Victoria (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Bishop(s)

Gary Michael Gordon, Bishop

General Information

Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese
Elevated: 19 September 1908
Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Vancouver
Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops
Rite: Latin (or Roman)
Province: British Columbia
Country: Canada
Square Kilometers: 33,197 (12,822 Square Miles)
Conference Region: West (Ouest)
Catholic Directory Abbreviation: Vic
Official Web Site: http://www.rcdvictoria.org/
Mailing Address: Bishop's House, 4044 Nelthorpe Street, Victoria, BC V8X 2A1, Canada
Telephone: (250)479-1331
Fax: 479-5423

Historical Details

Diocese of Vancouver Island
- Latin Name: Vancuveriensis
- Erected: 24 July 1846
- Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Oregon City
- Country: United States of America
Archdiocese of Vancouver Island
- Latin Name: Victoriensis in Insula Vancouver
- Elevated: 19 June 1903
- Province: British Columbia
- Country: Canada
Archdiocese of Victoria
- Latin Name: Victoriensis in Insula Vancouver
- Erected: 6 September 1904
- Province: British Columbia
- Country: Canada

Past and Present Ordinaries

Modeste Demers † (28 Jul 1846 Appointed - 28 Jul 1871 Died)
Charles-Jean Seghers † (11 Mar 1873 Appointed - 23 Jul 1878 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Oregon City, Oregon)
Jean-Baptiste Brondel † (26 Sep 1879 Appointed - 7 Mar 1884 Appointed, Bishop of Helena, Montana)
Charles-Jean Seghers † (6 Mar 1884 Appointed - 28 Nov 1886 Died)
Joannes Nicolaas Lemmens † (29 May 1888 Appointed - 10 Aug 1897 Died)
Alexander Christie † (26 Mar 1898 Appointed - 4 Mar 1899 Appointed, Archbishop of Oregon City, Oregon)
Bertram Orth † (24 Mar 1900 Appointed - 1904 Resigned)
Alexander MacDonald † (1 Oct 1908 Appointed - 6 Jun 1923 Resigned)
Thomas O’Donnell † (23 Dec 1923 Appointed - 27 May 1929 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Gerald C. Murray, C.SS.R. † (30 Jan 1930 Appointed - 21 Dec 1933 Appointed, Bishop of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
John Hugh MacDonald † (11 Aug 1934 Appointed - 12 Dec 1936 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta)
John Christopher Cody † (9 Dec 1936 Appointed - 6 Apr 1946 Appointed, Coadjutor Bishop of London, Ontario)
James Michael Hill † (22 Jun 1946 Appointed - 29 Mar 1962 Died)
Remi Joseph De Roo † (29 Oct 1962 Appointed - 18 Mar 1999 Retired)
Raymond Olir Roussin, S. M. † (18 Mar 1999 Succeeded - 10 Jan 2004 Appointed, Archbishop of Vancouver, British Columbia)
Richard Joseph Gagnon (14 May 2004 Appointed - 28 Oct 2013 Appointed, Archbishop of Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Gary Michael Gordon (14 Jun 2014 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Diocese of Vancouver Island
24 July 1846	Erected	Vicariate Apostolic of Oregon Territory	Diocese of Vancouver Island (erected) Diocese of Walla Walla (erected)
14 December 1863	Territory Lost	Diocese of Vancouver Island (Mainland of British Columbia and the Yukon)	Vicariate Apostolic of British Columbia (erected)
Archdiocese of Vancouver Island
19 June 1903	Elevated	Diocese of Vancouver Island	Archdiocese of Vancouver Island
Archdiocese of Victoria
27 July 1894	Territory Lost	Diocese of New Westminster Archdiocese of Victoria	Prefecture Apostolic of Alaska (erected)
6 September 1904	Erected	Archdiocese of Vancouver Island	Archdiocese of Victoria (erected)
Diocese of Victoria
19 September 1908	Elevated	Archdiocese of Victoria	Diocese of Victoria (Archdiocese lowered to a Diocese)

