''Former names: Apostolic Vicariate of Alabama and the Floridas (1825-1829), Diocese of Mobile (1829-1954; 1969-1980), Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham (1954-1969).'' The Archdiocese of Mobile (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

: ''Archidiœcesis Mobiliensis'') is a

Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...

ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

comprising the lower half of the state of

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

. It is the metropolitan see of the Province of Mobile, which includes the suffragan bishopric sees of the Diocese of Biloxi, the Diocese of Jackson, and the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama. It was established as the Archdiocese of Mobile on November 16, 1980. The Archbishop of Mobile is the pastor of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception located in Mobile, Alabama. The Archdiocese encompasses 22,969 square miles and comprises the lower 28 counties of the state of Alabama, namely: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Russell, Washington and Wilcox, with 76 parishes and 7 missions and a total Catholic population of approximately 108,000 Catholics, or roughly 5% of the total population of 1.84 million.

History

The diocese was originally erected by Pope Leo XII in 1825, as Vicariate Apostolic of Alabama and the Floridas. It was established as the Diocese of Mobile by Pope Pius VIII on May 15, 1829. The diocese had its name changed to the Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham by Pope Pius XII on July 9, 1954, and was redesignated as the Diocese of Mobile by Pope Paul VI on June 28, 1969. The Ecclesiastical Province of Mobile was erected by Pope John Paul II on November 16, 1980. Before then, the diocese had been part of the Ecclesiastical Province of New Orleans. ''Reports of sexual abuse:'' In December 2018, Archbishop Thomas Rodi released the names of 29 priests and religious order clergy who were accused of committing acts of sex abuse while serving in the Archdiocese of Mobile. Claims of sex abuse dated as early as 1950. At least 2 Catholic clergy on this list were convicted, with one other being sued. Archbishop Rodi also issued an apology and asked for forgiveness.

Bishops

The lists of the

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

s and archbishops of Mobile and dates of service, followed by other affiliated bishops:

Bishops of Mobile

Michael Portier Bishop Michael Portier (September 7, 1795, Montbrison, France – May 14, 1859, Mobile, Alabama) was a Roman Catholic bishop in the United States and the first Bishop of Mobile. He immigrated to the US in 1817, being ordained there. He lat ...

(1825–1859) # John Quinlan (1859–1883) #

Dominic Manucy Dominic Manucy (December 20, 1823 – December 7, 1885) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the first Vicar Apostolic of Brownsville (later the Diocese of Corpus Christi) from 1874 until his death in 1885, and also se ...

(1884) #

Jeremiah O'Sullivan Jeremiah O'Sullivan (February 6, 1842 – August 10, 1896) was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Bishop of Mobile from 1885 until his death in 1896. Biography Jeremiah O'Sullivan was born in Kanturk, County Cork, ...

(1885–1896) #

Edward Patrick Allen Edward Patrick Allen (March 17, 1853 – October 21, 1926) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Bishop of Mobile from 1897 until his death in 1926. Biography Edward Allen was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, to John ...

(1897–1926) #

Thomas Joseph Toolen Thomas Joseph Toolen (February 28, 1886 – December 4, 1976) was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Mobile from 1927 to 1969, and was given the personal title of Archbishop in 1954. Early life and educati ...

(1927–1954), title changed with title of diocese; also elevated to Archbishop ''ad personam'' in 1954

Bishop of Mobile-Birmingham

# Thomas Joseph Toolen (1954–1969), archbishop ''ad personam''

Bishop of Mobile

# John Lawrence May (1969–1980), appointed Archbishop of Saint Louis

Archbishops of Mobile

Oscar Hugh Lipscomb Oscar Hugh Lipscomb (September 21, 1931July 15, 2020) was an American bishop of the Catholic Church. He served the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama, for 28 years. Lipscomb attended high school in Mobile, before studying for the ...

(1980–2008) # Thomas John Rodi (2008–present)

Former Auxiliary Bishops

Joseph Aloysius Durick Joseph Aloysius Durick (October 13, 1914 – June 26, 1994) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Nashville in Tennessee from 1969 to 1975. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the ...

(1954–1964), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Nashville and subsequently succeeded to that see *

Joseph Gregory Vath Joseph Gregory Vath (March 12, 1918 – July 14, 1987) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic, Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama, Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama from ...

(1966-1969), appointed Bishop of Birmingham in Alabama 1969-1987

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

* John Stephen (Jean Étienne) Bazin, appointed Bishop of Vincennes in 1847 *

Anthony Dominic Ambrose Pellicer Anthony Dominic Pellicer (December 7, 1824 – April 14, 1880) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the first Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio, Bishop of San Antonio, serving from 1874 until his death in 1880. Biogr ...

, appointed Bishop of San Antonio in 1874 * John William Shaw, appointed Coadjutor Bishop of San Antonio in 1910 *

William Benedict Friend William Benedict Friend (October 22, 1931 – April 2, 2015) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Shreveport in Louisiana from 1986 to 2006. He previously served as auxiliar ...

, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Alexandria-Shreveport in 1979 *

William Russell Houck William Russell Houck (July 26, 1926 – March 9, 2016) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served in the Diocese of Jackson in Mississippi, as an auxiliary bishop and then as bishop from 1979 to 2003. Biography William Hou ...

, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Jackson in 1979

Schools

High Schools and Middle Schools

High Schools

* McGill-Toolen Catholic High School (

Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...

) *

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School (MCPS) is a K-12 Catholic school in Montgomery, Alabama on three campuses. It is governed by the Archdiocese of Mobile. Founded in 1873, it is the oldest private K-12 school in Alabama. History Founded as ...

( Montgomery) * St. Michael Catholic High School (

Fairhope Fairhope is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States, located on the eastern shoreline of Mobile Bay. The 2020 Census lists the population of the city as 22,477. Fairhope is a principal city of the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metropolita ...

)

Middle Schools

* *

( Montgomery)

Elementary Schools

Christ the King Catholic School
(

Daphne Daphne (; ; el, Δάφνη, , ), a minor figure in Greek mythology, is a naiad, a variety of female nymph associated with fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of freshwater. There are several versions of the myth in whi ...

)
Corpus Christi School
(Mobile)

(Mobile)
Montgomery Catholic Preparatory St. Bede Campus
(Montgomery)
Montgomery Catholic Preparatory Holy Spirit Campus
(Montgomery)
St. Benedict Catholic School
Elberta, Alabama, Elberta)
St. Dominic School
(Mobile)
St. Ignatius School
(Mobile)

St. Mary Catholic School
(Mobile)
St. Michael the Archangel School (Auburn)

St. Patrick School
( Robertsdale)
St. Pius X Catholic School
(Mobile)
St. Vincent de Paul Day Care (Mobi
https://www.stjohnenterprise.org/montessori-school.htm
le)

Private Schools - (Independent schools within the territory but not under the administration of the Archdiocese of Mobile.)

* Resurrection Catholic School (Montgomery) * St. Joseph Child Development Center (Fort Mitchell)

References

External links

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile Official Site

Archdiocese of Mobile article, Encyclopedia of Alabama

{{authority control Religious organizations established in 1825 1825 establishments in Alabama