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The Diocese of Victoria (Latin: Dioecesis Victoriensis in Insula Vancouver) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its episcopal see is in Victoria. The diocese encompasses all of Vancouver Island and several nearby British Columbia islands. A suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Vancouver, the diocese's cathedral is St. Andrew's Cathedral and its present diocesan bishop is Gary Gordon.
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2015) |
Diocese of Victoria Dioecesis Victoriensis in Insula Vancouver | |
|---|---|
 St. Andrew's Cathedral, Victoria, BC, Canada | |
 Coat of Arms | |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Ecclesiastical province | Archdiocese of Vancouver |
| Metropolitan | 1-4044 Nelthorpe St. Victoria, BC V8X 2A1 |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 95,275 km2 (36,786 sq mi) |
| Population - Catholics | 96,000 (13.6%) |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | July 24, 1846 |
| Cathedral | St Andrew's Cathedral |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Gary Gordon |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | J. Michael Miller Archbishop of Vancouver |
| Website | |
| rcdvictoria.org | |
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As of 2004[update], the diocese had 94,465 Catholics, 22 diocesan Priests, 15 religious Priests, 1 Deacon. The diocese is also helped by 19 Brothers, and 91 Sisters servicing 30 parishes.[citation needed]
The diocese was created on 24 July 1846 as the Diocese of Vancouver Island, one of three dioceses in the Pacific Northwest created out of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Oregon Territory. It was elevated to an archdiocese on 19 June 1903 and renamed Archdiocese of Victoria in 1904. It was then lowered to a diocese in 1908, when the metropolitan see was moved to Vancouver.
The territory included Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, New Caledonia (mainland British Columbia), the Queen Charlotte Islands and Alaska. Modeste Demers became the new diocese's first bishop.
Territorial losses
| Year | territory lost to form: |
|---|---|
| 1863 | Vicariate Apostolic of British Columbia |
| 1894 | Diocese of New Westminster Prefecture Apostolic of Alaska |
On June 19, 1903, the diocese became an Archdiocese of Victoria. It was returned to the status of a diocese on October 1, 1908, and became a suffragan diocese to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver.
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The following are the lists of Bishops and their years of service:
Ordinaries
- Modeste Demers (1846–1871)
- Charles-Jean Seghers (1873–1878), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Oregon City, Oregon, USA; returned here in 1884
- Jean-Baptiste Brondel (1879–1883)
- Charles-Jean Seghers (1884–1886); personal title of Archbishop
- Jean-Nicolas Lemmens (1888–1897)
- Alexander Christie (1898–1899), appointed Archbishop of Oregon City, Oregon, USA
- Bertram Orth (1900–1908)
- Alexander MacDonald (1908–1923)
- Thomas O'Donnell (1923–1929), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Gerald C. Murray, C.SS.R. (1930–1934), appointed Bishop of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- John Hugh MacDonald (1934–1936), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta
- John Christopher Cody (1936–1946), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of London, Ontario
- James Michael Hill (1946–1962)
- Remi Joseph De Roo (1962–1999)
- Raymond Roussin, S.M. (1999–2004), appointed Archbishop of Vancouver, British Columbia
- Richard Gagnon (2004–2014), appointed Archbishop of Winnipeg
- Gary Gordon (2014–present)
Coadjutor bishops
- John James Jonckau (1883); did not take effect
- Raymond Olir Roussin, S. M. (1998-1999)
Auxiliary bishop
- Louis Aloysius Lootens (1876-1898)
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Greater Victoria
Courtenay
Campbell River
Gold River
Hornby Island
|
Chemainus
Duncan
Lake Cowichan
Ladysmith
Gabriola Island
Mayne Island
Pender Island
Salt Spring Island
Mill Bay
Shawnigan Lake
|
Nanaimo
Parksville
Port Alberni
Tofino
Ucluelet
Alert Bay
Port Hardy
Port McNeill
Port Alice
Sayward
Tahsis
|
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Monasteries
- House of Bread Monastery, a Benedictine monastery in Nanaimo
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Catholic high schools
| School | City | Est. | Website | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Andrew's Regional High School | Victoria | http://www.standrewshigh.ca/ | ~475 (co-ed) | |
- St. Ann's Academy (Victoria, British Columbia), was open 1858 and closed in 1974.
- Smith Memorial High School, of Port Alberni, was opened 1951 and closed in 1976.
Catholic elementary schools
| School | City | Est. | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph’s | Victoria | http://www.stjosephschool.ca/ | |
| St. Patrick's | Victoria | http://www.stpatrickselem.ca/ | |
| Queen of Angels | Duncan | http://www.queenofangels.ca/ | |
| St. John Paul II | Port Alberni | 1951 | http://www.jp2nd.ca/ |
- St. Ann's Academy for Boys, of Duncan, was erected in 1864 and closed in 1969.
- St. Mary's School, of Ladysmith, was established 1909 and closed in 1913.
Catholic universities, colleges, and seminaries
- St. Joseph's School for Nursing, of Victoria, was erected in 1900 and closed in 1981.
- St. John Fisher / Thomas More College 1953 and closed in 1993.
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Religious institutes of women
The Diocese managed two residential schools in British Columbia.[16] Upon the discovery of the remains of 215 children at Kamloops Indian Residential School, the diocese released a statement of apology and commitment.
- Kuper Island Indian Residential School
- The Christie Roman Catholic school
Health Care
- Lourdes Hospital, of Campbell River, was erected in 1926 and closed in 1957.
- St. Joseph's Hospital, of Victoria, was erected in 1876 and closed in 1972.
- The diocese produces the Diocesan Messenger which is a Catholic newspaper for its community.
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