The Roman Catholic Diocese of Morondava ( la, Morondaven(sis)) is a

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...

Latin

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

in the

Ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...

Toliara Toliara (also known as ''Toliary'', ; formerly ''Tuléar'') is a city in Madagascar. It is the capital of the Atsimo-Andrefana region, located 936 km southwest of national capital Antananarivo. The current spelling of the name was adopted ...

(one of five in

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

), yet depends on the missionary

Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

. Its

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

episcopal see is the (Marian) Cathédrale Maria Manjaka Namahora, in the city of

Morondava Morondava (, from mg, morona lava "long coast") is a city located in Menabe Region, of which it is the capital, in Madagascar. It is located in the delta of the Morandava River at . Its population as of the 2018 census, was 53,510. Population T ...

Toliara province The Toliara Province (formerly Toliary or Tuléar) is a former provinces of Madagascar, province of Madagascar with an area of . It had a population of 2,229,550 (July, 2001). Its capital was Toliara. Near Toliara was the "Madagascar spiny thickets ...

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 54,895 Catholics (9.8% of 560,000 total) on 45,200 km² in 17 parishes and 26 missions with 42 priests (8 diocesan, 34 religious), 156 lay religious (39 brothers, 117 sisters) and 20 seminarians.

History

* Established on January 8, 1938 as

Apostolic Prefecture An apostolic prefect or prefect apostolic is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a 'pre-diocesan' missionary jurisdiction where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese. Although it ...

of Morondava, on territories split off from the then

Apostolic Vicariate of Fianarantsoa The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Fianaranintsoa is one of the five Catholic Metropolitan Latin Archdioceses in Madagascar, yet depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Its cathedral archiepiscopal see is C ...

Apostolic Vicariate of Majunga The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mahajanga ( la, Mahagiangan(us)) is a diocese located in the city of Mahajanga in the Ecclesiastical province of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Antsiranana, Antsiranana in Madagascar. History * March 15, 1923: Establi ...

and Apostolic Vicariate of Tananarive * On 1939.03.15 it gained territory from Mission sui juris of Miarinarivo. * Promoted on September 14, 1955 as Diocese of Morondava * Lost territories, twice : on 1960.04.25 to establish the

Diocese of Morombe The Roman Catholic Diocese of Morombe (''Latin: Moromben(sis)'') is a diocese located in the Ecclesiastical province of Toliara in Madagascar. The episcopal see is in the city of Morombe. History On April 25, 1960, Pope John XXIII established th ...

and on 2017.02.08 (with two other sees) to establish

Diocese of Maintirano The Roman Catholic Diocese of Maintirano is a Latin Catholic suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Antananarivo (national capital), one of five on Madagascar), yet it remains in the juris ...

Ordinaries

(all

Roman rite The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while dist ...

, so far -mostly European missionary- members of Latin congregations) ;''Apostolic Prefects of Morondava'' * Father Joseph-Paul Futy, LaSalette Missionaries (M.S.) (born France) (1938 – 1947.02.13); later

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

Aspendus Aspendos or Aspendus (Pamphylian Greek, Pamphylian: ΕΣΤϜΕΔΥΣ; Ancient Greek, Attic: Ἄσπενδος) was an ancient Greco-Roman city in Antalya province of Turkey. The site is located 40 km east of the modern city of Antalya. It ...

(1947.02.13 – death 1956.08.12) as

Apostolic Vicar Apostolic may refer to: The Apostles An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission: *The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles *Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Churc ...

Antsirabe Antsirabe () is the third largest city in Madagascar and the capital of the Vakinankaratra region, with a population of 265,018 in 2014. In Madagascar, Antsirabe is known for its relatively cool climate (like the rest of the central region), it ...

(Madagascar) (1947.02.13 – retired 1955.03) * Father Stefano Garon, M.S. (1947.07.04 – death 1954) * Father Paul J. Girouard, M.S. (born USA) (1954 – 1955.09.14 ''see below''). ;'' Suffragan Bishops of Morondava'' * Paul J. Girouard, M.S. (''see above'' 1955.09.14 – death 1964.02.18) *

Bernard Charles Ratsimamotoana Bernard (''Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern'' "bear" and ''hard'' "brav ...

, M.S. (1964.09.29 – retired 1998.08.08), died 2005 *

Donald Joseph Leo Pelletier Donald Joseph Leo Pelletier (June 17, 1931 – June 4, 2022) was an American Catholic prelate. Biography Pelletier was born in Blackstone, Massachusetts, and was ordained to the priesthood for the Missionaries of La Salette. He served as bisho ...

, M.S. (born USA) (1999.10.15 - retired 2010.02.26) * Marie Fabien Raharilamboniaina,

Teresian Carmelites The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Carmelites of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel ( la, Ordo Fratrum Carmelitarum Discalceatorum Beatae Mariae Virginis de Monte Carmelo) or the Order of Discalced Carme ...

(O.C.D.) (2010.02.26 - ...), also Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Madagascar (2012? – ...).

Sources and external links

GCatholic.org

Roman Catholic dioceses in Madagascar Christian organizations established in 1938 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century 1938 establishments in Madagascar Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Toliara {{Africa-RC-diocese-stub

Statistics

History

Ordinaries

See also

Sources and external links