Roman Catholic Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi (Lat: Dioecesis Islamabadensis-Ravalpindensis) is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Pakistan.

The diocese has a long history, as it was originally erected in 1887, as the Apostolic Prefecture of Kafiristan and Kashmir. The prefecture was erected from the Diocese of Lahore.

In 1947, the Apostolic prefecture was elevated to a full diocese, and renamed the diocese of Rawalpindi.

In 1952, Kashmir was lost to the diocese, and a new diocese created from territory in Rawalpindi and Lahore to create the Apostolic Prefecture of Kashmir and Jammu.

In 1979, the name was changed to the Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Lahore. It comprises the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas, Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas, Gujrat District of Gujranwala Division, the Rawalpindi Division, the Sargodha Division,. At the time there were only 16 priests to minister to the Catholics in the diocese.^[1]

The principal church of the diocese is the St. Joseph's Cathedral, Rawalpindi.^[2]

The Diocese has a population of about 35 million, including 250,000 Catholics many of whom are committed to education (through its more than 70 schools like the Catholic Public High School in Sangota, in the Swat Valley), training institutes and hospitals.^[3]

In 1920 the Medical Mission Sisters set up the 16-bed St. Catherine's Hospital in Rawalpindi under the auspices of the Diocese.^[4] The hospital evolved into the Holy Family Hospital and continued to operate under the Diocese until 1977. In that year the diocese was no longer able to bear the financial burden of running the hospital and handed it over to the Government of Punjab. The Medical Mission Sisters went to work at the Holy Family Hospital, Karachi.^[5]

In 1996 the Diocese opened Our Lady of Lourdes Minor Seminary which is its preparatory seminary.^[6]

In 2009, 31 priests served a declining population of 180,000 Catholics.^[7] The third largest Catholic diocese of Pakistan is divided into 19 parishes.^[8]

The former vicar general of Faisalabad diocese, Father Rufin Anthony, was appointed Coadjutor Bishop to Bishop Anthony Theodore Lobo of the Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi by Pope Benedict XVI on August 4, 2009. He succeeded Bishop Lobo as Bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi upon the acceptance by Benedict of Lobo's resignation on Thursday, February 18, 2010.^[9]

In August 2010 the heaviest rains in 80 years caused the worst flooding the country has ever seen, affecting much of the Diocese. Catholic Relief Services, Pakistan had to evacuate staff quarters in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa region due to the flooding in the province. A team of Caritas Pakistan also travelled to Peshawar to assess the situation and follow up with relief aid.^[10] The Sisters of the Daughters of St. Paul congregation also distributed religious as well as food items in Nowshera, one of the 10 districts in Pakistan most severely affected by the floods.^[11]

Ordinaries

• Domenico Wagenaar, M.H.M. † ( 1901 Appointed - 1915 Died)
• Robert J. Winkley, M.H.M. † (24 Oct 1916 Appointed - 1 Nov 1930 Died)
• Giuseppe Patrizio O'Donohoe, M.H.M. † (26 Jan 1934 Appointed - 1947 Died)
• Nicholas Hettinga, M.H.M. † (24 Jul 1947 Appointed - 26 Dec 1973 Died)
• Simeon Anthony Pereira † (17 Dec 1973 Appointed - 22 Mar 1993 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Karachi)
• Anthony Theodore Lobo † (28 May 1993 Appointed - 18 Feb 2010 Resigned); Bishop Emeritus
• Rufin Anthony (18 Feb 2010 Succeeded - ); had previously been Coadjutor Bishop

Educational Institutions in the Diocese

Schools

• St Mary's Academy (Rawalpindi)
• St Mary's Cambridge School
• Convent of Jesus and Mary (Murree)
• Don Bosco Catholic School, Bannu, NWFP
• Catholic Public High School, Sangota, NWFP
• St. Mary's High School, Peshawar
• Presentation Convent, Rawalpindi
• Presentation Convent High School, Murree
• Presentation Convent School, Peshawar
• Presentation Convent High School, Sargodha
• St. Michael's High School, Peshawar^[12]
• St. Mary's High School, Gujrat (Since 1958)

Tertiary Institutions

• Sargodha Institute of Technology
• St Mary’s College, Rawalpindi

Communal violence

St. Thomas’ Church, Wah Cantt was attacked by a group of armed men on 28 March 2011 which resulted in damages. It is believed that the incident was related to the recent episode of the burning of the Quran by Pastor Terry Jones in the U.S.^[13]

References

Roman Catholicism in Pakistan Local Orders Franciscan Missionaries of Christ the King Archdioceses Karachi Lahore Dioceses Faisalabad Hyderabad Islamabad-Rawalpindi Multan Apostolic vicariate Apostolic Vicariate of Quetta Cathedrals Cathedral of the Holy Redeemer Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Karachi Sacred Heart Cathedral, Lahore St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Hyderabad St. Joseph's Cathedral, Rawalpindi Holy Rosary Church, Pro-Cathedral of Quetta Congregations Daughters of Saint Paul Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools Oblates of Mary Immaculate Daughters of the Cross Dominicans Franciscans Episcopal conference Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan Educational institutions see Category:Roman Catholic schools in Pakistan Notable Roman Catholics see Category:Pakistani Roman Catholics

Coordinates: 33°36′00″N 73°02′00″E / 33.6000°N 73.0333°E / 33.6000; 73.0333