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Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint John's–Basseterre

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Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in the Caribbean

Diocese of Saint John's–Basseterre
Dioecesis Sancti Ioannis–Imatelluranus
Basseterre Cathedral
Location
Country Antigua and Barbuda

 Saint Kitts and Nevis

 Montserrat,  UK

 Anguilla,  UK

 British Virgin Islands,  UK
Ecclesiastical provinceProvince of Castries
Statistics
Area1,050 km (410 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2010)
169,787
14,878 (8.8%)
Parishes10
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established16 January 1971 (53 years ago)
CathedralHoly Family Cathedral
Co-cathedralCo-Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopRobert Anthony Llanos
Metropolitan ArchbishopRobert Rivas O.P.
Bishops emeritusKenneth Richards

Donald James Reece

Joseph O Bowers
Map

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint John's–Basseterre (Latin: Dioecesis Sancti Ioannis–Imatellurana) is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Roman Catholic Church, covering five English-speaking jurisdictions in the Caribbean. The bishopric is a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Castries, and a member of the Antilles Episcopal Conference, but remains dependent on the missionary Dicastery for Evangelization.

Cathedrals

It has two cathedrals, the Holy Family Cathedral in St John's, Antigua, and a co-cathedral, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Basseterre, St Kitts. Both churches are the seats of the bishop, who is currently the Most Rev. Robert Llanos, formerly Auxiliary Bishop of Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago).

The Holy Family Cathedral was completed and opened in 1987, during the tenure of Bishop Donald James Reece (1981-2007), who dedicated it. It was designed in the Modernist style with an octagon with a bell tower at the centre. On the tower there is a large cross, the largest external church cross in the country. There are also electronic synthesised bells which chime on the hour, before Mass and at the end of funerals.

The cathedral is of post Vatican II Latin Rite, but on the feasts of the Epiphany and of the Assumption, Sunday Mass is celebrated according to the Byzantine Rite.

Extent and statistics

The diocese encompasses the islands of five Anglophone countries in the Lesser Antilles :

As per 2014, it pastorally served 16,743 Catholics (9.0% of 186,880 total) on 1,059 km² in 13 parishes and 20 missions with 12 priests (3 diocesan, 9 religious), 3 deacons and 21 lay religious (9 brothers, 12 sisters).

History

The diocese was erected on 16 January 1971 as Diocese of Saint John's, on territory split off from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Roseau (Dominica).

On 21 June 1981 it was renamed as Diocese of Saint John's–Basseterre.

Episcopal ordinaries

(all Roman Rite)

Suffragan Bishop of Saint John's
Suffragan Bishops of Saint John's–Basseterre

See also

References

  1. ^ "A Brief History of the Catholic Church in Antigua". Holy Family Cathedral Parish, Antigua. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  2. "Cathedral of the Holy Family". GCatholic. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  3. "SKNVibes | Bishop Reece appointed as Archbishop".

Sources and external links

17°06′58″N 61°50′16″W / 17.11611°N 61.83778°W / 17.11611; -61.83778


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