Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena
Encyclopedia
The Diocese of Helena is the Catholic diocese
for western Montana
. It was erected from the year-old Vicarate of Montana on March 7, 1884, while Montana was still a territory. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Portland
, which encompasses Oregon
, Idaho
, and Montana.
For its first twenty years, the diocese served all of Montana. In 1904, the new Diocese of Great Falls
was formed to serve eastern Montana.
The seat of the diocese is in the Cathedral of St. Helena, Helena
, MT.
The past bishop
s of the Diocese of Helena are:
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
for western Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. It was erected from the year-old Vicarate of Montana on March 7, 1884, while Montana was still a territory. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Portland
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland
The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It encompasses the western part of the state of Oregon, from the summit of the Cascades to the Pacific Ocean...
, which encompasses Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, and Montana.
For its first twenty years, the diocese served all of Montana. In 1904, the new Diocese of Great Falls
Roman Catholic Diocese of Great Falls-Billings
The Diocese of Great Falls-Billings is the Catholic diocese of eastern Montana, established in 1904.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....
was formed to serve eastern Montana.
The seat of the diocese is in the Cathedral of St. Helena, Helena
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
, MT.
The past bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s of the Diocese of Helena are:
- Jean-Baptiste BrondelJean-Baptiste BrondelJean-Baptiste Brondel was a Belgian-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served in Canada as Bishop of Vancouver Island and in the United States as Bishop of Helena .-Biography:...
- (1884–1903) - John Patrick CarrollJohn Patrick CarrollJohn Patrick Carroll was an American Catholic priest, who became the second Bishop of Helena, Montana, U.S.A...
- (1904–25) - George Joseph FinniganGeorge Joseph FinniganGeorge Joseph Finnigan, C.S.C. was a 20th century bishop in the Catholic Church in the United States.-Biography:...
- (1927–32) - Ralph Leo HayesRalph Leo HayesRalph Leo Hayes was a 20th century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Helena in the state of Montana from 1933–1935, and as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Davenport in the state of Iowa from 1944-1966...
- (1933–35) - Joseph Michael GilmoreJoseph Michael GilmoreJoseph Michael Gilmore was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Helena from 1936 until his death in 1962.-Biography:...
- (1935–62) - Raymond Gerhardt HunthausenRaymond HunthausenRaymond Gerhardt Hunthausen is a retired American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Helena from 1962 to 1975 and as Archbishop of Seattle from 1975 to 1991.-Early life and education:...
- (1962–75) - Elden Francis CurtissElden Francis CurtissElden Francis Curtiss is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Helena from 1976 to 1993, and Archbishop of Omaha from 1993 to 2009.-Early life and ministry:...
- (1976–93) - Alexander Joseph BrunettAlexander Joseph BrunettAlexander Joseph Brunett is a retired American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Helena from 1994–1997 and as the immediate past Archbishop of Seattle from 1997–2010....
- (1994–97) - Robert C. MorlinoRobert C. MorlinoRobert Charles Morlino is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fourth and current Bishop of Madison, having previously served as Bishop of Helena.-Early life and education:...
- (1999–2003) - George Leo ThomasGeorge Leo ThomasGeorge Leo Thomas is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as Bishop of Helena since 2004.-Biography:...
- (2004–present)
High schools
- Butte Central Catholic High SchoolButte Central Catholic High SchoolButte Central Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Butte, Montana. It is one of two high schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena, the other being Loyola Sacred Heart in Missoula...
, ButteButte, MontanaButte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200... - Loyola Sacred Heart High SchoolLoyola Sacred Heart High SchoolLoyola Sacred Heart High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Missoula, Montana. It is one of many schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena, another popular one being Butte Central Catholic in Butte. It is also affiliated with St. Joseph Elementary School, and both...
, MissoulaMissoula, MontanaMissoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area... - Great Falls Central Catholic High SchoolGreat Falls Central Catholic High SchoolGreat Falls Central Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Great Falls, Montana. It is one of three Catholic high schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Great Falls-Billings.-Background:...
, Great FallsGreat Falls, MontanaGreat Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
External links
- Diocese of Helena - official site
- Catholic Hierarchy.org - Diocese of Helena