Parishes 51 Rite Roman Rite Area 1,665 km² Phone +39 0884 538371 | Denomination Catholic Church Established 3rd Century Province Province of Foggia Country Italy | |
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Population
- Total
- Catholics (as of 2013)
154,283
151,850 (est.) (98.4%) Cathedral Cattedrale di S. Lorenzo Maiorano (Manfredonia) Address Via S. Lorenzo, 71043 Manfredonia FG, Italy Ecclesiastical province Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Foggia-Bovino Similar Curia Arcivesco, Parrocchia Sacra Famiglia, Santuario di San Michele A, Parrocchia Stella Maris, Abbazia di Santa Maria di |
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo (Latin: Archidioecesis Sipontinus-Vestanus-Sancti Ioannis Rotundi) is a Latin Catholic non-Metropolitan Archdiocese in Foggia province, in Apulia, south-eastern Italy, which is part the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Foggia-Bovino
Contents
The historic Archdiocese of Siponto (precursor in a present suburb of Manfredonia) was elevated from the status of diocese in 1074. At that time it was known after its see, Siponto, and Sipontinus persisted as its Latin name. The present complex title reflects several mergers, part of a complex history before and after the see transfer in 1230.
On July 15, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI named Bishop Michele Castoro of the Diocese of Oria as Archbishop.
Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is the Manfredonia Cathedral, dedicated to Santo Lorenzo Maiorano, in Foggia, Puglia (Apulia region). It also has
- two more notable Shrines: Santuario di S. Maria delle Grazie Santuario di S. Maria delle Grazie, in San Giovanni Rotondo, and Santuario di S. Pio da Pietrelcina Santuario di S. Pio da Pietrelcina, in San Giovanni Rotondo.
Statistics
As per 2014, it pastorally served 152,000 Catholics (98.8% of 153,811 total) on 1,665 km² in 51 parishes with 124 priests (76 diocesan, 48 religious), 3 deacons, 247 lay religious (56 brothers, 191 sisters) and 7 seminarians.
History
For its Ancient and medieval precursor (arch)bishopric at Siponto, see Archdiocese of Sipontum.In 1230, Manfredonia, a new city founded by Manfred of Sicily, who decided to 'rebuild Siponto' in a new nearby location, the archiepiscopal see was transferred and renamed after it as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Manfredonia, yet maintained its Latin adjectve Sipontin(us) (Latin).
Among the other bishops were Matteo Orsini (1327), later cardinal; Cardinal Bessarione (1447), administrator; Niccolò Perotti (1458), a Greek scholar and theologian; Giovanni del Monte (1512), subsequently pope under the name of Julius III; Domenico Ginnasio (1586), who suppressed the use of the Greek Rite at the high altar of the cathedral of Sipontum, a custom which had obtained until his day; Antonio Marcello (1643) who founded the seminary and restored the cathedral destroyed by the Ottoman Turks in 1620; Vincenzo Orsini (1675), afterwards Pope under the name of Benedict XIII.
On 1979.04.30 it was demoted as non-Metropolitan Archdiocese of Manfredonia / Sipontin(us) (Latin)
On 1986.09.30 it was renamed as Archdiocese of Manfredonia–Vieste / Sipontin(us)–Vestan(us) (Latin adjective), having gained territory from the suppressed Diocese of Vieste (but absorbing its title), and having lost territories, both to its Metropolitan, the Archdiocese of Foggia-Bovino, and to the Diocese of San Severo.
On 2002.12.06 it was again renamed as Archdiocese of Manfredonia–Vieste–San Giovanni Rotondo / Sipontin(us)–Vestan(us)–Sancti Ioannis Rotundi (Latin).
Episcopal Ordinaries
(all Latin Rite)
United: 27 June 1818 with the Diocese of Vieste
Latin Name: Sipontinus e Vestanus
30 September 1986: Name Changed
Latin Name: Sipontinus-Vestanus
6 December 2002: Name Changed
Latin Name: Sipontinus-Vestanus-Sancti Ioannis Rotundi