Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John's, Newfoundland


The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John's, Newfoundland is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is the Metropolitan see of the Ecclesiastical Province of St. John's, which also includes the suffragan dioceses of Grand Falls, and Corner Brook and Labrador. The current Archbishop is Peter Hundt. The Archdiocese of St. John's is the oldest Roman Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in English-speaking North America.

History

The future Archdiocese of St. John's was established 30 May 1784 as Catholics in Newfoundland gradually gained religious liberty, made explicit by a public declaration by Governor John Campbell. After a request from Irish merchants in St. John's to Bishop William Egan, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, James Louis O'Donel was appointed Prefect Apostolic of Newfoundland, as a pre-diocesan jurisdiction entitled to a titular bishop and exempt, i.e., directly subject to the Holy See, not part of any ecclesiastical province. In addition to O'Donel's personal popularity, one of his qualifications for the position was an ability to preach in Gaelic.
It was promoted to a Vicariate Apostolic on 5 January 1796 and on 4 June 1847 was elevated to diocese.
In 1904, St. John's was elevated to an archdiocese and presently contains 40 parishes, 39 active diocesan priests, 33 religious priests, and 120,135 Catholics. It also has 220 Women Religious, and 42 Religious Brothers.

Bishops

Prefecture Apostolic of Newfoundland

Vicariate Apostolic of Newfoundland

Diocese of Newfoundland

Diocese of St. John's, Newfoundland

Archdiocese of St. John's, Newfoundland

Coadjutor bishops