Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vercelli
The Archdiocese of Vercelli (in Latin, Archidioecesis Vercellensis) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in northern Italy, one of the two archdioceses which form the ecclesiastical region of Piedmont. The archbishop's seat is in Vercelli Cathedral. The dioceses suffragan to Vercelli are: Alessandria (della Paglia), Biella, Casale Monferrato and Novara.
History
According to an ancient lectionary the Gospel was first preached in Vercelli in the second half of the third century by Saints Sabinianus and Martialis, bishops from Gaul, when they were returning to their dioceses. The episcopal see was not established till after the Peace of Constantine. The first bishop was Saint Eusebius, a Sardinian, a lector of the Roman Church and a strenuous opponent of Arianism. From Vercelli the Gospel spread through the valley of the Po and its environs; towards the end of the fourth century, perhaps even during the episcopate of Saint Eusebius, new dioceses were erected. From Eusebius to Nottingo (830) there were forty bishops, whose images were preserved in the Eusebian basilica, predecessor of the present cathedral, so called because Saint Eusebius, who dedicated it to the martyr Saint Theonestus, was interred in it. He introduced the common and monastic life among his clergy, from whom bishops for the surrounding territory were often selected.
Among his successors were: Saint Simenus (370), who baptized and consecrated Saint Ambrose; Saint Honoratus (396), who administered the Viaticum to Saint Ambrose; Saint Justinianus (living in 451); Saint AEmilianus (about 500) built an aqueduct for the city at his own expense; Saint Flavianus (541); Saint Celsus (665); Norgaudus (844) restored common life among the canons; Liutuardus (880), who had been archchancellor of Charles the Fat (deposed later) and was slain during the invasion of the Huns (899), like Regenbertus (904- 24); Atto of Vercelli, (d. 960), reformer of ecclesiastical discipline; Petrus (978), imprisoned in the Holy Land by the Egyptian Muslims; Leo (999), chancellor of Holy Roman Emperors Otto III and Henry II; Gisulfus (1133) re-established common life among the canons in 1144; Saint Albertus (1185–1204), founder of the chair of theology, later Patriarch of Jerusalem; Renerio Avogadro (1296) opposed the partisans of Fra Dolcino; Guglielmo Didier (1437), an elector of the antipope Felix V; Giuliano della Rovere (1502), later Pope Julius II (1503); Cardinal Guido Ferrero (1562), founder of the seminary, embellished the cathedral and introduced the Tridentine reform; Gianfrancesco Bonomo (1572) continued the reform and replaced (1573) the Eusebian Rite by the Roman.
In 1817 the Diocese of Vercelli, then suffragan of the archbishopric of Turin (but previously of the archbishopric of Milan) was made an archdiocese, the first archbishop being Giuseppe di Grimaldi.
Parishes
The 118 parishes are divided between the Lombard province of Pavia and the Piedmontese provinces of Alessandria, Biella, Novara and Vercelli.[1]
Lombardy
Province of Pavia
- Candia Lomellina
- S. Maria delle Grazie
- Castelnovetto
- S. Maria delle Grazie
- Confienza
- S. Lorenzo
- Cozzo
- Santi Vittorino Pietro e Michele
- Langosco
- S. Martino
- Palestro
- S. Martino
- Robbio
- S. Stefano
Piedmont
Province of Alessandria
- Morano sul Po
- S. Nicola (Pobietto)
Province of Biella
- Ailoche
- S. Bernardo
- Brusnengo
- Santi Pietro e Paolo
- S. Bernardo (Caraceto)
- Caprile
- S. Carlo
