Roman Catholic Diocese of Samoa–Pago Pago
| Diocese of Samoa–Pago Pago Dioecesis Samoa–Pagopagensis | |
|---|---|
 Roman Catholic Diocese of Samoa-Pago Pago | |
| Location | |
| Country |
 United States |
| Territory |
 American Samoa |
| Ecclesiastical province | Samoa-Apia |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 76 sq mi (200 km2) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2010) 68,000 14,000 (20.6%) |
| Parishes | 16 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | September 10, 1982 (34 years ago) |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of the Holy Family (Tafuna) |
| Co-cathedral | Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph the Worker (Fagatogo) |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Peter Brown |
| Emeritus Bishops | John Quinn Weitzel M.M. |
| Map | |
 | |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Samoa–Pago Pago (Latin: Dioecesis Samoa–Pagopagensis) is a Latin suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States overseas dependency of American Samoa, in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Samoa–Apia.[1]
The ordinary is a bishop who pastors the episcoapl see (mother church), the Cathedral of the Holy Family in the Tafuna. He is also pastor of the Co-Cathedral of Saint Joseph the Worker in Fagatogo.
On Friday, May 31, 2013, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop John Quinn Weitzel M.M., and appointed the Rev. Peter Brown, C.Ss.R., the Regional Superior of the Redemptorist Fathers in New Zealand as bishop-elect of the diocese of Samoa–Pago Pago. Brown was ordained as a bishop on August 22, 2013.
History
It was canonically erected on September 10, 1982,[2] taking territory from what once was a unified Diocese of Samoa and Tokelau, the remainder of which became its present Metropolitan.
It enjoyed a Papal visit from Pope Paul VI in November 1970.
Episcopal Ordinaries
(all Roman Rite)
- Suffragan Bishops of Samoa–Pago Pago
- Apostolic Administrator (1982.09.10 – 1986.06) Pio Taofinu’u, Marists (S.M.), while Cardinal-Priest of S. Onofrio (1973.03.05 – 2006.01.19), Ecclesiastical Superior of Mission Sui Iuris of Funafuti (Tuvalu) (1982.09.10 – 1985.09), Metropolitan Archbishop of Samoa–Apia and Tokelau (Samoa) (1982.09.10 – 1992.06.26)
- John Quinn Weitzel Maryknoll Fathers (M.M.) (1986.06.09 – retired 2013.05.31)
- Peter Brown, C.Ss.R. (2013.05.31 – ...)
Coat of arms
The proposal of coat of arms created Marek Sobola, a heraldic specialist from Slovakia. The colors of the new coat of arms are derived from the national colors of American Samoa. Heraldic figures of the coat of arms: Bald eagle - the national symbol, gold and silver lily - symbols of Pope Paul VI and John Paul II. These two popes contributed to the development of the diocese. [3]
See also
- Catholic Church by country
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Ecclesiastical Province of Samoa-Apia
- Global organisation of the Catholic Church
- List of Catholic dioceses (alphabetical) (including archdioceses)
- List of Catholic dioceses (structured view) (including archdioceses)
- List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States
- List of Roman Catholic archdioceses (by country and continent)
References
Sources and External links
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Samoa–Pago Pago Official Site
- GCatholic, with incumbent bio links
- Catholic Hierarchy Profile of the Diocese of Samoa–Pago Pago
Coordinates: 14°14′S 170°08′W / 14.24°S 170.14°W