Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah

Diocese of Savannah
Diœcesis Savannensis
Location
Country United States
Territory State of: Georgia
Ecclesiastical province Atlanta
Metropolitan Wilton D. Gregory
Statistics
Population
- Total
- Catholics		 (as of 2010)
2,904,000
84,500 (2.9%)
Information
Denomination Roman Catholic
Rite Roman Rite
Established July 3, 1850
Cathedral Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist
Patron saint St. John the Baptist
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Bishop Gregory John Hartmayer
Emeritus Bishops Raymond W. Lessard
J. Kevin Boland
Map
Website
diosav.org
Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising 90 of the southern counties of the state of Georgia.[1] It is led by a prelate bishop who serves as pastor of the mother church, Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in the city of Savannah.[1]

Demographics

Today the Diocese of Savannah comprises 90 counties in south Georgia.[1] It covers 37,038 square miles (95,930 km2). There are 54 parishes and 25 missions within the diocese, serving about 77,000 lay Catholics.[1]

History

The diocese was canonically erected on July 3, 1850, by Pope Pius IX, taking its territories from the Diocese of Charleston, including all of Georgia and a large portion of Florida.[1][2] Originally, the Diocese of Savannah, therefore, was created from the Diocese of Charleston; and the Diocese of Charleston originated from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Maryland.[2] Pope Pius XI changed the ecclesiastical territory's name of the Diocese of Savannah to become the conjoined Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta on January 5, 1937,[2] to reflect the growth of Catholicism in the state.[2] The number of Catholics in the northern counties of Georgia had grown so much that Pope Pius XII divided the ecclesiastical territory on July 2, 1956,[2] and created the Diocese of Savannah and the Diocese of Atlanta.[2] At that time, there were also two designated co-cathedrals, including St. John the Baptist in Savannah and Christ the King in Atlanta.[2] (In 1962, the Diocese of Atlanta was elevated to the status of an archdiocese, becoming the center of the ecclesiastical province of the same name.)[2]

Member parishes

Adel

  • St. Margaret Mary

Alapaha

  • St. Ann

Albany

  • St. Teresa

Alma

  • St. Raymond

Americus

  • St. Mary

Augusta

Bainbridge

  • St. Joseph

Baxley

  • St. Rose of Lima

Blakely

  • Holy Family

Brunswick

  • St. Francis Xavier

Buena Vista

  • St. Mary Magdalen

Cairo

  • St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Camilla

  • St. John Vianney

Claxton

  • St. Christopher

Columbus

  • Holy Family
  • Our Lady of Lourdes
  • St. Anne
  • St. Benedict the Moor

Cordele

  • St. Theresa

Cuthbert

  • St. Luke

Darien

  • Nativity of Our Lady

Donalsonville

  • Incarnation

Douglas

  • St. Paul

Dublin

  • Immaculate Conception

Eastman

  • St. Mark

Fitzgerald

  • St. William

Folkston

  • St. Francis of Assisi

Fort Valley

  • St. Juliana

Glennville

  • St. Jude

Grovetown

Hazlehurst

  • Good Shepherd

Hinesville

  • St. Stephen, First Martyr

Jesup

  • St. Joseph

Kathleen

  • St. Patrick

Lakeland

  • Queen of Peace

Louisville

  • St. Joan of Arc

Macon

  • Holy Spirit
  • St. Joseph
  • St. Peter Claver

McRae

  • Holy Redeemer

Metter

  • Holy Family

Millen

  • St. Bernadette

Montezuma

  • St. Michael

Moultrie

  • Immaculate Conception

Nashville

  • St. Mary

Pembroke

  • Holy Cross

Pine Mountain

  • Christ the King

Port Wentworth

  • Our Lady of Lourdes

Reidsville

  • St. Andrew the Apostle

Richmond Hill

  • St. Anne

Sandersville

  • St. William

Sandhill

  • Our Lady of Guadalupe

Savannah

  • Blessed Sacrament
  • Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
  • Resurrection of Our Lord
  • Sacred Heart
  • St. Benedict the Moor
  • St. Frances Cabrini
  • St. James
  • St. Peter the Apostle
  • Sts. Peter and Paul

Springfield

  • St. Boniface

St. Marys

  • Our Lady Star of the Sea

St. Simons

  • St. William

Statesboro

  • St. Matthew

Swainsboro

  • Holy Trinity

Sylvania

  • Our Lady of the Assumption

Thomasville

  • St. Augustine

Tifton

  • Our Divine Saviour

Twin Lakes

  • Iglesia Catolica San Jose

Tybee Island

  • St. Michael

Valdosta

  • St. John the Evangelist

Vidalia

  • Sacred Heart

Warner Robins

  • Sacred Heart

Waycross

  • St. Joseph

Waynesboro

  • Sacred Heart

Willacoochee

  • Holy Family

Bishops

Clergy and religious

The current number of priests stands at 105. Of these, 90 are serving actively, while 22 priests are in retirement status. There are 38 men that serve the diocese as members of the permanent diaconate, as well as 103 religious (mostly nuns).[1]

High schools

There are 5 Catholic high schools and 16 elementary schools in the diocese, serving over 6,000 students.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah, Savannah, Georgia: Catholic Diocese of Savannah, 2013, Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The Archdiocese of Atlanta: A history, Strasbourg, France: Editions du Signe, Archdiocese of Atlanta, 2006.

External links

Coordinates: 32°04′22″N 81°05′11″W / 32.07278°N 81.08639°W / 32.07278; -81.08639

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