Roman Catholic Diocese of Great Falls–Billings

Diocese of Great Falls–Billings Dioecesis Magnocataractensis–Billingensis
Location
Country	United States
Territory	Big Horn, Blaine, Carbon, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Fergus, Hill, Musselshell, Park, Rosebud, Sheridan, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Valley, Wibaux and Yellowstone counties in Eastern Montana
Ecclesiastical province	Province of Portland
Population - Catholics	51,629 (13.2%)
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	May 18, 1904
Cathedral	St. Ann's Cathedral (Great Falls)
Co-cathedral	St. Patrick's Co-Cathedral (Billings)
Patron saint	St. Matthias the Apostle St. Pius X
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Michael William Warfel Bishop of Great Falls–Billings
Metropolitan Archbishop	Alexander King Sample
Emeritus Bishops	Anthony Michael Milone
Map
Website
diocesegfb.org

The Diocese of Great Falls–Billings (Latin: Dioecesis Magnocataractensis–Billingensis) is one of two Catholic dioceses in the U.S. state of Montana in the United States. The diocese was established in 1904, and originally constituted the eastern half of the Diocese of Helena. The see was originally located only in the city of Great Falls, Montana, from which the diocese drew its original name. In 1980, the diocese's name was changed to reflect its new co-see in the city of Billings, Montana.

Pope Pius X erected the "Diocese of Great Falls" on May 18, 1904, by dividing the Diocese of Helena, which previously comprised the entire state. For its first 76 years, it was called the "Diocese of Great Falls" (Latin: Dioecesis Great-Ormensis). Bishop Thomas J. Murphy changed the name of the diocese on February 14, 1980, adding "Billings" and changing the way that "Great Falls" was translated into Latin. The diocese has two cathedrals: St Ann's Cathedral in Great Falls, which was dedicated on December 15, 1907, and St Patrick's Co-Cathedral in Billings, which was dedicated on March 1, 1908. The co-patrons of the diocese are Saint Matthias, whose feast day is May 14 and who was the patron saint of the first diocesan bishop, and Saint Pius X, whose feast day is August 21 and who, while pope, erected the diocese.

The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) was established in the diocese in 1930. That year, newly-consecrated Bishop Edwin O'Hara visited St. Anthony Guild Press in Paterson, New Jersey, where he met editor Miriam Marks. He was deeply impressed with Marks' organizing capabilities, and asked her to help him to establish CCD in the Diocese of Great Falls. CCD had not been widely adopted in the United States, and Bishop O'Hara was particularly concerned at the lack of doctrinal education among rural Catholics. Bishop O'Hara worked hard to implement CCD throughout his diocese, and the United States. His efforts led to a reviatlization of CCD and rapid adoption of it throughout the country. Bishop O'Hara extended CCD to adults as well, promoting the establishment of neighborhood groups of four to six people to study a single work for eight weeks, twice a year. By 1934, more than 400 adult CCD groups existed in the Diocese of Great Falls. The movement spread nationwide, with tens of thousands of groups.

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Wikipedia