Roman Catholic Diocese of Grass Valley

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The Diocese of Grass Valley (Latin: Dioecesis Vallispratensis) was a diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church located in northeastern California, United States. The diocese also included most of Nevada,^[1] and, early in its history, Utah and part of Colorado.^[2] The diocese was erected in 1860 as the Vicariate Apostolic of Marysville from territory formerly belonging to the Archdiocese of San Francisco, of which it was a suffragan see.^[3] In 1868, the see city was changed to Grass Valley, and the vicariate was renamed and elevated to a diocese.^[4]

St. Joseph Church in Marysville served as the pro-cathedral of the vicarate. When the vicarate was elevated to a diocese, Bishop O'Connell resisted the change of see city to Grass Valley, and continued using St. Joseph's as his pro-cathedral. St. Patrick Cathedral in Grass Valley was the official cathedral approved by the Vatican.^[5]

The diocese served the large mining population in the Sierra Nevada during the California Gold Rush. By 1886, commercial mining in the Gold Country had slowed considerably, significantly reducing the population in the area, and the diocese was suppressed. Much of its territory became part of the Diocese of Sacramento. The last Bishop of Grass Valley became the first Bishop of Sacramento.

In 1997, Pope John Paul II restored the see as a titular see. The current (and to date, only) titular bishop of Grass Valley is Christie Albert Macaluso, an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Hartford.^[6]

[edit] Ordinaries

Vicar Apostolic of Marysville^[3]

1. Eugene O’Connell (1860–1868)

Bishop of Grass Valley^[3]

1. Eugene O’Connell (1868–1884)
2. Patrick Manogue (1884–1886)

Titular Bishop of Grass Valley^[6]

1. Christie Albert Macaluso (1997–present)

[edit] Further reading

• Dwyer, John T. (1976); Condemned to the mines: The life of Eugene O'Connell, 1815-1891, pioneer bishop of Northern California and Nevada; ISBN 0533021308

[edit] References

1. ^ Nevada's Catholic History. Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
2. ^ Bernice M. Mooney. The Catholic Church in Utah. Utah History Encyclopedia. University of Utah. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
3. ^ ^{a b c} Diocese of Grass Valley. Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
4. ^ About the diocese. Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.
5. ^ Eric Stoltz (January 31, 2008). The Forgotten Diocese and the Spurned Cathedral. Cathedrals of California. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
6. ^ ^{a b} Titular See of Grass Valley. Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved on 2007-08-28.