- Castelletto Cervo
- Santi Pietro, Paolo e Tommaso
- Crevacuore
- Beata Vergine Assunta
- Curino
- S. Maria e Santi Martino Bonomio e Nicolao
- Masserano
- SS. Annunziata
- Santi Orso e Antonino (Rongio Inferiore)
- Pray
- S. Ambrogio
- S. Grato (Pianceri)
- Sostegno
- S. Lorenzo
- S. Caterina (Casa del Bosco)
- Villa del Bosco
- S. Lorenzo
Province of Novara
- Biandrate
- S. Colombano
- Casalbeltrame
- S. Martino
- Casaleggio Novara
- S. Ambrogio
- Landiona
- Santi Pietro e Paolo
- Recetto
- S. Domenico
- San Nazzaro Sesia
- Santi Nazario e Celso
- Vicolungo
- Natività di Maria e Santi Giorgio e Martino
- Vinzaglio
- Beata Vergine Assunta
- S. Bernardino (Torrione)
Province of Vercelli
- Albano Vercellese
- Beata Vergine Assunta
- Arborio
- S. Martino
- Asigliano Vercellese
- Beata Vergine Assunta
- Balocco
- Santi Michele e Antonio
- Bianzè
- S. Eusebio
- Borgo Vercelli
- Beata Vergine Assunta
- Borgo d’Ale
- S. Michele
- Buronzo
- S. Abbondio
- Caresana
- S. Matteo
- Caresanablot
- S. Cecilia
- Casanova Elvo
- S. Martino
- Cigliano
- S. Emiliano
- Collobiano
- Beata Vergine del Rosario e S. Giorgio
- Costanzana
- S. Martino
- Crescentino
- Beata Vergine Assunta
- Santi Genuario e Silvestro (San Genuario)
- S. Grisante (San Grisante)
- Crova
- Santi Pietro ed Eusebio
- Desana
- Santi Pietro e Maurizio
- Fontanetto Po
- S. Maria e S. Martino
- Formigliana
- Beata Vergine Assunta
- Nostra Signora del Sacratissimo Rosario di Fatima
- Gattinara
- S. Bernardo
- S. Pietro
- Ghislarengo
- Beata Vergine Assunta
- Greggio
- Santi Quirico e Giulitta
- Guardabosone
- S. Agata
- Lamporo
- S. Bernardo
- Lenta
- S. Pietro
- Lignana
- SS. Salvatore e Santi Germano e Cristoforo
- Livorno Ferraris
- S. Lorenzo
- Santi Rocco e Giovanni Battista (Castell’Apertole)
- S. Giacomo (San Giacomo)
- Lozzolo
- S. Giorgio
- Moncrivello
- S. Eusebio
- Motta de’ Conti
- SS. Annunziata
- Olcenengo
- Santi Quirico e Giulitta
- Oldenico
- S. Lorenzo
- Palazzolo Vercellese
- S. Germano
- Pertengo
- S. Germano
- Pezzana
- S. Eusebio
- Postua
- Beata Vergine Assunta
- Prarolo
- Beata Vergine Assunta
- Quinto Vercellese
- Santi Nazario e Celso
- Rive
- Beata Vergine Assunta
- Roasio
- S. Maria
- Santi Maurizio e Rocco
- S. Giorgio (San Giorgio)
- S. Eusebio (Sant’Eusebio)
- Ronsecco
- S. Lorenzo
- Rovasenda
- Maria SS. Assunta
- Salasco
- Beata Vergine Assunta e S. Giacomo
- Sali Vercellese
- Santi Desiderio Giacomo e Clemente
- Saluggia
- S. Antonino
- S. Grato
- San Germano Vercellese
- S. Germano
- San Giacomo Vercellese
- S. Giacomo
- Santhià
- Santi Agata e Giorgio
- Serravalle Sesia
- S. Giovanni Battista
- Beata Vergine Assunta (Bornate Sesia)
- Santi Eusebio e Giacomo (Vintebbio)
- Stroppiana
- S. Michele
- Tricerro
- S. Giorgio
- Trino
- S. Bartolomeo
- Beata Vergine Assunta (Lucedio)
- Beata Vergine Assunta (Robella)
- Tronzano Vercellese
- Santi Pietro e Paolo
- Santi Grato e Valentino (Salomino)
- Vercelli
- Beata Vergine di Lourdes
- Regina Pacis
- S. Agnese in S. Francesco
- S. Antonio Da Padova
- S. Bernardo
- S. Eusebio
- S. Giacomo in S. Cristoforo
- S. Giuseppe
- S. Maria Maddalena
- S. Maria Maggiore
- S. Pietro
- Sacro Cuore di Gesù
- Santi Tommaso e Teonesto in S. Paolo
- Spirito Santo
- SS. Salvatore
- Beata Vergine Assunta (Cappuccini)
- Beata Vergine Assunta (Larizzate)
- Villarboit
- S. Marco
- Santi Pietro e Paolo
Notes
References
U. Benigni (1913). "Vercelli". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). "Vercelli". Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.