Phone +1 912-201-4100 | Metropolitan Wilton D. Gregory | |
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Population- Total- Catholics (as of 2010)2,904,00084,500 (2.9%) Address 2170 E Victory Dr, Savannah, GA 31404, USA Profiles | ||
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising 90 of the southern counties of the state of Georgia. It is led by a prelate bishop who serves as pastor of the mother church, Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in the city of Savannah.
Contents
Demographics
Today the Diocese of Savannah comprises 90 counties in south Georgia. It covers 37,038 square miles (95,930 km2). There are 54 parishes and 25 missions within the diocese, serving about 77,000 lay Catholics.
History
The diocese was canonically erected on July 3, 1850, by Pope Pius IX, taking its territories from the Diocese of Charleston, including all of Georgia and a large portion of Florida. Originally, the Diocese of Savannah, therefore, was created from the Diocese of Charleston; and the Diocese of Charleston originated from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Maryland. Pope Pius XI changed the ecclesiastical territory's name of the Diocese of Savannah to become the conjoined Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta on January 5, 1937, to reflect the growth of Catholicism in the state. The number of Catholics in the northern counties of Georgia had grown so much that Pope Pius XII divided the ecclesiastical territory on July 2, 1956, and created the Diocese of Savannah and the Diocese of Atlanta. At that time, there were also two designated co-cathedrals, including St. John the Baptist in Savannah and Christ the King in Atlanta. (In 1962, the Diocese of Atlanta was elevated to the status of an archdiocese, becoming the center of the ecclesiastical province of the same name.)
Other bishops who were priests of this diocese
Clergy and religious
The current number of priests stands at 105. Of these, 90 are serving actively, while 22 priests are in retirement status. There are 38 men that serve the diocese as members of the permanent diaconate, as well as 103 religious (mostly nuns).
High schools
There are 5 Catholic high schools and 16 elementary schools in the diocese, serving over 6,000 students.