Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey in California
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey in California is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese
in the United States
of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church
in the Central Coast region of California
. It comprises Monterey
, San Benito
, San Luis Obispo
, and Santa Cruz
counties.
The diocese is led by an ordinary
bishop
; the bishop's cathedra
is located at the Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo
, the mother church
of the diocese, in Monterey, California
. The diocese serves close to 200,000 Catholics in 46 parishes and 18 schools.
of Mission San Carlos Borromeo in 1770 by Father Junípero Serra
, OFM. Father Serra moved the mission to Carmel
the next year, which served as the headquarters of the chain of Spanish missions in California
.
In 1840, the Holy See
erected the Diocese of the Two Californias to recognize the growth of the provinces of Alta California
and Baja California
; Monterey was chosen as the see city, although Mission Santa Barbara
served as the pro-cathedral
. This vast diocese included all Mexican territory west of the Colorado River
and the Gulf of California
(the modern US states of California and Nevada
, and parts of Utah
, Arizona
, and Colorado
, and the Mexican states of Baja California
and Baja California Sur
). Francisco Garcia Diego y Moreno
, OFM, was the first bishop of the diocese, which was a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mexico City.
In 1848 Alta California was ceded to the United States
after the Mexican-American War, and the government of Mexico
objected to an American bishop having jurisdiction over parishes in Mexican Baja California. The Holy See
split the diocese into American and Mexican sections, and the American section was renamed the Diocese of Monterey. The Royal Presidio Chapel in Monterey served as the pro-cathedral of the American diocese. In 1853 the diocese was split again, creating the Archdiocese of San Francisco
, and Monterey was transferred to be a suffragan of the new archdiocese.
In 1859, the diocese's name was changed to the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles, due to the growth of the City of Los Angeles
. The diocese was split in 1922 to form the Dioceses of Monterey-Fresno
and Los Angeles-San Diego. In 1936 the diocese again changed metropolitan bishop
s, becoming a suffragan of the newly erected Archdiocese of Los Angeles
. The latest territorial change for the diocese came in 1967, when it was split again, to form the present dioceses of Monterey and Fresno
.
Bishop of Monterey
Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles
Bishop of Monterey-Fresno
Bishop of Monterey in California
http://www.sancarloscathedral.net/, Mission Basilica San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo
, Mission San Juan Bautista
, Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
, Mission San Miguel Arcangel
, and Holy Cross Church (the former Mission Santa Cruz
).
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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in the Central Coast region of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It comprises Monterey
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
, San Benito
San Benito County, California
San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U.S. state of California, south of San Jose. As of 2010 the population was 55,269. The county seat is Hollister, which includes nearly two-thirds of the county's population. El Camino Real passes through the county and...
, San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County is a county located along the Pacific Ocean in the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census its population was 269,637, up from 246,681 at the 2000 census...
, and Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
counties.
The diocese is led by an ordinary
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
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...
; the bishop's cathedra
Cathedra
A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...
is located at the Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo
Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo
The Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo, also known as the Royal Presidio Chapel, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Monterey, California, United States. The cathedral is the oldest continuously operating parish and the oldest stone building in California. It was built in 1794 making it the...
, the mother church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
of the diocese, in Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
. The diocese serves close to 200,000 Catholics in 46 parishes and 18 schools.
History
The history of the Catholic Church in Monterey began with the establishment on the shores of Monterey BayMonterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, along the central coast of California. The bay is south of San Francisco and San Jose, between the cities of Santa Cruz and Monterey....
of Mission San Carlos Borromeo in 1770 by Father Junípero Serra
Junípero Serra
Blessed Junípero Serra, O.F.M., , known as Fra Juníper Serra in Catalan, his mother tongue was a Majorcan Franciscan friar who founded the mission chain in Alta California of the Las Californias Province in New Spain—present day California, United States. Fr...
, OFM. Father Serra moved the mission to Carmel
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Carmel-by-the-Sea, often called simply Carmel, is a small city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated in 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, the town is known for its natural scenery and rich artistic history...
the next year, which served as the headquarters of the chain of Spanish missions in California
Spanish missions in California
The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of religious and military outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. The missions represented the first major effort by Europeans to...
.
