The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Agaña (

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

: ''Archidiœcesis Metropolitae Aganiensis '',

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

: ''Arquidiócesis Metropolitana de Agaña'') is a

Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...

ecclesiastical territory or

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, prov ...

. It comprises the United States dependency of

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

. The

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Minister (Christianity), Christian clergy who is an Ordinary (church officer), ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which me ...

is an

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 ...

whose

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

is the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica. The archdiocese is a member of the

Episcopal Conference of the Pacific The Episcopal Conference of the Pacific () (CEPAC) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church that includes the bishops of several islands in Oceania. The CEPAC is a member of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania (FCB ...

(CEPAC) and of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania, and an observer to the

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 2001 after the merger of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic C ...

History

The first Catholic church was established on Guam on June 15, 1668 by Spanish-Filipino missionaries

Diego Luis de San Vitores Diego Luis de San Vitores, SJ (November 12, 1627 – April 2, 1672) was a Spanish Jesuit missionary who founded the first Catholic church on the island of Guam. He is responsible for establishing the Christian presence in the Mariana Islands. H ...

and

Pedro Calungsod Pedro Calungsod ( or archaically ; July 21, 1654 – April 2, 1672), also known as Peter Calungsod and Pedro Calonsor, was a Catholic Filipino- Visayan migrant, sacristan and missionary catechist who, along with the Spanish Jesuit missionary ...

. Catholics in Guam were part of the

Diocese of Cebu 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, prov ...

, the Philippines. The United States acquired Guam from Spain after the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

of 1898. On September 17, 1902, the

Apostolic Prefecture of Mariana Islands The Apostolic Prefecture of Mariana Islands was a Roman Catholic apostolic prefecture (early missionary stage of a diocese) in Micronesia, in the South Sea. History It was established on 17 September 1902 in Guam, on territory previously belong ...

was established which included Guam. On March 1, 1911, the Apostolic Vicariate of Guam was canonically erected. On July 4, 1946, territory was added from the suppressed Vicariate Apostolic of Marianne, Caroline, and Marshall Islands. On October 14, 1965, the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

elevated the

apostolic vicariate An apostolic vicariate is a territorial jurisdiction of the Catholic Church under a titular bishop centered in missionary regions and countries where dioceses or parishes have not yet been established. The status of apostolic vicariate is often ...

to the Diocese of Agaña, as a suffragan diocese to the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco The Archdiocese of San Francisco (Latin language, Latin: ''Archdiœcesis Sancti Francisci''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Arquidiócesis de San Francisco'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the nort ...

. On March 8, 1984, in response to the growth of Catholicism in Guam and its vicinity, the diocese was elevated to a

metropolitan see Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ...

, the Archdiocese and Metropolitan Province of Agaña. The metropolitan province consists of the Archdiocese of Agaña and its suffragan Roman Catholic Dioceses of Chalan Kanoa and of Caroline Islands, and the

Roman Catholic Apostolic Prefecture of the Marshall Islands The Apostolic Prefecture of the Marshall Islands () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or apostolic prefecture of the Catholic Church in the Marshall Islands. The apostolic prefecture is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of t ...

Sex abuse scandal and bankruptcy

In 2016, for the first time in the history of the archdiocese, sexual allegations surfaced against its Ordinary (at the time Archbishop Anthony Apuron). Consequently, on June 6, 2016, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai, S.D.B., as

apostolic administrator An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

''sede plena'', i.e., in charge of the pastoral and administrative governance of the local Church. On October 31, 2016, after months of an Apostolic Administration, Pope Francis appointed Michael J. Byrnes of the

Archdiocese of Detroit The Archdiocese of Detroit () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church covering the south-east portion of Michigan in the United States. The archdiocese consists counties of Lapeer County, Michigan, Lap ...

