Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City–Belmopan

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City–Belmopan (Latin: Dioecesis Belizepolitanus-Belmopanus) is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Roman Catholic Church in continental Central America. The diocese comprises the entirety of Belize, the former British dependency British Honduras. It is a Latin suffragan of the Archdiocese of Kingston (on Jamaica) and a member of the Antilles Episcopal Conference,[1] yet still depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Diocese of Belize City–Belmopan

Dioecesis Belizepolitanus-Belmopanus
Holy Redeemer Cathedral
Location
Country Belize
Ecclesiastical provinceProvince of Kingston in Jamaica
Statistics
Area2,591 km2 (1,000 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2014)
334,297
162,100 (48.5%%)
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
CathedralHoly Redeemer Cathedral (Belize City)
Co-cathedralOur Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral (Belmopan)
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopLawrence Sydney Nicasio
Metropolitan ArchbishopCharles Henry Dufour
Auxiliary BishopsChristopher Glancy, C.S.V.
Website
catholic.bz

The cathedral of the diocese, also known as its mother church, is Holy Redeemer Cathedral in Belize City.[2] Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral in Belmopan is the co-cathedral of the diocese.[3]

History
  • The diocese was erected as the Apostolic Prefecture of British Honduras (the country's colonial name) on 10 June 1888, on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Jamaica.
  • It was elevated on 1 March 1893 as Apostolic Vicariate of British Honduras, hence entitled to a titular bishop. Its name was changed to the Apostolic Vicariate of Belize, after its see, on 15 December 1925.
  • It was elevated to Diocese of Belize on 29 February 1956. On 31 December 1983 the name of the diocese was changed to Diocese of Belize City–Belmopan.[4]

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 162,100 Catholics (48.5% of 334,297 total) on 22,963 km² in 13 parishes and 5 missions with 46 priests (14 diocesan, 32 religious), 2 deacons, 95 lay religious (38 brothers, 57 sisters) and a seminarian.[4]

Bishops

(all Roman Rite)[4]

Ordinaries
Apostolic Prefect of British Honduras
  1. Salvatore di Pietro, SJ (10 June 1888 – 3 January 1893)
Apostolic Vicars of British Honduras
  1. Salvatore di Pietro, SJ (3 January 1893 – 23 August 1898)
  2. Frederick C. Hopkins, SJ (17 August 1899 – 19 April 1923)
  3. Joseph Anthony Murphy, SJ (11 December 1923 – 15 December 1925)
Apostolic Vicars of Belize
  1. Joseph Anthony Murphy, SJ (15 December 1925 – 16 July 1938)
  2. William A. Rice, SJ (19 November 1938 – 28 February 1946)
  3. David Francis Hickey, SJ (10 June 1948 – 29 February 1956)
Bishops of Belize City
  1. David Francis Hickey, SJ (29 February 1956 – 1 August 1957)
  2. Robert Louis Hodapp, SJ (2 March 1958 – 11 November 1983)
Bishops of Belize City–Belmopan
  1. Osmond P. Martin (11 November 1983 – 18 November 2006)
  2. Dorick M. Wright (18 November 2006 – 26 January 2017)
  3. Lawrence Sydney Nicasio (26 January 2017 – )

Auxiliary bishops

See also

References
  1. Diocese of Belize City & Belmopan; Antilles Episcopal Conference; December 12, 2002; url accessed June 28, 2006
  2. History; Holy Redeemer Cathedral; url accessed June 28, 2006
  3. Archived 2007-03-12 at the Wayback Machine; The Belize Journal; December 3, 1996; url accessed June 28, 2006
  4. Diocese of Belize City–Belmopan, GCatholic.org, February, 2017

17°29′51.7″N 88°11′20.2″W

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