Roman Catholic Diocese of Brescia
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Diocese of Brescia Dioecesis Brixiensis |
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Brescia Cathedral
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| Location | |
| Country | Italy |
| Ecclesiastical province | Milan |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 4,538 km2 (1,752 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2015) 1,152,107 960,000 (est.) (83.3%) |
| Parishes | 470 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 1st Century (200 years ago) |
| Cathedral | Cattedrale di S. Maria Assunta e Ss. Pietro e Paolo (Duomo Nuovo) |
| Secular priests | 735 (diocesan) 199 (Religious Orders) |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Luciano Monari |
| Emeritus Bishops |
Bruno Foresti Giulio Sanguineti Vigilio Mario Olmi (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus) |
| Map | |
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| Website | |
| www.diocesi.brescia.it | |
The Diocese of Brescia (Latin: Dioecesis Brixiensis) is a see of the Catholic Church in Italy. The diocese is suffragan of the Archdiocese of Milan, also in Lombardy (northern Italy). It has an area of 4,338 km², with 469 parishes and a population of 1,094,237 [1].
Legend traces the beginnings of Christianity in Brescia to Saint Barnabas, who is said to have made Saint Anatolus bishop. However, Milan also claims Anatolus as its first bishop, consecrated by Saint Barnabas. In any case, faith was probably brought to Brescia by way of Milan. During the reign of Emperor Hadrian, Brescia was the scene of the martyrdom of Saints Faustinus and Jovita (cfr. Acta Sanctorum, 15 February). From the time of the persecutions tradition mentions the names of several bishops, but nothing authentic is known concerning them. In the fourth century Saint Philastrius occurs. He was succeeded by Saint Gaudentius, consecrated by Saint Ambrose (c. 387), who erected outside the city walls the church Ad Concilia Sanctorum, in which the holy matron Silvia was buried later.
A number of the bishops who ruled this diocese form the 4th to the 7th centuries are entitled saints, e.g. Paul of Brescia, Theophilus of Brescia, Saint Silvinus, Saint Gaudiosus, Saint Optatianus, Saint Dominator (495), and Saint Dominic of Brescia (613), who with the many gifts he received from the Lombard Queen Theodolinda, erected the church called the Rotonda. Bishop Ramperto brought to Brescia the Benedictines, who constructed a church to which they transferred the relics of Saints Faustinus and Jovita; he also took part in the Council of Mantua of 827.
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Wikipedia