to become Coadjutor Archbishop of Agaña with special faculties. Those faculties included complete authority in all pastoral and administrative matters in the Archdiocese, both civilly and ecclesiastically. On March 16, 2018, Archbishop Apuron was removed from office by a Vatican tribunal after being convicted of undisclosed charges in a canonical penal trial. Apuron appealed the decision, which suspended the verdict. However, the verdict of the First Instance canonical penal trial was upheld by the Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) on February 7, 2019. A final ruling was then published by the CDF on April 4, 2019, which also upheld the conviction. The final ruling made so Apuron could not only no longer serve as Bishop, but also could no longer wear the "insignia" associated with it, such as a bishop's ring, miter and staff, or dwell in property owned by the Archdiocese of Agana. The penalties imposed by the Apostolic Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith included the privation of office; the perpetual prohibition from dwelling, even temporarily, in the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Agaña; and the perpetual prohibition from using the insignia attached to the rank of Bishop. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that this decision represented the definitive conclusion in the penal trial, and no further appeal is possible. On January 15, 2019 it was announced that the Archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to the financial burden created by the overwhelming amount of sex abuse lawsuits. In August 2019, it was revealed that 223 people had filed lawsuits against 35 clergymen, teachers and Boy Scout leaders tied to the Catholic Church whom they accused of sexually abusing them while serving with the Archdiocese of Agaña. Despite the bankruptcy filing, the archdiocese had only $45 million in liabilities and had until August 15, 2019, to successfully file a motion for a settlement with the sex abuse victims. Documents obtained by the Associated Press also revealed that claims of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Agaña dated as early as the 1950s and as recent as 2013. The archdiocese afterwards sold its Yona property for $6.1 million to help contribute to the pending settlement. By the time of the August 15 deadline, which also accounted for sex abuse claims, was reached, the number of people suing the Archdiocese for sex abuse had expanded to more than 240, with blame also being directed at the Bishop's residence and office in Hagatna. Both the Archdiocese and sex abuse survivors negotiated for a settlement between October 30 and 31 2019. It was agreed that there would be direct mediation during the negotiations as well. Guam served as the location for the negotiations as well. The Boy Scouts of America, the Capuchin Franciscans, and some of the people named as defendants in the lawsuits had already started making settlements with clergy sex abuse survivors since 2018. Shortly before the negotiations started, the number of sex abuse claims also expanded to nearly 280. However, the October 2019 negotiations, which were mediated by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the District of Hawaii Robert J. Faris, were cut short after the survivors rejected the settlement offers and continued to pursue their lawsuits. On January 15, 2020, the Archdiocese of Agana submitted its reorganization plan, which also involved a new offer for a $21 million settlement. However, it remained to be seen if the sex abuse survivors will approve of the new settlement offer. On April 30, 2020, attorneys ended most court litigation after the Archdiocese of Agana filed proof of claim in court to help ensure the bankruptcy agreement, which also includes the potential sex abuse settlement, would go forward. The same day, however, it was revealed in new court documents that a new lawsuit was filed against the Archdiocese of Agana by a former altar boy who claimed that Father Louis Brouillard abused him multiple times from around 1978 to 1979 on the grounds of the Barrigada church and during Boy Scouts of America outings at Lonfit River. On March 23, 2021, US Federal District Judge

Frances Tydingco-Gatewood Frances Marie Tydingco-Gatewood (born January 21, 1958) is an American attorney and jurist. She has served as chief judge of the federal District Court of Guam since 2006, having been nominated by President George W. Bush. Prior to this, she serv ...

denied Apuron's motion to temporarily halt proceedings in Guam's clergy sex abuse cases. In August 2021, court filings which were made public revealed the Apuron had testified in court to deny a former Father Duenas Memorial School student's allegations that Apuron raped and sexually abused him multiple times in the school year 1994-1995 at the then-archbishop's private residence in Agana Heights.

Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

On March 16, 2020, the Archdiocese of Agana suspended Sunday masses along with all parish events until April 18th of that year. During this time, masses were held virtually, with church-goers watching church broadcasts through radio stations and social media platforms, such as Facebook Live.

