Diocese of Roseau
| Diocese of Roseau Dioecesis Rosensis | |
|---|---|
Cathedral of Our Lady of Fair Haven
| |
| Location | |
| Country | Dominica |
| Ecclesiastical province | Province of Castries |
| Metropolitan | Gabriel Malzaire |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 750 km2 (290 sq mi) |
| Population Total Catholics |
(as of 2010) 68,635 42,174 (61.4%) |
| Parishes | 14 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 30 April 1850 (176 years ago) |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of Our Lady of Fair Haven |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Bishop | Kendrick Forbes |
| Website | |
| www.dioceseofroseau.org | |
The Diocese of Roseau (Latin: Dioecesis Rosensis) is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the Caribbean. The diocese encompasses the entirety of the country of Dominica. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Castries, and a member of the Antilles Episcopal Conference.
The diocese of Roseau was erected in 1850. The territory was previously part of the former Vicariate Apostolic of Trinidad.
Bishops
Ordinaries
- Michael Monaghan (1851–1855)
- Désiré-Michel Vesque (1856–1858)
- René-Marie-Charles Poirier, C.I.M. (1858–1878)
- Michael Naughten (1879–1900)
- Philip Schelfhaut, C.Ss.R. (1902–1921)
- Giacomo Moris, C.Ss.R. (1922–1957)
- Arnold Boghaert, C.Ss.R. (1957–1993)
- Edward Joseph Gilbert, C.Ss.R. (1994–2001), appointed Archbishop of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
- Gabriel Malzaire (2002–2022)
- Kendrick Forbes (2024)
Coadjutor bishops
- Antoon Demets, C.SS.R. (1946–1954), did not succeed to see
- Arnold Boghaert, C.SS.R. (1956–1957)
Canonical status and jurisdiction
Roman Catholic Diocese of Roseau is a diocese of the catholic church of the Catholic Church.[1]
- Part of: Ecclesiastical Province of Castries
External links
From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia
Diocese of Roseau — (ROSENSIS).
Diocese; suffragan of Port of Spain, Trinidad, B.W.I. The different islands of the Carribean Sea, which constitute the Diocese of Roseau, belonged to the Vicariate Apostolic of Port of Spain up to 1850, when Pius IX by Brief of 30 April, 1850, erected the Diocese of Roseau, with the episcopal see at Roseau, the capital of Dominica. The Very Reverend Father Michael Monaghan was elected first bishop of the new diocese and consecrated 16 February, 1851. He died in St. Thomas, 14 August, 1855, and was succeeded in 1856 by Rev. Father Michael Vesque, who died 10 August, 1859. The third bishop was René Marie Charles Poirier, C.J.M., who governed the diocese from 1859 to 1878. Next came Bishop Michael Naughten from 1880 till 4 July, 1900. The present occupant is Philip Schelfhaut, C.SS.R., b. at St. Nicholas, Belgium, 27 September, 1850, ordained priest 18 October, 1878, and consecrated bishop, 16 March, 1902. The diocese comprises the Islands of Dominica, B.W.I., with 30,000 Catholics, 12 parishes 18 priests, 16 churches, and 4 chapels; Montserrat, B.W.I., with 600 Catholics, 1 parish, 1 priest, 1 church; Antigua, B.W.I., with 400 Catholics, 1 parish, 1 priest, 1 church; St. Kitts, B.W.I., with 1500 Catholics, 1 parish, 2 priests, 1 church, 2 chapels; St Croix, D.W.I., with 4100 Catholics, 2 parishes, 4 priests, 2 churches, 1 chapel; St. Thomas, D.W.I. with 3000 Catholics, 1 parish, 3 priests, 1 church, I chapel. The total Protestant population of the diocese is about 100,000. In the smaller British Islands of Nevis, Anguilla, Barbuda, Sombrero, and in the Virgin Islands, Tostola, Anegada, and Virgin Gorda, as also in the Danish Island of St. John, the Catholic Church has so few adherents that no priest has ever been resident there. With the exception of two parishes, which are served by secular priests, the whole diocese is under the care of the Redemptorist Fathers of the Belgian province, and the Fathers of Mary Immaculate (Chavagne en Paillers, France). There are also 14 Redemptorist Brothers on the mission. In Roseau, the Religious of the Faithful Virgin devote themselves to the education of the girls of both the lower and higher classes, while the Ladies of the Union of the Sacred Hearts conduct a high school for girls in St. Thomas. In Dominica nearly all the schools are in the hands of the local Government; however, religious instruction is given by the priests during school hours. In the other Islands, with the exception of Antigua, parochial schools are attached to the mission.
Ecclesiastical Bulletin of Roseau (Roseau, 1908-9), MSS.
J. MORIS
References
Bibliography
- "Diocese of Roseau". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2007-02-27.