Catholic Church in Solomon Islands

The Catholic Church in Solomon Islands is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.

Holy Cross Cathedral in Honiara

Catholic evangelisation of the Solomon Islands archipelago in the nineteenth century was mostly in the hands of the Marist Fathers.[1][2]

There are over 140,000 Catholics in Solomon Islands in 2022 (one-fifth of the total population).[3] In 2020 there were 89 priests and 120 nuns serving across 34 parishes.[4]

The country is divided into three dioceses: the Archdiocese of Honiara, the Diocese of Gizo and the Diocese of Auki.

In 1957 the current cathedral, Holy Cross Cathedral in Honiara, was blessed and opened to the public. Solomon Islands sent a delegation of young people for the first time to World Youth Day 2008 when it was held in Sydney, Australia.[5] Peter Houhou became the first locally-born bishop when he was consecrated as Bishop of Auki in 2018.[6] He served for 5 years and in mid-2023, the bishopric was vacant.[7]

Holy Name of Mary Seminary at Tenaru in Guadalcanal was founded in 1995 and serves the three dioceses. It is under the care of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentian Fathers and Brothers).

See also

References
  1. Laracy, Hugh (1976). Marists and Melanesians. A History of Catholic Missions in the Solomon Islands. Canberra: Australian National University Press. ISBN 0708104045.
  2. Laracy, Hugh (2013). "Chapter 3: Insular Eminence: Cardinal Moran (1830-1911) and the Pacific Islands" (PDF). Watriama and Co: Further Pacific Islands Portraits. ANU Press. pp. 53–68. ISBN 978-1-921666-33-9.
  3. US State Dept 2022 report This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. Catholics and Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-08
  5. "Oceania Plans Bigger Turnout for Youth Day '08". Zenit News Agency. September 8, 2006. Archived from the original on May 10, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
  6. "Historic ordination for Solomon Islands". Australian Catholic Bishops Media Blog. 25 Oct 2018. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
  7. Catholic Hierarchy website, retrieved 2023-09-18


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