Post-COVID developments

On March 29, 2023, Archbishop Michael J. Byrnes resigned due to a "life-changing illness", leaving Vicar General Father Romeo Convocar to lead the church in his absence. On July 6th, 2024,

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

appointed Bishop Ryan P. Jimenez as the new Archbishop of Agana. He was Installed on August 15th, 2024.

Ordinaries

Serra was appointed Vicar Apostolic of

Bluefields Bluefields is the capital of the South Caribbean Autonomous Region in Nicaragua. It was also the capital of the former Kingdom of Mosquitia, and later the Zelaya Department, which was divided into North and South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Reg ...

, Nicaragua in 1913.
Apuron was Auxiliary Bishop (1983-1986); appointed Archbishop here.
Byrnes was Coadjutor Archbishop (2016-2019).

Education

Schools operated by the archdiocese include:Schools
." Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña. Retrieved on October 25, 2010. *

Academy of Our Lady of Guam Academy of Our Lady of Guam (AOLG) is an all-girls private Catholic high school located at 233 Archbishop Felixberto C. Flores Street in Hagåtña, Guam, United States. AOLG, Guam's sole all-girls high school, has an average yearly enrollment o ...

– Hagåtña – Secondary school for girls * Bishop Baumgartner Memorial School–

Sinajana Sinajana () is the smallest of the nineteen villages in the United States territory of Guam by area. It is located in the hills south of Hagåtña (formerly Agana). The village's name may have come from the word "china-jan," cookware used to c ...

* Saint Anthony Catholic School– Tamuning * Santa Barbara Catholic School– Dededo Schools previously operated by the archdiocese include:Catholic Schools
" Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña. March 4, 2001. Retrieved on October 25, 2010. High schools: *

Father Dueñas Memorial School Father Dueñas Memorial School (FDMS) is an all-male Catholic high school located in Chalan-Pago census-designated place, in the United States territory of Guam. It is within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña. The school ...

– Mangilao – boys * Notre Dame High School – Talofofo – coed Elementary and middle schools: * Mount Carmel School – Agat * St. Francis Catholic School –

Yona The word Yona in Pali and the Prakrits, and the analogue Yavana in Sanskrit, were used in Ancient India to designate Greek speakers. "Yona" and "Yavana" are transliterations of the Greek word for "Ionians" (), who were probably the first Gr ...

* San Vicente School – Barrigada Elementary schools: * Dominican School–

Yigo Yigo, Guam (; ) is the northernmost village of the United States territory of Guam, and is the location of Andersen Air Force Base. The municipality of Yigo is the largest village on the island in terms of area. It contains a number of populated pl ...

Parishes

The Archdiocese of Agaña consists of twenty-six parishes on the island of Guam: ;Northern Region * Sånta Bernadita - Agafa Gumas, Yigo * Sånta Barbara - Dededo * Saint Andrew Kim - Dededo * Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Victor - Tamuning * Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores - Tumon * Our Lady of Lourdes - Yigo ;Central I Region * Dulce Nombre de María Cathedral-Basilica - Agaña (Hagåtña) * San Vicente Ferrer and San Roke - Barrigada * Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje - Chalan Pågo * Sånta Teresita - Mangilao * Nuestra Señora de las Aguas - Mongmong * Immaculate Heart of Mary - Toto ;Central II Region * Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament - Agaña Heights * Niño Perdido y Sagrada Familia - Asan * Our Lady of Purification - Maina * San Juan Bautista - Ordot * Saint Jude Thaddeus - Sinajaña * Assumption of Our Lady - Piti ;Southern Region * Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Agat * Saint Joseph - Inarajan * San Isidro - Malojloj * San Dimas - Merizo * San Dionisio - Umatac * Our Lady of Guadalupe - Santa Rita * San Miguel - Talofofo * San Francisco de Asis - Yona

Demographics

References

External links

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña
{{authority control Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agaña Christian organizations established in 1911 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century 1911 establishments in Guam Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019