Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint John's–Basseterre
| Diocese of Saint John's–Basseterre Dioecesis Sancti Ioannis–Imatelluranus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Country |
 British Virgin Islands,  UK |
| Ecclesiastical province | Province of Castries |
| Metropolitan | Robert Rivas O.P. |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 1,050 km2 (410 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2010) 169,787 14,878 (8.8%) |
| Parishes | 10 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Established | 16 January 1971 (46 years ago) |
| Cathedral | Holy Family Cathedral |
| Co-cathedral | Co-Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Robert Llanos (Apostolic Administrator |
| Emeritus Bishops |
Kenneth Richards Donald James Reece Joseph O Bowers |
| Website | |
| www.diocesesjb.com | |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint John's–Basseterre (Latin: Dioecesis Sancti Ioannis–Imatellurana) is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, covering five English-speaking states in the Caribbean. The bishopric is a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Castries, and a member of the Antilles Episcopal Conference, but remains dependent on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
It has a cathedral episcopal see, the Holy Family Cathedral in St John's, Antigua and the Co-Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Basseterre, St Kitts.
Both churches are the seat of the bishop. The see is currently vacant, with the Most Rev. Robert Llanos, Auxiliary Bishop of Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago), not its own Metropolitan, acting as Apostolic Administrator.
Extent and statistics
The diocese encompasses the islands of five Anglophone countries in the Lesser Antilles :
- Antigua and Barbuda, which has the see Holy Family Cathedral in St John's, Antigua
- Saint Kitts and Nevis, which has a co-cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Basseterre, St Kitts
- Anguilla
- Montserrat
- the British Virgin Islands.
As per 2014, it pastorally served 16,743 Catholics (9.0% of 186,880 total) on 1,059 km² in 13 parishes and 20 missions with 12 priests (3 diocesan, 9 religious), 3 deacons and 21 lay religious (9 brothers, 12 sisters).
History
The diocese was erected on 16 January 1971 as Diocese of Saint John’s, on territory split off from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Roseau (Dominica).
On 1981.06.21 it was renamed as Diocese of Saint John’s–Basseterre.
Episcopal Ordinaries
(all Roman Rite)
- Suffragan Bishop of Saint John’s
- Joseph Oliver Bowers, Divine Word Missionaries (S.V.D.) (born Dominica) (1971.01.16 – 1981.06.21 see below); previously Titular Bishop of Ciparissia (1952.11.27 – 1953.01.08) as Auxiliary Bishop of Accra (Ghana, West Africa) (1952.11.27 – 1953.01.08), succeeding as Bishop of the same Accra (1953.01.08 – 1971.01.16)
- Suffragan Bishops of Saint John’s–Basseterre
- Joseph Oliver Bowers, S.V.D. (see above 1981.06.21 – retired 1981.07.17), died 2012
- Donald James Reece (1981.07.17 – 2007.10.12) (born Jamaica); later Coadjutor Archbishop of Kingston in Jamaica (Jamaica, Greater Antilles) (2007.10.12 – 2008.04.12), succeeding as Metropolitan Archbishop of the same Kingston in Jamaica (2008.04.12 – retired 2011.04.15), President of Antilles Episcopal Conference (2008.05 – 2011.04.15)
- Apostolic Administrator Gabriel Malzaire (born Saint Lucia) (2007.10.12 – 2011.11.19), while Bishop of mother see Roseau (Dominica) (2002.07.10 – ...)
- Kenneth David Oswin Richards (born Jamaica) (2011.11.19 – 2016.04.29); later Metropolitan Archbishop of Kingston in Jamaica (Jamaica) (2016.04.29 – ...)
- Apostolic Administrator Robert Llanos (born Trinidad and Tobago) (29 April 2016 - ...), Titular Bishop of Casæ nigræ (2013.07.13 – ...) as Auxiliary Bishop of and Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) (2013.07.13 – ...).
See also
Sources and external links
- Official website
- GCatholic, with Google map and satellite photo
- Radio for the Diocese
- "Saint John's-Basseterre". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2007-02-27.
Coordinates: 17°06′58″N 61°50′16″W / 17.11611°N 61.83778°W