''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: ''Archidiœcesis Mobiliensis'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or

archdiocese In 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 provinces were administratively associate ...

of the Catholic Church comprising the lower half of the state of Alabama. It is the

metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...

see of the Province of Mobile, which includes the

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 ...

bishopric sees of the Diocese of Biloxi, the

Diocese of Jackson The Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson is a diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Mobile, in the southern United States of America. Its ecclesiastical jurisdiction includes the northern and central parts of the state of Mississippi, an area o ...

, 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 Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

. 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 bishops and

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

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

Bishops of Mobile

# Michael Portier (1825–1859) # John Quinlan (1859–1883) # Dominic Manucy (1884) # Jeremiah O'Sullivan (1885–1896) # Edward Patrick Allen (1897–1926) # Thomas Joseph Toolen (1927–1954), title changed with title of diocese; also elevated to

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

''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 (1980–2008) #

Thomas John Rodi Thomas John Rodi (born March 27, 1949) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church. He has been serving as archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile, Archdiocese of Mobile in Alabama since 2008, having pr ...

(2008–present)

Former Auxiliary Bishops

* Joseph Aloysius Durick (1954–1964), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Nashville and subsequently succeeded to that see * Joseph Gregory Vath (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, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Alexandria-Shreveport in 1979 * William Russell Houck, 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) * St. Michael Catholic High School ( Fairhope)

Middle Schools

* * Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School ( Montgomery)

Elementary Schools

Christ the King Catholic School
( Daphne)
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