Territory Southeastern Kentucky Population
- Catholics 45,815 (3.1%) Rite Roman Rite Bishop John Stowe | Metropolitan Joseph Edward Kurtz Denomination Catholic Church Established January 14, 1988 Country United States of America | |
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Cathedral Cathedral of Christ the King Ecclesiastical provinces Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville, Joseph Edward Kurtz | ||
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington (Latin: Dioecesis Lexingtonensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Kentucky founded on January 14, 1988.
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Establishment of diocese
Pope John Paul II established the Diocese of Lexington on January 14, 1988 from 43 counties previously of the Diocese of Covington and 7 counties previously of the Archdiocese of Louisville. The formal ceremony establishing the diocese and installing its first bishop, James Kendrick Williams, took place on March 2, 1988 at Christ the King Church. With the establishment of the diocese, and the installation of its bishop, Christ the King Church was elevated to the status of cathedral.
Profile of diocese
As of 2004, the diocese covered approximately 16,423 Square Miles (42,520 Square Kilometers), and included nearly 46,000 Catholics (about 3.1% of the total population) in its 64 parishes. At that time, 67 diocesan and religious priests, 33 permanent deacons, 30 male religious, and 138 female religious served in the diocese.
The Diocese of Lexington provides education for approximately 4300 students in its fifteen elementary and two high schools located throughout the diocese, and maintains Newman Centers at eight of Kentucky's colleges and universities.
Bishops
The list of bishops of the diocese and their years of service:
- James Kendrick Williams (1988–2002)
- Ronald William Gainer (2002–2014)
- John Stowe, O.F.M. Conv. (2015–present)