Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord

Diocese of Gaylord Dioecesis Gaylordensis
Location
Country	United States
Territory	Counties of Charlevoix, Emmet, Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Crawford, Oscoda, Alcona, Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, and Iosco
Ecclesiastical province	Detroit
Statistics
Area	11,171 sq mi (28,930 km^2)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2006) 505,000 76,000[1] (13.7%)
Parishes	77
Schools	17
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	December 19, 1970 (45 years ago)
Cathedral	St. Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral
Patron saint	Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Steven J. Raica
Map
Website
www.dioceseofgaylord.org

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord (Latin: Dioecesis Gaylordensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Northern Michigan region of the United States. It comprises the twenty-one most northern counties of the lower peninsula of the state, and includes the cities of Gaylord, Traverse City, Alpena, Manistee and Petoskey. The fifth and current bishop is Steven J. Raica.

The diocese covers approximately 11,171 square miles (28,930 km²) and has a population of 505,000, 66,000 of whom are Catholic. It contains 77 parishes and 17 schools.^[1]

History

Pope Paul VI created the Diocese of Gaylord December 19, 1970 from territory separated from the Dioceses of Saginaw and Grand Rapids, and erected it on July 20, 1971.^[1] He named Edmund Szoka as first bishop and the church of St. Mary, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel as cathedral.

Ordinaries

1. Edmund Casimir Szoka (1971-1981, installed, Archbishop of Detroit)
2. Robert John Rose (1981-1989, installed, Bishop of Grand Rapids)
3. Patrick R. Cooney (1989-2009, retired)
4. Bernard Hebda (2009-2013, installed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Newark)
5. Steven J. Raica (2014–present)

High schools

• Catholic Central High School, Manistee
• St. Francis High School, Traverse City
• St. Mary Cathedral High School, Gaylord
• St. Mary High School, Lake Leelanau

See also

• Catholic Church by country
• Catholic Church hierarchy
• List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States

References

1. "About Our Diocese". Diocese of Gaylord. Retrieved 2016-03-16.

External links

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord Official Site

Arms of Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord

Notes Arms was designed and adopted when the diocese was erected Adopted 1970 Escutcheon The diocesan arms consists of the “argent” wavy bordure. The two “argent” six-point stars with a “chevronel” (a reduced-in-width form of the “chevron”, one of the most ancient heraldic pieces) surmounting the “or” (golden) Cross. Symbolism The “argent” wavy bordure recalls that the Diocese is nearly surrounded by the two Great Lakes, Michigan and Huron, and the Straits of Mackinac. The two “argent” six-point stars are reminiscent of the stars that appear on the crest of the Carmelite Order, recalling that the Church of Gaylord is under the patronage of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The two stars also represent the Dioceses of Grand Rapids and Saginaw which yielded territories to establish the Gaylord diocese in 1971. The “ chevronel ” (a reduced-in-width form of the “chevron”, one of the most ancient heraldic pieces) surmounting the “or” (golden) Cross, was chosen to symbolize the new presence of the Church of Our Lord in the City of Gaylord, the city highest in elevation in Michigan’s lower peninsula; indeed, the “chevron,” whose shape recalls the truss of a roof, has been adopted in heraldry since the time of the Middle Ages to symbolize the building where the population assembles; for Catholics this building is the Church.

Coordinates: 45°02′00.96″N 84°41′02.4″W / 45.0336000°N 84.684000°W