Roman Catholic Diocese of Groningen-Leeuwarden explained

53.2146°N 6.5731°W

Jurisdiction:Diocese
Groningen-Leeuwarden
Latin:Dioecesis Groningensis-Leovardiensis
Local:Bisdom Groningen-Leeuwarden (nl)
Bisdom Grins-Ljouwert (fy)
Coat:Wapen bisdom Groningen-Leeuwarden.svg
Country: Netherlands
Metropolitan:Archdiocese of Utrecht
Territory:Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe, and the Noordoostpolder
Province:Utrecht
Area Km2:9,205
Population:1,944,920
Population As Of:2019
Catholics:102,150
Catholics Percent:5.3
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Rite:Latin Rite
Established:12 May 1559
Cathedral:Saint Joseph Church, Groningen
Patron:Saint Boniface[1]
Bishop:Ron van den Hout[2]
Metro Archbishop:Wim Eijk
Vicar General:Peter Wellen
Map:BisdomGroningenLocatie.png

The Diocese of Groningen-Leeuwarden (Dutch; Flemish: Bisdom Groningen-Leeuwarden; Latin: Dioecesis Groningensis-Leovardiensis) is a suffragan Latindiocese of the Catholic Church in the northern part of the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht (covering all the Netherlands). It encompasses the provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe, as well as the Noordoostpolder, a part of the province of Flevoland.[3]

The cathedral episcopal seat is the Saint Joseph Cathedral in the city of Groningen, capital of the province of the same name.[4] One former cathedral remains in Catholic use : the Sint-Maartenskerk, dedicated to Saint Martin, also in Groningen, is now Protestant church; the Sint-Vituskerk, dedicated to Saint Vitus, in Leeuwarden (Friesland province, most of Dutch Frisia) is only rarely frequented by a small community of faithful from an old orphanage.

History

Statistics and extent

As per 2014, it pastorally served 110,000 Catholics (5.7% of 1,923,000 total) on 8,585 km2 in 81 parishes with 36 priests (30 diocesan, 6 religious), 3 deacons, 18 lay religious (7 brothers, 11 sisters) and 9 seminarians.It is the smallest Dutch diocese in population, even while it is the largest in area, covering an area of some 9205km2. As per the most recent data available, the number of churchgoers in 2005 was 12,435 or 0.7% of the total population.[5]

Episcopal ordinaries

(Roman Rite)

Bishops of Groningen

Suffragan Bishops of Groningen

See also

Sources and external links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Web Server's Default Page .
  2. Web site: Ron van den Hout.
  3. Web site: Web Server's Default Page .
  4. Web site: Web Server's Default Page .
  5. Kerncijfers 2005 uit de kerkelijke statistiek van het Rooms-Katholiek Kerkgenootschap in Nederland