Catholic ecclesiastical territory
The Diocese of Victoria (Latin : Dioecesis Victoriensis in Insula Vancouver ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Canadian province of British Columbia . Its episcopal see is in Victoria . The diocese encompasses all of Vancouver Island and several nearby British Columbia islands. A suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Vancouver , the diocese's cathedral is St. Andrew's Cathedral and its present diocesan bishop is Gary Gordon .
Diocesan demographics
As of 2004[update] , the diocese had 94,465 Catholics, 22 diocesan Priests, 15 religious Priests, 1 Deacon. The diocese is also helped by 19 Brothers, and 91 Sisters servicing 30 parishes.[citation needed ]
History
The diocese was created on 24 July 1846 as the Diocese of Vancouver Island , one of three dioceses in the Pacific Northwest created out of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Oregon Territory. It was elevated to an archdiocese on 19 June 1903 and renamed Archdiocese of Victoria in 1904. It was then lowered to a diocese in 1908, when the metropolitan see was moved to Vancouver .
The territory included Vancouver Island , the Gulf Islands , New Caledonia (mainland British Columbia), the Queen Charlotte Islands and Alaska. Modeste Demers became the new diocese's first bishop.
Territorial losses
On June 19, 1903, the diocese became an Archdiocese of Victoria. It was returned to the status of a diocese on October 1, 1908, and became a suffragan diocese to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver.
Bishops
The following are the lists of Bishops and their years of service:
Ordinaries
Modeste Demers (1846–1871)
Charles-Jean Seghers (1873–1878), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Oregon City, Oregon, USA; returned here in 1884
Jean-Baptiste Brondel (1879–1883)
Charles-Jean Seghers (1884–1886); personal title of Archbishop
Jean-Nicolas Lemmens (1888–1897)
Alexander Christie (1898–1899), appointed Archbishop of Oregon City, Oregon, USA
Bertram Orth (1900–1908)
Alexander MacDonald (1908–1923)
Thomas O'Donnell (1923–1929), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Halifax, Nova Scotia
Gerald C. Murray , C.SS.R. (1930–1934), appointed Bishop of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
John Hugh MacDonald (1934–1936), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta
John Christopher Cody (1936–1946), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of London, Ontario
James Michael Hill (1946–1962)
Remi Joseph De Roo (1962–1999)
Raymond Roussin , S.M. (1999–2004), appointed Archbishop of Vancouver, British Columbia
Richard Gagnon (2004–2014), appointed Archbishop of Winnipeg
Gary Gordon (2014–present)
Coadjutor bishops
Auxiliary bishop
Churches
Greater Victoria
St Andrew's Cathedral[ 1]
Holy Cross[ 2]
Our Lady of Fatima (Portuguese)
Our Lady of the Rosary[ 3]
Our Lady Queen Of Peace[ 4]
Saanich Peninsula Parish[ 5]
Sacred Heart[ 6]
St-Jean-Baptiste (French)
St. Joseph the Worker[ 7]
St. Leopold Mandic (Croatian)
St. Patrick's[ 8]
St. Rose of Lima[ 9]
Courtenay
Campbell River
Gold River
Hornby Island
Chemainus
Duncan
St. Ann's
St. Edward the Confessor[ 11]
Lake Cowichan
Ladysmith
Gabriola Island
Our Lady of Victory Mission
Mayne Island
Pender Island
Salt Spring Island
Mill Bay
Shawnigan Lake
Our Lady Queen of the World
Nanaimo
St. Peter's[ 12]
Trinity Catholic
Parksville
Church of the Ascension[ 13]
Port Alberni
Tofino
St. Francis of Assisi[ 14]
Ucluelet
Alert Bay
Port Hardy
Port McNeill
Port Alice
Sayward
Tahsis
Inside St. Andrew's Cathedral
Monasteries
Education
Catholic high schools
St. Ann's Academy , is now a heritage site
Catholic elementary schools
St. Ann's Academy for Boys, of Duncan, was erected in 1864 and closed in 1969.
St. Mary's School, of Ladysmith, was established 1909 and closed in 1913.
Catholic universities, colleges, and seminaries
St. Joseph's School for Nursing, of Victoria, was erected in 1900 and closed in 1981.
St. John Fisher / Thomas More College 1953 and closed in 1993.
Religious institutes
Religious institutes of women
Residential schools
The Diocese managed two residential schools in British Columbia.[ 16] Upon the discovery of the remains of 215 children at Kamloops Indian Residential School , the diocese released a statement of apology and commitment.
Charities
Health Care
Lourdes Hospital, of Campbell River, was erected in 1926 and closed in 1957.
St. Joseph's Hospital, of Victoria, was erected in 1876 and closed in 1972.
Notes
The diocese produces the Diocesan Messenger which is a Catholic newspaper for its community.
References
Bibliography
External links
Province of Edmonton Province of Gatineau Province of Grouard–McLennan Province of Halifax–Yarmouth Province of Keewatin–Le Pas Province of Kingston Province of Moncton Province of Montreal Province of Ottawa–Cornwall Province of Québec Province of Regina Province of Rimouski Province of Saint Boniface Province of St. John's Province of Sherbrooke Province of Toronto Province of Vancouver Metropolia of Winnipeg Exempt from the Holy See Former jurisdictions Apostolic Nuncio
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