Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising 90 of the southern counties of the state of Georgia.[1] It is led by a prelate bishop who serves as pastor of the mother church, Cathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist in the city of Savannah.[1]

Diocese of Savannah

Diœcesis Savannensis
Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
Location
Country United States
TerritorySouthern Georgia
Ecclesiastical provinceAtlanta
MetropolitanGregory John Hartmayer
Statistics
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2010)
2,904,000
84,500 (2.9%)
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
EstablishedJuly 3, 1850
CathedralCathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist
Patron saintSt. John the Baptist
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
Bishop electStephen D. Parkes
Bishops emeritusJ. Kevin Boland
Map
Website
diosav.org

Demographics

Today the Diocese of Savannah comprises 90 counties in south Georgia.[1] It covers 37,038 square miles (95,930 km2). There are 56 parishes and 21 missions within the diocese, serving about 79,000 lay Catholics.[1]

History

The diocese was canonically erected on July 3, 1850, by Pope Pius IX, taking its territories from the Diocese of Charleston, including all of Georgia and a large portion of Florida.[1][2] Originally, the Diocese of Savannah, therefore, was created from the Diocese of Charleston; and the Diocese of Charleston originated from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Maryland.[2] Pope Pius XI changed the ecclesiastical territory's name of the Diocese of Savannah to become the conjoined Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta on January 5, 1937,[2] to reflect the growth of Catholicism in the state.[2] The number of Catholics in the northern counties of Georgia had grown so much that Pope Pius XII divided the ecclesiastical territory on July 2, 1956,[2] and created the Diocese of Savannah and the Diocese of Atlanta.[2] At that time, there were also two designated co-cathedrals, including St. John the Baptist in Savannah and Christ the King in Atlanta.[2] (In 1962, the Diocese of Atlanta was elevated to the status of an archdiocese, becoming the center of the ecclesiastical province of the same name.)[2]

Sex Abuse
Main article: Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic diocese of Savannah

In 2004 it was reported that the Diocese had secretly paid a total of $50,000 to 12 people who accused 7 priests who served in the Diocese of sexually abusing them.[3] One accused clergy, Wayland Brown was convicted and died in prison in 2019.[4] Another accused clergy, Lorenzo Garcia, was defrocked in 2008 without facing any criminal punishment.[4] Henry Groomer, another Catholic clergyman who was accused of sex abuse, committed suicide in 2017 after being served with a lawsuit.[4]

Bishops

Bishops of Savannah

From 1937 to 1956, this diocese was the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta. In 1956, it became the Diocese of Savannah again when Atlanta split off as a separate diocese.

  1. Francis Xavier Gartland (1850–1854)
  2. John Barry (1857–1859)
  3. Augustin Verot (1861–1870), appointed Bishop of Saint Augustine
  4. Ignatius Persico (1870–1874)
  5. William Hickley Gross, C.Ss.R. (1873–1885), appointed Archbishop of Oregon City
  6. Thomas Albert Andrew Becker (1886–1899)
  7. Benjamin Joseph Keiley (1900–1922)
  8. Michael Joseph Keyes, S.M. (1922–1935)
  9. Gerald Patrick Aloysius O'Hara (1935–1959), Archbishop (personal title) in 1950; appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland and later Apostolic Delegate to Great Britain
  10. Thomas Joseph McDonough (1960–1967), appointed Archbishop of Louisville
  11. Gerard Louis Frey (1967–1972), appointed Bishop of Lafayette in Louisiana
  12. Raymond W. Lessard (1973–1995)
  13. J. Kevin Boland (1995–2011)
  14. Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv. (2011–2020), appointed Archbishop of Atlanta
  15. Stephen D. Parkes (2020- )(elect) [5]

Auxiliary Bishops
  • Francis Edward Hyland (1949-1956), appointed Bishop of Atlanta
  • Thomas Joseph McDonough (1957-1960), appointed Bishop here

Other bishops who were priests of this diocese

Clergy and religious

The current number of priests stands at 102. Of these, 90 are serving actively, while 22 priests are in retirement status. There are 75 men that serve the diocese as members of the permanent diaconate, as well as 82 religious (mostly nuns).[1]

Member parishes

Alapaha

  • St. Ann

Albany

  • St. Teresa

Alma

  • St. Raymond

Americus

  • St. Mary

Augusta

Bainbridge

  • St. Joseph

Baxley

  • St. Rose of Lima

Blakely

  • Holy Family

Brunswick

  • St. Francis Xavier

Buena Vista

  • St. Mary Magdalen

Cairo

  • St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Camilla

  • St. John Vianney

Claxton

  • St. Christopher

Columbus

  • Holy Family
  • Our Lady of Lourdes
  • St. Anne
  • St. Benedict the Moor

Cordele

  • St. Theresa

Cuthbert

  • St. Luke

Darien

  • Nativity of Our Lady

Donalsonville

  • Incarnation

Douglas

  • St. Paul

Dublin

  • Immaculate Conception

Eastman

  • St. Mark

Fitzgerald

  • St. William

Folkston

  • St. Francis of Assisi

Fort Valley

  • St. Juliana

Glennville

  • St. Jude

Grovetown

Hazlehurst

  • Good Shepherd

Hinesville

  • St. Stephen, First Martyr

Jesup

  • St. Joseph

Kathleen

  • St. Patrick

Louisville

  • St. Joan of Arc

Macon

McRae

  • Holy Redeemer

Metter

  • Holy Family

Millen

  • St. Bernadette

Montezuma

  • St. Michael

Moultrie

  • Immaculate Conception

Pembroke

  • Holy Cross

Pine Mountain

  • Christ the King

Port Wentworth

  • Our Lady of Lourdes

Ray City

Reidsville

  • St. Andrew the Apostle

Richmond Hill

  • St. Anne

Sandersville

  • St. William

Sandhill

  • Our Lady of Guadalupe

Savannah

  • Blessed Sacrament
  • Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
  • Resurrection of Our Lord
  • Sacred Heart
  • St. Benedict the Moor
  • St. Frances Cabrini
  • St. James
  • St. Peter the Apostle
  • Sts. Peter and Paul

Springfield

  • St. Boniface

St. Marys

  • Our Lady Star of the Sea

St. Simons

  • St. William

Statesboro

  • St. Matthew

Swainsboro

  • Holy Trinity

Sylvania

  • Our Lady of the Assumption

Thomasville

  • St. Augustine

Tifton

  • Our Divine Saviour

Twin Lakes

  • Iglesia Catolica San Jose

Tybee Island

  • St. Michael

Valdosta

  • St. John the Evangelist

Vidalia

  • Sacred Heart

Warner Robins

  • Sacred Heart

Waycross

  • St. Joseph

Waynesboro

  • Sacred Heart

Willacoochee

  • Holy Family

High schools

There are 5 Catholic high schools and 16 elementary schools in the diocese, serving over 6,000 students.

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See also
  • Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
  • List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States
  • List of Roman Catholic archdioceses (by country and continent)
  • List of Roman Catholic dioceses (alphabetical) (including archdioceses)
  • List of Roman Catholic dioceses (structured view) (including archdioceses)

References
  1. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah Archived 2007-06-02 at the Wayback Machine, Savannah, Georgia: Catholic Diocese of Savannah, 2013, Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  2. The Archdiocese of Atlanta: A history, Strasbourg, France: Editions du Signe, Archdiocese of Atlanta, 2006.
  3. http://www.bishop-accountability.org/usccb/natureandscope/dioceses/savannahga.htm
  4. https://bishop-accountability.org/member/psearch.jsp
  5. http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2020/07/08/0378/00868.html#vesc

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