Saint John, New Brunswick (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Bishop(s)

Christian Heribert Riesbeck, C.C., Bishop
Robert Harris, Bishop Emeritus

General Information

Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese
Name Changed: 15 November 1924
Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Moncton
Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops
Rite: Latin (or Roman)
Province: New Brunswick
Country: Canada
Square Kilometers: 60,000 (23,175 Square Miles)
Conference Region: Atlantic (Atlantique)
Catholic Directory Abbreviation: SJNB
Official Web Site: http://www.dioceseofsaintjohn.org/
Mailing Address: Chancery Office, 1 Bayard Dr., Saint John, NB E2L 3L5, Canada
Telephone: (506)653-6800
Fax: 653-6812

Historical Details

Diocese of New Brunswick
- Latin Name: Novae Brunopolis
- Erected: 30 September 1842
- Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Québec
- Province: New Brunswick
- Country: Canada
Diocese of Fredericton
- Latin Name: Fridericopolitanus
- Name Changed: 1843
- Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Halifax
- Province: New Brunswick
- Country: Canada
Diocese of Saint John in New Brunswick
- Latin Name: Sancti Ioannis in America
- Name Changed: 1853
- Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Halifax
- Province: New Brunswick
- Country: Canada

Past and Present Ordinaries

William Dollard (Dullard) † (30 Sep 1842 Appointed - 29 Aug 1851 Died)
Thomas Louis Connolly, O.F.M. Cap. † (4 May 1852 Appointed - 8 Apr 1859 Appointed, Archbishop of Halifax, Nova Scotia)
John Sweeny † (29 Nov 1859 Appointed - 25 Mar 1901 Died)
Timothy Casey † (25 Mar 1901 Succeeded - 31 Jul 1912 Appointed, Archbishop of Vancouver, British Columbia)
Edouard Alfred LeBlanc † (2 Aug 1912 Appointed - 17 Feb 1935 Died)
Patrick Albert Bray, C.I.M. † (18 Mar 1936 Appointed - 17 Jun 1953 Died)
Alfred Bertram Leverman † (27 Jul 1953 Appointed - 7 Sep 1968 Resigned)
Joseph Neil MacNeil † (9 Apr 1969 Appointed - 2 Jul 1973 Appointed, Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta)
Arthur Joseph Gilbert † (3 Apr 1974 Appointed - 2 Apr 1986 Resigned)
Joseph Edward Troy † (2 Apr 1986 Succeeded - 24 Sep 1997 Resigned)
Joseph Faber MacDonald † (23 Oct 1998 Appointed - 9 Sep 2006 Resigned)
Robert Harris (8 May 2007 Appointed - 15 Oct 2019 Retired)
Christian Heribert Riesbeck, C.C. (15 Oct 2019 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Diocese of New Brunswick
30 September 1842	Erected	Diocese of Charlottetown	Diocese of New Brunswick (erected)
Diocese of Fredericton
1843	Name Changed	Diocese of New Brunswick	Diocese of Fredericton
4 May 1852	Metropolitan Changed		Diocese of Fredericton (from Québec to Halifax)
Diocese of Saint John in New Brunswick
1853	Name Changed	Diocese of Fredericton ((between 15 Aug 1852 and Advent 1854))	Diocese of Saint John in New Brunswick
8 May 1860	Territory Lost	Diocese of Saint John in New Brunswick	Diocese of Chatham (erected)
Diocese of Saint John, New Brunswick
15 November 1924	Name Changed	Diocese of Saint John in New Brunswick	Diocese of Saint John, New Brunswick
22 February 1936	Territory Lost	Diocese of Chatham (County of Kent) Diocese of Saint John, New Brunswick (Counties of Westmorland, Albert, Kent, and some French parishes in the County of Northumberland)	Archdiocese of Moncton (erected)
22 February 1936	Metropolitan Changed		Diocese of Saint John, New Brunswick (from Halifax to Moncton)
9 February 1959	Territory Added	Diocese of Bathurst in Canada (Miramichi (Indian Mission of Burnt Church))	Diocese of Saint John, New Brunswick
24 January 1962	Territory Lost	Diocese of Saint John, New Brunswick (Parish of Beaver Brook)	Diocese of Bathurst in Canada
11 November 2008	Territory Added	Diocese of Bathurst in Canada (Ascension (in Beaverbrook))	Diocese of Saint John, New Brunswick