In 1840, the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
erected the Diocese of the Two Californias to recognize the growth of the provinces of Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
; Monterey was chosen as the see city, although Mission Santa Barbara
Mission Santa Barbara
In 1840, Alta California and Baja California were removed from the Diocese of Sonora to form the Diocese of Both Californias. Bishop Francisco Garcia Diego y Moreno, OFM, established his cathedra at Mission Santa Barbara, making the chapel the pro-cathedral of the diocese until 1849...
served as the pro-cathedral
Pro-cathedral
A pro-cathedral is a parish church that is temporarily serving as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese.-Usage:In Ireland, the term is used to specifically refer to St Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin since the Reformation, when Christ Church...
. This vast diocese included all Mexican territory west of the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
and the Gulf of California
Gulf of California
The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland...
(the modern US states of California and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, and parts of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, and the Mexican states of Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
and Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur , is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state on October 8, 1974, the area was known as the South Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises...
). Francisco Garcia Diego y Moreno
Francisco García Diego y Moreno
Francisco García Diego y Moreno, OFM, was the first bishop of the Diocese of the Two Californias.-Early episcopal appointments:...
, OFM, was the first bishop of the diocese, which was a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mexico City.
In 1848 Alta California was ceded to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after the Mexican-American War, and the government of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
objected to an American bishop having jurisdiction over parishes in Mexican Baja California. The Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
split the diocese into American and Mexican sections, and the American section was renamed the Diocese of Monterey. The Royal Presidio Chapel in Monterey served as the pro-cathedral of the American diocese. In 1853 the diocese was split again, creating the Archdiocese of San Francisco
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. It covers the City and County of San Francisco and the Counties of Marin and San Mateo...
, and Monterey was transferred to be a suffragan of the new archdiocese.
In 1859, the diocese's name was changed to the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles, due to the growth of the City of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. The diocese was split in 1922 to form the Dioceses of Monterey-Fresno
Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey-Fresno
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey-Fresno was formerly a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in California, United States. The diocese was composed of the present dioceses of Monterey and Fresno The diocese was erected in 1922—split off from the former Diocese of Monterey-Los...
and Los Angeles-San Diego. In 1936 the diocese again changed metropolitan bishop
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
s, becoming a suffragan of the newly erected Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the archdiocese comprises the California counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the...
. The latest territorial change for the diocese came in 1967, when it was split again, to form the present dioceses of Monterey and Fresno
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the western region of the United States, in the State of California. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles...
.
Ordinaries
Bishop of the Two Californias- Francisco Garcia Diego y MorenoFrancisco García Diego y MorenoFrancisco García Diego y Moreno, OFM, was the first bishop of the Diocese of the Two Californias.-Early episcopal appointments:...
, OFM, 1840–1846 - José Maria González Rubio, OFM, 1846–1851 (apostolic administratorApostolic AdministratorAn apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
)
Bishop of Monterey
- Joseph Sadoc AlemanyJoseph Sadoc AlemanyJoseph Sadoc Alemany y Conill, O.P. was a Catalan American Roman Catholic archbishop and missionary. He served as the first Bishop of Monterey from 1850 until 1853, and as the first Archbishop of San Francisco from 1853 until 1884.-Background:Born in Vic, 60 km north of Barcelona, Spain , Alemany...
, OPDominican OrderThe Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
, 1850–1853 - Thaddeus Amat y BrusiThaddeus Amat y BrusiThaddeus Amat y Brusi, C.M. was a Roman Catholic cleric who eventually became Bishop of Los Angeles, California.- Birth and Early Career:Amat was born in the Catalan capital of Barcelona, Spain on December 31, 1810. He was ordained a priest of the religious order of the Congregation of the...
, CM, 1853–1859
Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles
- Thaddeus Amat y Brusi, CM, 1859–1878
- Francisco Mora y BorrellFrancisco Mora y BorrellFrancisco Mora i Borrell was a Catalan American Roman Catholic priest, serving as the Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles from 1878 to 1896.Francisco Mora was born in Gurb , Spain on November 25, 1827...
, 1878–1896 - George Thomas MontgomeryGeorge Thomas MontgomeryGeorge Thomas Montgomery was the first American-born Bishop of the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles , serving in that capacity from 1896-1902....
, 1896–1902 - Thomas James Conaty, 1903–1915
- John Joseph CantwellJohn Joseph CantwellJohn Joseph Cantwell was the first archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.Archbishop Cantwell was born in Limerick, Ireland. He was ordained priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco on June 18, 1899 and was initially assigned as curate of Berkeley's St. Joseph The Worker...
, 1917–1922
Bishop of Monterey-Fresno
- John Bernard MacGinleyJohn Bernard MacGinleyJohn Bernard MacGinley was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Nueva Caceres and Bishop of Monterey-Fresno .-Biography:...
