Roman Catholic Diocese of Telšiai

Diocese of Telšiai Dioecesis Telsensis (-Klaipedensis) Vyskupija Telšių
Location
Country	Lithuania
Ecclesiastical province	Kaunas
Metropolitan	Kaunas
Statistics
Area	13,373 km2 (5,163 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2014) 705,000 564,000 (80%)
Information
Rite	Latin Rite
Cathedral	Šv. Antano Paduviečio katedra (Cathedral of St. Anthony of Padua)
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Jonas Boruta, S.J.
Metropolitan Archbishop	Sigitas Tamkevičius
Map
Location of Diocese of Telšiai in Lithuania

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Telšiai (Latin: Telsen(sis)) is a suffragan Latin diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan of Kaunas, one of two in Lithuania.

Curia of Roman Catholic Diocese of Telšiai

History

• It was established on 4 April 1926 as Diocese of Telšiai / Telsen(sis) (Latin) on territory split off from the Diocese of Samogitia.
• On 1997.05.28 it lost territory to establish the Diocese of Siauliai.

United titles

On 24 December 1991, the Territorial Prelature of Klaipėda (Memel), which had been seceded from the Diocese of Ermland on 4 April 1926, and was repeatedly held in personal union by the Bishops already, has been merged into the Telšiai diocese.^[1]

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 564,000 Catholics (80.0% of 705,000 total) on 13,373 km² in 79 parishes and 95 missions with 164 priests (148 diocesan, 16 religious), 50 lay religious (18 brothers, 32 sisters) and 20 seminarians.

Special churches

Its cathedral episcopal see is Šv. Antano Paduviečio katedra, dedicated to saint Anthony, in the city of Telšiai. It also has

• the former cathedral Šv. apaštalų Petro ir Pauliaus bažnyčia, in Varniai
• a Minor Basilica, Švč. Mergelės Marijos Apsilankymo bazilika (Blessed Virgin Mary), in Žemaičių Kalvarijoje.

Episcopal Ordinaries

(all Roman rite)

Suffragan Bishops of Telšiai

• Justinas Staugaitis (1926.04.05 – death 1943.07.08), also Bishop-Prelate of Territorial Prelature of Klaipėda (Lithuania) (1926.04.05 – 1939)
  • Apostolic Administrator Vincentas Borisevičius (1943 – 1944.01.21), while Titular Bishop of Lysias (1940.02.03 – 1944.01.21 see below) as Auxiliary Bishop of Telšiai 1940.02.03 – 1944.01.21)
• Vincentas Borisevičius (see above 1944.01.21 – death 1963.12.10)
  • Apostolic Administrator Bishop Petras Maželis (1959.11.10 – 1964.02.14 see below) while Titular Bishop of Celenderis (1955.05.22 – 1964.02.14) as Auxiliary Bishop of Telšiai (1955.05.22 – 1964.02.14); previously Bishop-Prelate of Territorial Prelature of Klaipėda (Lithuania) (1949.12.20 – 1955.05.22)
• Petras Maželis (see above 1964.02.14 – death 1966.05.21), also again Bishop-Prelate of Klaipėda (1964.02.14 – 1966.05.21)
  • Apostolic Administrator Bishop Juozapas Pletkus (1967.11.08 – death 1975.09.29) while Titular Bishop of Tubia (1967.11.08 – 1975.09.29), also Apostolic Administrator of Klaipėda (Lithuania) (1967.11.08 – 1975.09.29)
  • [Apostolic Administrator]] Bishop Antanas Vaičius (1982.07.05 – 1989.03.10 see below), Titular Bishop of Sullectum (1982.07.05 – 1989.03.10) and Apostolic Administrator of Klaipėda (Lithuania) (1982.07.05 – 1991.12.24)
• Antanas Vaičius (see above 1989.03.10 – retired 2001.05.26), died 2008
• Jonas Boruta, Jesuit Order (S.J.) (2002.01.05 - ), previously Titular Bishop of Vulturara (1997.05.28 – 2002.01.05) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Vilnius (Lithuania) (1997.05.28 – 2002.01.05)
  • Coadjutor Bishop : Kęstutis Kėvalas (2017.04.20 – ...), previously Titular Bishop of Abziri (2012.09.27 – 2017.04.20) as Auxiliary Bishop of Kaunas (Lithuania) (2012.09.27 – 2017.04.20).

Auxiliary episcopate

TO ELABORATE AND WORK IN

• • Auxiliary Bishop: Linas Vodopjanovas (Genadijus), Friars Minor (O.F.M.) (2012.02.11 – 2016.05.20)
  • Auxiliary Bishop: Jonas Kauneckas (2000.05.13 – 2002.01.05)
  • Auxiliary Bishop: Liudas Povilonis, Marian Fathers (M.I.C.) (1969.11.07 – 1973.07.07)
  • Auxiliary Bishop: Pranciskus Ramanauskas (1944.02.28 – 1959.10.17)

See also

• List of Catholic dioceses in Lithuania

Notes

Sources and external links

• GCatholic.org
• Catholic Hierarchy
• Diocese website

Coordinates: 55°59′N 22°15′E / 55.983°N 22.250°E / 55.983; 22.250