own particular branch of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church."
DISSOLUTION OF THE DIOCESE OF RUMNEY MARSH
In July 2017, the Diocese of Rumney Marsh held a synod in Cherry Hill, NJ. At that time we began to work towards a formal dissolution of the Diocese of Rumney Marsh tentatively set for Spring/Summer 2018. Unfortunately, a significant amount of angst developed a couple of months later when we were planning out the presbyteral ordination of our final candidate. While the ordination went off without a hitch—at least any that we remember—Bishop David found that particular episode overwhelming and, because we had already set our sails towards dissolution, announced his retirement effective the end of September 2017.
RECONSTITUTION AS THE TITULAR DIOCESE OF RUMNEY MARSH
One could argue that by virtue of the dissolution of the diocese in 2018 it returned to its status as a Titular Diocese. However, it wasn't until 24 June 2023 when Bishop David retired from another jurisdiction that he resumed using "Titular Bishop of Rumney Marsh" as his proper title.
