The
Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston is an ecclesiastical territory or
dioceseIn some forms of Christianity, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a bishop. It is also referred to as a bishopric or Episcopal Area or episcopal see, though strictly the term episcopal see refers to the domain of ecclesiastical authority officially held by the bishop,...
of the
Roman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
in the southern
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and comprises the entire
stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
South CarolinaSouth Carolina is a U.S. state that borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. The colony was...
, with
CharlestonCharleston is a city in Charleston County, South Carolina in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is the largest city and county seat of Charleston County. The city was founded as Charlestown or Charles Towne, Carolina in 1670, and moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of...
as its
seeAn episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
city. Currently, the diocese consists of 92 parishes and 24 missions throughout the state. It is led by the Most Rev.
Robert GuglielmoneRobert Eric Guglielmone is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the thirteenth and current Bishop of Charleston.-Early life and education:...
, the Thirteenth
BishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of
CharlestonCharleston is a city in Charleston County, South Carolina in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is the largest city and county seat of Charleston County. The city was founded as Charlestown or Charles Towne, Carolina in 1670, and moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of...
, who serves as
pastorThe term pastor usually refers to an ordained person within a Christian church. In some countries the term is more usually used in traditional Protestant churches but is also used in reference to priests and bishops within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. The...
of the
mother churchIn Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
,
Cathedral of Saint John the BaptistThe Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, located in Charleston, South Carolina....
in the
City of CharlestonCharleston is a city in Charleston County, South Carolina in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is the largest city and county seat of Charleston County. The city was founded as Charlestown or Charles Towne, Carolina in 1670, and moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of...
. Its first bishop was John England. Charleston is a
suffragan dioceseA suffragan diocese is a diocese in the Catholic Church that is overseen not only by its own bishop but also by a metropolitan bishop. The metropolitan bishop is always an archbishop who governs a diocese strictly his own, while he presides at the same time over the bishops of a well-defined...
of the
Archdiocese of AtlantaThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States. It is composed of the northern counties of the state of Georgia and is led by a prelate archbishop who is also pastor of the mother church, Cathedral of...
.
The diocese was created from territories of the
Archdiocese of BaltimoreThe Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The archdiocese comprises the City of Baltimore as well as Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, and Washington Counties in Maryland...
. The Diocese of Charleston was canonically erected on July 11, 1820 by
Pope Pius VIIPope Pius VII, OSB , born Count Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was Pope from March 14, 1800 to August 20, 1823.-Early life:...
making it the seventh oldest Roman Catholic diocese in the United States. At that time, the diocese comprised the states of
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state in the United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January...
,
North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties...
, &
South CarolinaSouth Carolina is a U.S. state that borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British Crown during the American Revolution. The colony was...
Cathedral
Consecrated on April 6, 1854 the
Cathedral of Saint John and Saint FinbarThe Cathedral of St. John and St. Finbar was the first Roman Catholic cathedral in Charleston, South Carolina. Begun in 1850 and consecrated on April 6, 1854, it was destroyed on December 11, 1861, in a fire that ravaged much of Charleston. A new cathedral—the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist,...
was the original motherchurch of the diocese. On December 11, 1861, it was destroyed in a fire that consumed most of the city. The
Cathedral of Saint John the BaptistThe Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, located in Charleston, South Carolina....
was built to replace the original and sits on the foundation of the ruins.
List of Bishops
- First Bishop of Charleston, 1820 -1842 - Right Rev. John England
- Second Bishop of Charleston, 1843 -1855 - Right Rev. Ignatius A. Reynolds
Ignatius Aloysius Reynolds was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Charleston from 1844 until his death in 1855....
- Third Bishop of Charleston, 1857 -1882 - Right Rev. Patrick N. Lynch
- Fourth Bishop of Charleston, 1883 -1916 - Right Rev. Henry P. Northrop
Henry Pinckney Northrop was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina and Bishop of Charleston .-Biography:...
- Fifth Bishop of Charleston, 1916 -1927 - Most Rev. William Thomas Russell
- Sixth Bishop of Charleston, 1927 -1949 - Most Rev. Emmet M. Walsh
Emmet Michael Walsh was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Charleston, South Carolina and Bishop of Youngstown, Ohio .-Biography:...
- Seventh Bishop of Charleston, 1950 -1958 - Most Rev. John J. Russell
John Joyce Russell was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as Bishop of Richmond from 1958 to 1973.Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he was ordained to the priesthood on July 8, 1923....
- Eighth Bishop of Charleston, 1958 -1962 - Most Rev. Paul John Hallinan
Paul John Hallinan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Charleston from 1958 to 1962, and then as the first Archbishop of Atlanta until his death.-Biography:...
- Ninth Bishop of Charleston, 1962 -1964 - Most Rev. Francis Frederick Reh
Francis Frederick Reh was the Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw from 1968 to 1980.He was born in Brooklyn, New York and ordained a priest on December 9, 1935. On June 6, 1962, Reh was appointed bishop of the diocese of Charleston, South Carolina...
- Tenth Bishop of Charleston, 1964 -1990 - Most Rev. Ernest Leo Unterkoefler
- Eleventh Bishop of Charleston, 1990 -1999 - Most Rev. David B. Thompson
David Bernard Thompson is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Charleston from 1990 to 1999.-Biography:David Thompson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
- Twelfth Bishop of Charleston, 1999 -2007 - Most Rev. Robert J. Baker
- Thirteenth Bishop of Charleston, 2009 - Present - Most Rev. Robert Guglielmone
Robert Eric Guglielmone is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the thirteenth and current Bishop of Charleston.-Early life and education:...
