Parishes 194 Cathedral Agen Cathedral Patron saint Saint Stephen Metropolitan archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard | Denomination Roman Catholic Established 4th Century Area 5,384 km² Bishop Hubert Herbreteau | |
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Population- Total- Catholics (as of 2012)337,500202,000 (59.9%) Ecclesiastical province Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bordeaux | ||
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Agen (Latin: Dioecesis Agennensis; French: Diocèse d'Agen) is a Latin Rite Roman Catholic diocese in France.
Contents
The diocese comprises the Département of Lot and Garonne, in the Region of Aquitaine. It has been successively suffragan to the archdioceses of Bordeaux (under the old regime), Toulouse (1802–22), and Bordeaux again (since 1822).
Legends which do not antedate the ninth century concerning Saint Caprasius, martyred with St. Fides by Dacianus, Prefect of the Gauls, during the persecution of Diocletian, and the story of Vincentius, a Christian martyr (written about 520), furnish no foundation for later traditions which make these two saints early bishops of Agen.
Bishops
The first bishop of Agen known to history is St. Phoebadius or Phébade, friend of St. Hilary, who published (in 357) a treatise against the Arians and figured prominently at the Council of Rimini in 359.
Cathedral
Agen Cathedral was formerly the church of St. Caprasius, and is a splendid specimen of Romance architecture, dating from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It was made the cathedral in place of the church of St. Etienne, which was unfortunately destroyed during the French Revolution.