, 1924–1932 - Philip George ScherPhilip George ScherPhilip George Scher was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Monterey-Fresno from 1933 until his death in 1953.-Biography:...
, 1933–1953 - Aloysius Joseph WillingerAloysius Joseph WillingerAloysius Joseph Willinger, C.Ss.R. was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Ponce from 1929 to 1946, and Bishop of Monterey-Fresno from 1953 to 1967.-Biography:...
, CSsRCongregation of the Most Holy RedeemerThe Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic missionary Congregation founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.Members of the Congregation, priests and brothers,...
, 1953–1967
Bishop of Monterey in California
- Harry Anselm ClinchHarry Anselm ClinchHarry Anselm Clinch was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Monterey in California from 1967 to 1982.-Early life and education:...
, 1967–1982 - Thaddeus Anthony ShubsdaThaddeus Anthony ShubsdaThaddeus Anthony "Ted" Shubsda was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Monterey in California from 1982 until his death in 1991.-Early life and education:...
, 1982–1991 - Sylvester Donovan RyanSylvester Donovan RyanSylvester Donovan Ryan is a retired Roman Catholic bishop. He was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Monterey in California from his installation on March 19, 1992 to January 30, 2007...
, 1992– 2006 - Richard John GarciaRichard John GarciaRichard John Garcia is an American Roman Catholic bishop. He was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the fourth ordinary bishop of the Diocese of Monterey in California on December 19, 2006, and was installed at a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Roger Mahony on January 30, 2007.-Episcopal...
, 2007
Parishes
Notable parishes in the diocese include the oldest stone building and the first cathedral in California, the Cathedral of San Carlos BorromeoCathedral of San Carlos Borromeo
The Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo, also known as the Royal Presidio Chapel, is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Monterey, California, United States. The cathedral is the oldest continuously operating parish and the oldest stone building in California. It was built in 1794 making it the...
http://www.sancarloscathedral.net/, Mission Basilica San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo
Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo
Mission San Carlos Borroméo del río Carmelo, also known as the Carmel Mission, is a Roman Catholic mission church in Carmel, California. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and a U.S...
, Mission San Juan Bautista
Mission San Juan Bautista
Mission San Juan Bautista was founded on June 24, 1797 in what is now the San Juan Bautista Historic District of San Juan Bautista, California. Barracks for the soldiers, a nunnery, the Jose Castro House, and other buildings were constructed around a large grassy plaza in front of the church and...
, Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was founded 1772 on the Central Coast of California on a site located halfway between Santa Barbara and Monterey. It was named after Saint Louis of Anjou, the bishop of Toulouse. The Mission church of San Luis Obispo is unusual in its design in that its...
, Mission San Miguel Arcangel
Mission San Miguel Arcángel
Mission San Miguel Arcángel was founded on July 25, 1797 by the Franciscan order, on a site chosen specifically due to the large number of Salinan Indians that inhabited the area, whom the Spanish priests wanted to evangelize. It is located at 775 Mission Street, San Miguel, in San Luis Obispo...
, and Holy Cross Church (the former Mission Santa Cruz
Mission Santa Cruz
Mission Santa Cruz was established in 1791 and named for the feast of the Exultation of the Cross, the name that the explorer Gaspar de Portolà gave to the area when he camped on the banks of the San Lorenzo River on October 17, 1769, and erected a wooden cross...
).
High schools
- Mission College Preparatory High SchoolMission College Preparatory High SchoolMission College Preparatory Catholic High School is a private Roman Catholic high school in San Luis Obispo, California. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey.-Remodelings and Additions:...
, San Luis Obispo - Notre Dame High SchoolNotre Dame High School (Salinas, California)Notre Dame High School is a private, All-Female, Roman Catholic high school in Salinas, California. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey.-Background:...
, Salinas - Palma High SchoolPalma High SchoolPalma High School is a grade 7-12 Catholic boys school located in Salinas, California. Located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey, its motto is "Palma Merenti," which translates in English as "Palms to the Victor."-History:...
, Salinas - Saint Francis Central Coast Catholic High SchoolSaint Francis Central Coast Catholic High SchoolSaint Francis Central Coast Catholic High School is a Catholic School located in Watsonville, California. The school was named after Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Francis de Sales, and is operated by an independent corporation that is a partnership between the Salesian Society and the Roman...
, Watsonville - Santa Catalina School, Monterey
Sources
- History article from the Diocese's website
- Catholic Schools of the Monterey Diocese
- Catholic-Hierarchy.Org datasheet