Year Catholics Total Population Percent Catholic Diocesan Priests Religious Priests Total Priests Catholics Per Priest Permanent Deacons Male Religious Female Religious Parishes Source

Diocese of Saint John, New Brunswick

1950 41,000 198,500 20.7% 57 16 73 561 19 277 30 ap1951

1966 66,000 275,000 24.0% 97 13 110 600 17 321 51 ap1967

1968 66,000 275,000 24.0% 92 18 110 600 24 290 49 ap1971

1976 75,000 275,000 27.3% 84 23 107 700 29 250 50 ap1977

1980 92,600 283,000 32.7% 80 17 97 954 1 19 235 54 ap1981

1990 98,000 280,000 35.0% 80 14 94 1,042 2 15 205 59 ap1991

1999 112,710 280,000 40.3% 67 9 76 1,483 2 11 170 58 ap2000

2000 112,710 280,000 40.3% 65 9 74 1,523 2 10 165 58 ap2001

2001 112,710 280,000 40.3% 65 13 78 1,445 2 14 170 58 ap2002

2002 112,710 280,000 40.3% 70 14 84 1,341 2 15 167 58 ap2003

2003 112,710 280,000 40.3% 68 14 82 1,374 2 15 164 58 ap2004

2004 112,710 280,000 40.3% 63 13 76 1,483 2 14 139 58 ap2005

2010 118,000 395,000 29.9% 61 4 65 1,815 3 4 110 59 ap2011

2014 123,400 308,600 40.0% 55 6 61 2,022 3 6 82 59 ap2015

2017 127,605 319,270 40.0% 52 8 60 2,126 2 8 67 59 ap2018

2020 132,600 331,800 40.0% 51 10 61 2,173 3 10 55 58 ap2021

2022 135,804 339,809 40.0% 42 11 53 2,562 1 11 40 28 ap2023

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Diocese of Saint John, New Brunswick
1950	41,000	198,500	20.7%	57	16	73	561		19	277	30	ap1951
1966	66,000	275,000	24.0%	97	13	110	600		17	321	51	ap1967
1968	66,000	275,000	24.0%	92	18	110	600		24	290	49	ap1971
1976	75,000	275,000	27.3%	84	23	107	700		29	250	50	ap1977
1980	92,600	283,000	32.7%	80	17	97	954	1	19	235	54	ap1981
1990	98,000	280,000	35.0%	80	14	94	1,042	2	15	205	59	ap1991
1999	112,710	280,000	40.3%	67	9	76	1,483	2	11	170	58	ap2000
2000	112,710	280,000	40.3%	65	9	74	1,523	2	10	165	58	ap2001
2001	112,710	280,000	40.3%	65	13	78	1,445	2	14	170	58	ap2002
2002	112,710	280,000	40.3%	70	14	84	1,341	2	15	167	58	ap2003
2003	112,710	280,000	40.3%	68	14	82	1,374	2	15	164	58	ap2004
2004	112,710	280,000	40.3%	63	13	76	1,483	2	14	139	58	ap2005
2010	118,000	395,000	29.9%	61	4	65	1,815	3	4	110	59	ap2011
2014	123,400	308,600	40.0%	55	6	61	2,022	3	6	82	59	ap2015
2017	127,605	319,270	40.0%	52	8	60	2,126	2	8	67	59	ap2018
2020	132,600	331,800	40.0%	51	10	61	2,173	3	10	55	58	ap2021
2022	135,804	339,809	40.0%	42	11	53	2,562	1	11	40	28	ap2023