Roman Catholic Diocese of Montego Bay
| Diocese of Montego Bay Dioecesis Sinus Sereni | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Jamaica |
| Ecclesiastical province | Province of Kingston in Jamaica |
| Metropolitan | Charles Henry Dufour |
| Coordinates | 18°28′02″N 77°53′44″W / 18.4673°N 77.8956°WCoordinates: 18°28′02″N 77°53′44″W / 18.4673°N 77.8956°W |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 3,878 km2 (1,497 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2004) 822,100 14,926 (1.8%) |
| Parishes | 15 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Established | 14 September 1967 (48 years ago) |
| Cathedral | Blessed Sacrament Cathedral |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Burchell McPherson |
| Map | |
 | |
| Website | |
| mobaydiocese.tripod.com | |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Montego Bay is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church. Formerly a member of the Diocese of Kingston, it is now a suffragansee of the Metropolitan See of the Archdiocese of Kingston, located on the northwest part of the island of Jamaica. It was erected on September 14, 1967 by Pope Paul VI.[1]
The diocese of Montego Bay is made up of five civic parishes: St. James in Montego Bay, Trewlany in Falmouth, St. Ann in St. Ann's Bay, Westmoreland in Savannah-la-Mar, and Hanover in Lucea.
Of the three Roman Catholic dioceses in Jamaica, the diocese of Montego Bay is the largest in land area spanning 1,500 sq. miles. The population of non-Catholics and Catholics totals 723,200. The number of Catholics is 13,200, approximately 2% of the population.[1]
Ordinaries
- Edgerton Roland Clarke (1967–1994)
- Charles Henry Dufour (1995–2011)
- Burchell Alexander McPherson (2013-)
Pope Paul VI selected Edgerton Roland Clarke as the first bishop of Montego Bay. Clarke was born in 1929 and was consecrated a bishop upon the inauguration of the diocese of Montego Bay. He served in Montego Bay from 1967 until his election as Archbishop of the archdiocese of Kingston in 1994.[2]
Pope John Paul II elected Charles H. Dufour as the next bishop of the diocese, where he has been serving since 1996. Dufour was born in Kingston on April 15, 1940. He was ordained a priest in August 1970, and then went on to be appointed bishop and consecrated on Feb. 10, 1996 at the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Montego Bay.[2] He was appointed Archbishop of Kingston on April 15, 2011.
Pope Francis appointed Burchell Alexander McPherson of the Archdiocese of Kingston the third Bishop of Montego Bay on April 11, 2013. He was consecrated and installed at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, Montego Bay on June 8, 2013.
Parishes
Not every parish in the Montego Bay Diocese is able to have a full-time priest available. Many parishes rely on missionary priests to aid in the celebration of Mass and the sacraments. The list of parishes includes the name of the full-time pastor if available.[1]
- Blessed Sacrament Cathedral: located in Montego Bay, Blessed Sacrament Cathedral is the seat of the bishop. It was built in 1967 with the founding of the diocese. The rector is Very Rev. Fr. Carl F. Clarke, J.P. [3]
- Our Lady of Fatima: located in Ocho Rios.
- Mary, Gate of Heaven: located in Negril. Pastor is Rev. Joseph F. Rigali.[4]
- Sts. Philip and James: located in Lucea.
- St. Joseph, the Worker: located in Falmouth. - Vicar General, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Eremodo Muavesi.
- St. Ignatius: located in Brownstown
- Holy Name: located in Bamboo. Pastor is Rev. Chrispin Q.P. Oneko from Coastal Keys, Kenya.[5]
- St. Boniface: located in Alva.
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help: located in St. Ann's Bay.
- Sacred Heart: located in Reading. Pastor is Fr. Marek Kolbuch
- Sacred Heart: located in Seaford Town.
- St. Joseph: located in Savanna-la-mar.
- St. Mark: located in Grange Hill.
References
- 1 2 3 "The Roman Catholic Diocese of Montego Bay". Retrieved 26 July 2012.
- 1 2 "The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church". Retrieved 26 July 2012.
- ↑ "Blessed Sacrament Cathedral (Montego Bay)". Retrieved 26 July 2012.
- ↑ "Mary, Gate of Heaven (Negril)". Retrieved 26 July 2012.
- ↑ "Holy Name (Bamboo)". Retrieved 26 July 2012.
- "Diocese of Montego Bay". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
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