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 Victoria

1950 18,000 150,983 11.9% 27 18 45 400 25 240 36 ap1951

1966 28,000 290,835 9.6% 31 24 55 509 40 210 45 ap1967

1970 33,000 333,951 9.9% 31 23 54 611 30 184 53 ap1971

1976 38,000 381,796 10.0% 22 23 45 844 32 153 51 ap1977

1980 44,300 447,000 9.9% 23 24 47 942 32 136 58 ap1981

1990 79,000 493,000 16.0% 25 18 43 1,837 22 117 58 ap1991

1999 90,000 655,249 13.7% 28 17 45 2,000 21 93 29 ap2000

2000 90,000 655,249 13.7% 28 16 44 2,045 20 90 29 ap2001

2001 90,000 655,249 13.7% 27 18 45 2,000 22 94 29 ap2002

2002 90,000 705,113 12.8% 25 15 40 2,250 19 94 30 ap2003

2003 90,000 705,113 12.8% 20 19 39 2,307 23 94 41 ap2004

2004 94,465 693,496 13.6% 22 15 37 2,553 1 19 91 30 ap2005

2010 95,920 704,993 13.6% 30 15 45 2,131 19 68 30 ap2011

2014 99,400 737,000 13.5% 32 14 46 2,160 18 59 30 ap2015

2017 98,295 762,000 12.9% 31 11 42 2,340 2 16 50 30 ap2018

2020 102,150 791,900 12.9% 28 9 37 2,760 6 12 45 30 ap2021

2022 104,615 811,280 12.9% 22 9 31 3,374 4 12 35 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 Victoria
1950	18,000	150,983	11.9%	27	18	45	400		25	240	36	ap1951
1966	28,000	290,835	9.6%	31	24	55	509		40	210	45	ap1967
1970	33,000	333,951	9.9%	31	23	54	611		30	184	53	ap1971
1976	38,000	381,796	10.0%	22	23	45	844		32	153	51	ap1977
1980	44,300	447,000	9.9%	23	24	47	942		32	136	58	ap1981
1990	79,000	493,000	16.0%	25	18	43	1,837		22	117	58	ap1991
1999	90,000	655,249	13.7%	28	17	45	2,000		21	93	29	ap2000
2000	90,000	655,249	13.7%	28	16	44	2,045		20	90	29	ap2001
2001	90,000	655,249	13.7%	27	18	45	2,000		22	94	29	ap2002
2002	90,000	705,113	12.8%	25	15	40	2,250		19	94	30	ap2003
2003	90,000	705,113	12.8%	20	19	39	2,307		23	94	41	ap2004
2004	94,465	693,496	13.6%	22	15	37	2,553	1	19	91	30	ap2005
2010	95,920	704,993	13.6%	30	15	45	2,131		19	68	30	ap2011
2014	99,400	737,000	13.5%	32	14	46	2,160		18	59	30	ap2015
2017	98,295	762,000	12.9%	31	11	42	2,340	2	16	50	30	ap2018
2020	102,150	791,900	12.9%	28	9	37	2,760	6	12	45	30	ap2021
2022	104,615	811,280	12.9%	22	9	31	3,374	4	12	35	28	ap2023

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

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

Jean-Baptiste Brondel † (Bishop: 26 Sep 1879 to 7 Mar 1884)
Alexander Christie † (Bishop: 26 Mar 1898 to 4 Mar 1899)
John Christopher Cody † (Bishop: 9 Dec 1936 to 6 Apr 1946)
Modeste Demers † (Bishop: 28 Jul 1846 to 28 Jul 1871)
Remi Joseph De Roo † (Bishop: 29 Oct 1962 to 18 Mar 1999)
James Michael Hill † (Bishop: 22 Jun 1946 to 29 Mar 1962)
John James Jonckau † (Priest: 17 Aug 1867 to 29 Jul 1888; Coadjutor Bishop: 17 Apr 1883 to Dec 1883)
Joannes Nicolaas Lemmens † (Priest: 27 Mar 1875; Bishop: 29 May 1888 to 10 Aug 1897)
Louis Aloysius Lootens † (Priest: 14 Jun 1851 to 3 Mar 1868; Auxiliary Bishop: 27 Feb 1876 to 10 Jan 1898)
Alexander MacDonald † (Bishop: 1 Oct 1908 to 6 Jun 1923)
John Hugh MacDonald † (Bishop: 11 Aug 1934 to 12 Dec 1936)
Charles-François-Calixte Morisson † (Coadjutor Bishop: 22 Dec 1862 to 1863)
Gerald C. Murray, C.SS.R. † (Bishop: 30 Jan 1930 to 21 Dec 1933)
Thomas O’Donnell † (Bishop: 23 Dec 1923 to 27 May 1929)
Bertram Orth † (Bishop: 24 Mar 1900; Archbishop: 25 Jun 1903 to 1904)
Raymond Olir Roussin, S. M. † (Coadjutor Bishop: 14 Sep 1998; Bishop: 18 Mar 1999 to 10 Jan 2004)
Charles-Jean Seghers † (Deacon: 9 Aug 1862; Priest: 31 May 1863; Bishop: 11 Mar 1873 to 23 Jul 1878; Archbishop (Personal Title): 6 Mar 1884 to 28 Nov 1886)

Source(s)

Diocese of Vancouver Island
- Hierarchia Catholica, Volume 8, Page 581, and Page 582
- Series Episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Volume 1, Page 175

Diocese of Victoria

Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 1, Page 198, and Page 199

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Diocese of Victoria

Dioecesis Victoriensis in Insula Vancouver