Diocese of Montego Bay Dioecesis Sinus Sereni |
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Location | |
Country | Jamaica |
Ecclesiastical province | Province of Kingston in Jamaica |
Metropolitan | Charles Henry Dufour |
Coordinates | 18°28′02″N 77°53′44″W / 18.4673°N 77.8956°WCoordinates: 18°28′02″N 77°53′44″W / 18.4673°N 77.8956°W |
Statistics | |
Area | 3,878 km2 (1,497 sq mi) |
Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2004) 822,100 14,926 (1.8%) |
Parishes | 15 |
Information | |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Rite | Latin Rite |
Established | 14 September 1967 (50 years ago) |
Cathedral | Blessed Sacrament Cathedral |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | Burchell McPherson |
Map | |
Website | |
mobaydiocese.tripod.com |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Montego Bay (Latin: Dioecesis Sinus Sereni) is a Latin suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Church located on the northwest part of the island of Jamaica (Greater Antilles), in the Caribbean ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kingston (which covers all Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Belize), yet depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
Its episcopal see is the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, in Montego Bay, Saint James (civil) parish. Pope Francis appointed Burchell Alexander McPherson of the Archdiocese of Kingston the third Bishop of Montego Bay on April 11, 2013. He was consecrated and installed at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, Montego Bay on June 8, 2013.
(all Latin Rite, so far native)
As per 2014, it pastorally served 10,000 Catholics (1.5% of 647,600 total) on 3,878 km² in 10 parishes and 22 missions with 12 priests (9 diocesan, 3 religious), 12 deacons, 16 lay religious (6 brothers, 10 sisters) and 1 seminarian.
The diocese of Montego Bay is made up of five administrative parishes: St. James in Montego Bay, Trewlany in Falmouth, St. Ann in St. Ann's Bay, Westmoreland in Savannah-la-Mar and Hanover in Lucea.
Of the three Roman Catholic dioceses in Jamaica, the diocese of Montego Bay is the largest in land area spanning 1,500 sq. miles.
Not every parish in the Montego Bay Diocese is able to have a full-time priest available. Many parishes rely on missionary priests to aid in the celebration of Mass and the sacraments. The list of parishes includes the name of the full-time pastor if available.