Roman Catholic Diocese of Nelson

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nelson (Latin: Dioecesis Nelsonensis) (erected 22 February 1936) is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vancouver.

This article is about the Catholic diocese in Canada. For the Anglican diocese in New Zealand, see Anglican Diocese of Nelson.
Diocese of Nelson

Dioecesis Nelsonensis
Logo of the Diocese
Location
CountryCanada
TerritorySouth-eastern British Columbia
Ecclesiastical provinceVancouver
Statistics
Area124,272 km2 (47,982 sq mi)
Population
- Catholics
65,000 (17.8%)
Information
DenominationRoman Catholic
RiteRoman Rite
EstablishedFebruary 22, 1936
CathedralMary Immaculate Cathedral, Nelson
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopGregory John Bittman
Metropolitan ArchbishopJ. Michael Miller
Bishops emeritusEugene Jerome Cooney
John Corriveau
Website
www.nelsondiocese.org

Diocesan demographics

The diocese contains 31 parishes. Serving or retired in the diocese are 28 diocesan priests, 7 religious priests ministering to 75,000 Catholics. It also has 13 religious sisters and supports 7 Catholic schools. (As of March 2011) This diocese covers two time zones with the East Kootenay and Columbia Valley on Mountain Time and the rest on Pacific time.

History

In the late 1830s French Canadians in the Oregon Territory petitioned the Quebec bishops to have missionary priests sent beyond the Rocky Mountains. In response to this plea, Fathers François-Norbert Blanchet and Modeste Demers were sent West to a remote part of the Quebec diocese referred to as New Caledonia by the Hudson’s Bay Company. While at Boat Encampment on the Columbia River (Mica Dam area), Blanchet and Demers celebrated Mass on October 10, 1838 the first Mass celebrated in what later became the Diocese of Nelson.

During the years of westward expansion and settlement, the spiritual needs of the region presently administered by the Diocese of Nelson came under the jurisdiction of various bishoprics: • Vicariate Apostolic of the Oregon Territory, 1843-1846 • Diocese of Vancouver Island, 1846-1863 • Vicariate Apostolic of British Columbia, 1863-1890 • Diocese of New Westminster, 1890-1908 • Archdiocese of Vancouver, 1908-1936

On February 22, 1936, Pope Pius XI erected the Diocese of Nelson to cover the Kootenay and Okanagan regions of southeastern British Columbia.

Bishops

Ordinaries

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop
  • Bartolomeus Van Roijen, appointed Bishop of Corner Brook and Labrador, Newfoundland in 2019

Churches

Education

Catholic high schools
School City Est. Website Enrollment
Immaculata Regional High School Kelowna 1960 https://web.archive.org/web/20090501042437/http://immaculata.kelowna.bc.ca/ ~350 (co-ed)

Catholic elementary schools
School City Est. Website
Holy Cross Penticton http://www.holyc.com/
Our Lady of Lourdes Westbank https://web.archive.org/web/20090606180311/http://www.ourladyoflourdeswestbank.com/
St. Joseph Nelson http://www.stjosephnelson.ca/
St. Mary's Cranbrook http://www.stmarysschool.ca/
St. Joseph Kelowna 1938 http://www.stjosephkelowna.ca/
St. Michaels Catholic Trail http://www.smces.ca/index.html

Religious institutes

Religious institutes of men

Religious institutes of women

Notes

The diocese publishes the Catholic Mountain Star newspaper.

References
  • "Diocese of Nelson". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
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