The Diocese of Samoa–Pago Pago (

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 ...

: ''Diœcesis Samoa–Pagopagensis'') 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 ...

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...

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 ...

of the

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in the

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overseas dependency of

American Samoa American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island count ...

, in the

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian churches, including those of both Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity, that have traditional hierarchical structures. An ecclesiastical province consist ...

of the Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Samoa–Apia. The ordinary is a

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

whose seat is the Cathedral of the Holy Family in the Tafuna. He is also pastor of the

co-cathedral A co-cathedral is a cathedral church which shares the function of being a bishop's seat, or ''cathedra'', with another cathedral, often in another city (usually a former see, anchor city of the metropolitan area or the civil capital). Instances o ...

Saint Joseph the Worker According to the Gospel, canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jews, Jewish man of Nazareth who was Espousals of the Blessed Virgin Mary, married to Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus ...

Fagatogo Fagatogo () is the downtown area of Pago Pago (the territorial capital of American Samoa).Grabowski, John F. (1992). ''U.S. Territories and Possessions (State Report Series)''. Chelsea House Pub. Page 51. . Located in the low grounds at the foot o ...

. On Friday, May 31, 2013, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop John Quinn Weitzel, and appointed Peter Brown, the Regional Superior of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer also known as the Redemptorist Congregation in

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, as

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

of the diocese of Samoa–Pago Pago. Brown was ordained as a bishop on August 22, 2013.

History

It was canonically erected on 10 September 1982,Samoa–Pago Pago (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]
/ref> from a unified diocese of Samoa and Tokelau, the bulk of which became its present metropolitan. It enjoyed a papal visit from Pope Paul VI in November 1970.

Leadership

;Apostolic administrator *Cardinal Pio Taofinuʻu (1982–1986) ;Ordinaries * John Quinn Weitzel (1986–2013) * Peter Brown (2013–2023) * Kolio Etuale (2023–present)

References

Sources and external links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Samoa–Pago Pago Official Site

{{DEFAULTSORT:Samoa-Pago Pago, Diocese Roman Catholic dioceses in American Samoa Samoa-Pago-Pago Catholic Church in American Samoa Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Samoa-Apia Christian organizations established in 1982 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century 1982 establishments in American Samoa Religious organizations based in American Samoa