Diocese of Nantes

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Bishop(s) Georges Pierre Soubrier, P.S.S., Bishop

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese Erected: 4th Century Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Rennes (, Dol, e Saint-Malo) Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: France Square Kilometers: 6,980 (2,696 Square Miles) Conference Region: Ouest Official Web Site: http://nantes.cef.fr/ Mailing Address: B.P. 52204, 7 rue Cardinal-Richard, 44322 Nantes CEDEX 03, France Telephone: 2.40.76.22.00 Fax: 2.40.59.77.73

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Philippe du Bec † ( 1566 Appointed - 1594 Appointed, Archbishop of Reims)
• Charles de Bourgneuf † (30 Oct 1598 Appointed - 17 Jul 1617 Died)
• Gilles de La Baume le Blanc de la Valière † ( 1667 Appointed - 1677 Resigned)
• Gilles-Jean-François de Beauvau † (5 Jul 1677 Appointed - 7 Sep 1717 Died)
• Louis de La Vergne-Montenard de Tressan † (2 Oct 1717 Appointed - 17 Oct 1723 Appointed, Archbishop of Rouen)
• Christophe-Louis Turpin de Crissé de Sanzay † (27 Sep 1724 Appointed - 29 Mar 1746 Died)
• Pierre Mauclerc de la Musanchère † ( 1746 Appointed - 1 Apr 1775 Died)
• Charles-Eutrope de La Laurancie † ( 1783 Appointed - 13 May 1816 Died)
• Louis-Jules-François-Joseph d'Andigné de Mayneuf † (8 Aug 1817 Appointed - 2 Feb 1822 Died)
• Joseph-Michel-Jean-Baptiste-Paul-Augustin Micolon de Guérines † (15 Feb 1822 Appointed - 12 May 1838 Died)
• Jean-François de Hercé † (12 May 1838 Succeeded - 29 Nov 1848 Resigned)
• Antoine-Matthias-Alexandre Jacquemet † (6 Dec 1848 Appointed - 9 Dec 1869 Died)
• Félix Fournier † (17 May 1870 Appointed - 9 Jun 1877 Died)
• Jules François Lecoq † (30 Jul 1877 Appointed - 25 Dec 1892 Died)
• Auguste-Léopold Laroche † (3 Jan 1893 Appointed - 18 Dec 1895 Died)
• Pierre-Emile Rouard † (30 May 1896 Appointed - 19 Feb 1914 Died)
• Eugène-Louis-Marie Le Fer de la Motte † (28 May 1914 Appointed - 8 Jul 1935 Resigned)
• Jean-Joseph-Léonce Villepelet † (20 Aug 1936 Appointed - 2 Jul 1966 Retired)
• Michel-Louis Vial † (2 Jul 1966 Appointed - 15 Apr 1982 Retired)
• Emile Marcus, P.S.S. (15 Apr 1982 Appointed - 7 May 1996 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Toulouse (-Narbonne-Saint Bertrand de Comminges-Rieux))
• Georges Pierre Soubrier, P.S.S. (10 Oct 1996 Appointed - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
4th Century	Erected		Diocese of Nantes (erected)
16 December 2002	Metropolitan Changed		Diocese of Nantes (from Tours)

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Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
1949	550,000	665,064	82.7%	937	150	1,087	505		220	3,700	277	ap1951
1970	800,000	861,452	92.9%	985	130	1,115	717		460	3,150	299	ap1971
1980	860,000	968,800	88.8%	848	98	946	909		484	2,547	295	ap1981
1988	860,000	1,001,000	85.9%	681	108	789	1,089	3	462	2,031	294	ap1991
1999	971,000	1,072,000	90.6%	673	85	758	1,281	22	316	1,392	293	ap2000
2000	967,000	1,100,000	87.9%	661	80	741	1,304	24	320	1,254	293	ap2001
2001	1,050,000	1,134,266	92.6%	612	75	687	1,528	25	319	1,312	293	ap2002
2002	1,049,266	1,134,266	92.5%	507	87	594	1,766	27	326	1,282	293	ap2003
2003	1,049,266	1,134,266	92.5%	478	56	534	1,964	31	300	1,364	293	ap2004
2004	1,049,000	1,134,266	92.5%	479	50	529	1,982	33	280	1,141	285	ap2005

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

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Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Jacques Louis Marie Joseph Fihey (Priest: 29 Jun 1955 to 31 May 1977)
• Hervé Gaschignard (Priest: 1 Jul 1989 to 30 Oct 2007)
• Emile Marcus, P.S.S. (Bishop: 15 Apr 1982 to 7 May 1996)
• Georges Pierre Soubrier, P.S.S. (Bishop: 10 Oct 1996)

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Louis-Jules-François-Joseph d'Andigné de Mayneuf † (Bishop: 8 Aug 1817 to 2 Feb 1822)
• Gilles-Jean-François de Beauvau † (Bishop: 5 Jul 1677 to 7 Sep 1717)
• Charles de Bourgneuf † (Bishop: 30 Oct 1598 to 17 Jul 1617)
• Philippe du Bec † (Bishop: 1566 to 1594)
• Jean-Baptiste Duvoisin † (Bishop: 5 Jul 1802 to 9 Jul 1813)
• Eugène-Marie Ernoult † (Auxiliary Bishop: 23 Dec 1968 to 9 Sep 1975)
• Félix Fournier † (Bishop: 17 May 1870 to 9 Jun 1877)
• Jean-Auguste Frétat de Sarra † (Bishop: 1775 to 20 Sep 1783)
• Louis-Joseph Gaillard † (Apostolic Administrator: 19 Jan 1935 to 18 Oct 1936)
• Pierre-Philippe Giraudeau, M.E.P. † (Priest: 29 Jun 1876 to 9 Aug 1877)
• Jean-François de Hercé † (Coadjutor Bishop: 6 Oct 1835; Bishop: 12 May 1838 to 29 Nov 1848)
• Antoine-Matthias-Alexandre Jacquemet † (Bishop: 6 Dec 1848 to 9 Dec 1869)
• Gilles de La Baume le Blanc de la Valière † (Bishop: 1667 to 1677)
• Charles-Eutrope de La Laurancie † (Bishop: 1783 to 13 May 1816)
• Auguste-Léopold Laroche † (Bishop: 3 Jan 1893 to 18 Dec 1895)
• Louis de La Vergne-Montenard de Tressan † (Bishop: 2 Oct 1717 to 17 Oct 1723)
• Jules François Lecoq † (Bishop: 30 Jul 1877 to 25 Dec 1892)
• Eugène-Louis-Marie Le Fer de la Motte † (Bishop: 28 May 1914 to 8 Jul 1935)
• Pierre Mauclerc de la Musanchère † (Bishop: 1746 to 1 Apr 1775)
• Joseph-Michel-Jean-Baptiste-Paul-Augustin Micolon de Guérines † (Bishop: 15 Feb 1822 to 12 May 1838)
• François Xavier Arthur Florent Morilleau † (Priest: 29 Jun 1937 to 5 May 1954)
• François-Marie-Benjamin Richard de la Vergne † (Priest: 21 Dec 1844 to 16 Oct 1871)
• Pierre-Emile Rouard † (Bishop: 30 May 1896 to 19 Feb 1914)
• Christophe-Louis Turpin de Crissé de Sanzay † (Bishop: 27 Sep 1724 to 29 Mar 1746)
• Michel-Louis Vial † (Bishop: 2 Jul 1966 to 15 Apr 1982)
• Jean-Joseph-Léonce Villepelet † (Bishop: 20 Aug 1936 to 2 Jul 1966)