Newspaper
The Catholic MiscellanyThe Catholic Miscellany, successor to the U.S. Catholic Miscellany, the first Catholic newspaper in the United States, is the official newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston. It was founded by Bishop John England, the first bishop of Charleston in 1822...
, successor to the
U.S. Catholic Miscellany, the first Catholic newspaper in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is the official newspaper of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston.
Schools
- Superintendent of Schools: Sr. Julia Hutchison, SND
School Sisters of Notre Dame is a worldwide order of Roman Catholic nuns devoted to primary, secondary, and post-secondary education.-Founding and growth:The order was founded in Bavaria in 1833 during a time of poverty and illiteracy...
- Assistant Superintendent: Sandra Leatherwood
Diocesan High schools
- Bishop England High School
Bishop England High School is the largest diocesan Catholic four-year high school in South Carolina. Until 1998, the school was located on Calhoun Street in downtown Charleston.It is now located on Daniel Island in the city of Charleston...
— CharlestonCharleston is a city in Charleston County, South Carolina in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is the largest city and county seat of Charleston County. The city was founded as Charlestown or Charles Towne, Carolina in 1670, and moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of...
- Cardinal Newman High School
Cardinal Newman High School is a diocesean, Roman Catholic high school in Columbia, South Carolina. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston.-Background:...
— ColumbiaColumbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 116,278 according to the 2000 census . Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into Lexington County. The city is the center of a metro area of 728,063...
- Bishop Baker High School — Planned to be built in Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is a coastal resort city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It is the de facto hub of both the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area and the Grand Strand, a complex of beach towns and barrier islands stretching from Little River to Georgetown, South Carolina.Arising from a...
- Pope John Paul II High School
Pope John Paul II High School, Pope John Paul II Catholic High School, or any other combinations with or without the words Catholic or Pope refers to several Catholic secondary schools named after Pope John Paul II :-Canada:...
— Planned to be built in BeaufortBeaufort is a city and county seat in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,950 in the 2000 census...
Private High schools
- St. Joseph's High School
St. Joseph's High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Greenville, South Carolina. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston.-Background:...
— GreenvilleGreenville is a city in and the county seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States, in the state's upstate region. One of the principal cities of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area , it had a population of 56,006 at the 2000 census, and the metropolitan area...
- St. Francis Xavier High School
St. Francis Xavier High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Sumter, South Carolina. It is run independent of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston.-Background:...
- SumterSumter is a city in and the county seat of Sumter County, South Carolina, United States. Its population was 39,159 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Sumter, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area....
Parochial Elementary schools
- Saint John Catholic School — North Charleston
North Charleston is a suburban city within the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area and is located in Charleston and Dorchester Counties. The population, as of 2009, currently stands at more than 95,000. This ranks the City of North Charleston as 3rd in city limit population...
- Blessed Sacrament School
Blessed Sacrament School may refer to:In Canada:*Blessed Sacrament School *Blessed Sacrament School *Blessed Sacrament School , Vancouver, British Columbia...
— CharlestonCharleston is a city in Charleston County, South Carolina in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is the largest city and county seat of Charleston County. The city was founded as Charlestown or Charles Towne, Carolina in 1670, and moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of...
- Charleston Catholic School — Charleston
Charleston is a city in Charleston County, South Carolina in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is the largest city and county seat of Charleston County. The city was founded as Charlestown or Charles Towne, Carolina in 1670, and moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of...
- Christ Our King-Stella Maris — Mount Pleasant
- Nativity School — Charleston
Charleston is a city in Charleston County, South Carolina in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is the largest city and county seat of Charleston County. The city was founded as Charlestown or Charles Towne, Carolina in 1670, and moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of...
- St. John Neumann Catholic School — Columbia
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 116,278 according to the 2000 census . Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into Lexington County. The city is the center of a metro area of 728,063...
- St. Joseph's Catholic School — Greenville
Greenville is a city in and the county seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States, in the state's upstate region. One of the principal cities of the Greenville-Mauldin-Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area , it had a population of 56,006 at the 2000 census, and the metropolitan area...
- St. Martin de Porres Catholic School — Columbia
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 116,278 according to the 2000 census . Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into Lexington County. The city is the center of a metro area of 728,063...
- St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic School — Aiken
Aiken, South Carolina is a city in the United States state of South Carolina.It is the county seat of Aiken County, and with Augusta, Georgia is one of the two largest cities of the Central Savannah River Area. It is also part of the Augusta-Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area. Aiken is...
- St. Peter's Catholic School — Columbia
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 116,278 according to the 2000 census . Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into Lexington County. The city is the center of a metro area of 728,063...
- Summerville Catholic School — Summerville
Summerville is a town in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 48,091 as of August 2008. The city is a distant suburb of Charleston; and has thus experienced rapid population growth...
- Prince of Peace Catholic School — Taylors
Taylors is a census-designated place in Greenville County, United States. The population was 20,125 at the 2000 census. Taylors is the Greenville/Spartanburg area's largest suburb although it is not incorporated as a city. It is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan...
- St. Joseph Catholic School
The St. Joseph Catholic School System is a parochial school located in Bryan, Texas. It was established by Father Joseph Pelnar in 1894. Grading curriculum ranges from Pre-K to 12
th grade.- History :...
— AndersonAnderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 25,514 at the 2000 census, and the city was the center of an urbanized area of 70,530...
- St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School — Spartanburg
Spartanburg is the largest city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina....
- St. Benedict School — Planned to be built in Mount Pleasant
See also
Resources