Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau
| Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau Dioecesis Campifontis–Capitis Girardeauensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Territory | 39 counties across Southern Missouri |
| Ecclesiastical province | St. Louis |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 25,719 km2 (9,930 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2010) 1,269,180 68,217 (5.4%) |
| Parishes | 66 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | August 24, 1956 (59 years ago) |
| Cathedral | St. Agnes Cathedral (Springfield) |
| Co-cathedral | Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation (Cape Girardeau) |
| Patron saint | Rose Philippine Duchesne, Pope Pius X |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Edward M. Rice |
| Emeritus Bishops | John Joseph Leibrecht |
| Map | |
 | |
| Website | |
| dioscg.org | |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau (Latin: Dioecesis Campifontis–Capitis Girardeauensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Missouri. The current Bishop-designate is Bishop Edward M. Rice, and will be installed on June 1, 2016.[1]
History
The diocese was formed on August 24, 1956 from the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the Diocese of Kansas City. It consists of 39 primarily rural counties in the southern third of Missouri that include the urban areas of Springfield (the diocese headquarters), Branson and Cape Girardeau.
The diocese has two cathedrals: St. Agnes Cathedral in Springfield and The Cathedral of the Annunciation in Cape Girardeau. The two cathedrals are often (mistakenly) referred to as co-cathedrals. The diocese established the Cape Girardeau cathedral as part of an eventual plan to create a separate diocese in Cape Girardeau.
Demographics
The diocese includes 66 parishes, 19 missions, 2 chapels, and, as of a 2003 estimate, 63,179 Catholics. The diocese has an increasing Hispanic population.
This region is mainly located in the Ozarks and Bootheel of Missouri, where Catholics make up about 5% of the total population. The religion of the Ozarks, in particular, is notably individualistic and conservative; a major Christian denomination in the region is Pentecostalism.
Each year, tens of thousands of Vietnamese American Catholics converge on Carthage, at the western end of the diocese, to participate in the Marian Days celebration.
Bishops
The bishops of the diocese and their terms of service:
- Charles Herman Helmsing (1956–1962)
- Ignatius Jerome Strecker (1962–1969)
- William Wakefield Baum (1970–1973)
- Bernard Francis Law (1973–1984)
- John Joseph Leibrecht (1984–2008)
- James Vann Johnston, Jr. (2008–2015)
- Edward M. Rice (2016-)
High schools
- McAuley Catholic High School, Joplin
- Notre Dame High School, Cape Girardeau
- Springfield Catholic High School, Springfield
See also
- Catholic Church by country
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Ecclesiastical Province of Saint Louis
- Global organisation of the Catholic Church
- List of Roman Catholic archdioceses (by country and continent)
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses (alphabetical) (including archdioceses)
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses (structured view) (including archdioceses)
- List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States
References
External links
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Coordinates: 37°11′00″N 93°17′10″W / 37.18333°N 93.28611°W