Country United States Denomination Roman Catholic Area 134,478 km² Bishop George Leo Thomas | Ecclesiastical province Province of Portland Rite Roman Rite Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Helena Phone +1 406-442-5820 | |
 | ||
Territory Lewis and Clark, Teton, Flathead, Lincoln, Missoula, Sanders, Powell, Granite, Ravalli, Deer Lodge, Silver Bow, Jefferson, Broadwater, Gallatin, Madison, Lake, and Beaverhead Counties plus parts of Meagher, Musselshell, and Toole Counties in Montana Population
- Total
- Catholics (as of 2013)
565,000
55,800 (9.9%) Address 515 N Ewing St, Helena, MT 59601, USA Similar Cathedral of St Helena, St Mary's Catholic Community, Holy Cross Church, Montana Catholic Conferen, Helena Fire Departme | ||
The Diocese of Helena (Latin: Dioecesis Helenensis) is the Catholic diocese for western Montana with its cathedral located in Helena, the state capital. The diocese was erected from the year-old Vicarate of Montana on March 7, 1884, while Montana was still a territory. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Portland, which encompasses Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.
Contents
History
Before becoming a diocese, this was the Vicariate of Montana (covering the whole territory and then state of Montana). For its first twenty years, the diocese served all of Montana. In 1904 the new Diocese of Great Falls was formed to serve eastern Montana.
The seat of the diocese is in the Cathedral of St. Helena in the state capital of Helena. It was completed in 1914.
Ordinaries
The bishops of the Diocese of Helena and their years of service:
- Jean-Baptiste Brondel - (1884–1903)
- John Patrick Carroll - (1904–25)
- George Joseph Finnigan - (1927–32)
- Ralph Leo Hayes - (1933–35)
- Joseph Michael Gilmore - (1935–62)
- Raymond Gerhardt Hunthausen - (1962–75)
- Elden Francis Curtiss - (1976–93)
- Alexander Joseph Brunett - (1994–97)
- Robert C. Morlino - (1999–2003)
- George Leo Thomas - (2004–present)