Roman Catholic Diocese of La Rochelle and Saintes

Diocese of La Rochelle and Saintes
Dioecesis Rupellensis-Santonensis
Diocèse de La Rochelle et Saintes

Location
Country France
Ecclesiastical province Poitiers
Metropolitan Archdiocese of Poitiers
Statistics
Area 6,863 km2 (2,650 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		 (as of 2013)
616,708
397,000 (64.4%)
Information
Denomination Roman Catholic
Rite Roman Rite
Established 22 January 1852
Cathedral Cathedral of St Louis in La Rochelle
Co-cathedral Co-Cathedral Basilica of St Peter in Saintes
Patron saint St Eutropius of Saintes
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Bishop Georges Colomb
Metropolitan Archbishop Pascal Wintzer
Website
Website of the Diocese

The Roman Catholic Diocese of La Rochelle and Saintes (Dioecesis Rupellensis-Santonensis) is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church, in France. The diocese comprises the département of Charente-Maritime. Suffragan to the archdiocese of Bordeaux, the episcopal see is La Rochelle Cathedral. Saintes Cathedral is Co-Cathedral of the diocese.

The diocese of Maillezais was transferred on 7 May 1648, to La Rochelle. This diocese before the French Revolution, aside from Maillezais, included the present arrondissements of Marennes, Rochefort, La Rochelle, and a part of Saint-Jean-d'Angély. At the Concordat, the entire territory of the former diocese of Saintes, less the part comprised in Charente, and belonging to the diocese of Angoulême) and of the diocese of Luçon was added to it.

In 1821 a see was established at Luçon, and had under its jurisdiction, aside from the former Diocese of Luçon, almost the entire former Diocese of Maillezais; so that Maillezais, once transferred to La Rochelle, no longer belongs to the diocese, now known as La Rochelle et Saintes.

History

Saintes Cathedral is the Co-Cathedral of the diocese

Jean-François-Anne Landriot, a well-known religious writer, occupied this see from 1856 to 1867. St. Louis of France is the titular saint of the cathedral of La Rochelle and the patron of the city. St. Eutropius, first Bishop of Saintes, is the principal patron of the present diocese of La Rochelle. In this diocese are especially honoured: St. Gemme, martyr (century unknown); St. Seronius, martyr (third century); St. Martin, Abbot of the Saintes monastery (fifth century); St. Vaise, martyr about 500; St. Maclovius (Malo), first Bishop of Aleth, Brittany, who died in Saintonge about 570; Saint Amand, Bishop of Maastricht (seventh century).

From 1534 La Rochelle and the Province of Aunis were a centre of Calvinism. In 1573 the city successfully resisted the Duke of Anjou, brother of Charles IX of France, and remained the chief fortress of the Huguenots in France. But in 1627 the alliance of La Rochelle with the English proved to Louis XIII and to Richelieu that the political independence of the Protestants would be a menace to France; the famous siege of La Rochelle (5 August 1627-28 October 1628), in the course of which the population was reduced from 18,000 inhabitants to 5000, terminated with a capitulation which put an end to the political claims of the Calvinistic minority.

Bishops

External links

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "article name needed". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton. 

Coordinates: 46°09′22″N 1°09′20″W / 46.15611°N 1.15556°W / 46.15611; -1.15556

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