Richmond (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Bishop(s)

Barry Christopher Knestout, Bishop

General Information

Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese
Erected: 11 July 1820
Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Baltimore
Rite: Latin (or Roman)
State: Virginia
Country: United States of America
Square Kilometers: 86,071 (33,244 Square Miles)
Conference Region: IV (DC, DE, MD, VA, VI, WV)
Catholic Directory Abbreviation: RIC
Official Web Site: http://www.richmonddiocese.org/
Mailing Address: 7800 Carousel Lane, Richmond, VA 23294-4201, USA
Telephone: (804)359-5661
Fax: 358-9159

Past and Present Ordinaries

Patrick Kelly † (11 Jul 1820 Appointed - 22 Feb 1822 Appointed, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore)
Richard Vincent Whelan † (15 Dec 1840 Appointed - 23 Jul 1850 Appointed, Bishop of Wheeling, West Virginia)
John McGill † (23 Jul 1850 Appointed - 14 Jan 1872 Died)
James Gibbons † (30 Jul 1872 Appointed - 29 May 1877 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Baltimore, Maryland)
John Joseph Keane † (26 Mar 1878 Appointed - 12 Aug 1888 Resigned)
Augustine Van de Vyver † (16 Jul 1889 Appointed - 16 Oct 1911 Died)
Denis Joseph O’Connell † (19 Jan 1912 Appointed - 15 Jan 1926 Retired)
Andrew James Louis Brennan † (28 May 1926 Appointed - 14 Apr 1945 Resigned)
Peter Leo Ireton † (14 Apr 1945 Succeeded - 27 Apr 1958 Died)
John Joyce Russell † (3 Jul 1958 Appointed - 28 Apr 1973 Retired)
Walter Francis Sullivan † (4 Jun 1974 Appointed - 16 Sep 2003 Retired)
Francis Xavier DiLorenzo † (31 Mar 2004 Appointed - 17 Aug 2017 Died)
Barry Christopher Knestout (5 Dec 2017 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
11 July 1820	Erected	Archdiocese of Baltimore	Diocese of Charleston (erected) (North and South Carolina and Georgia) Diocese of Richmond (erected) (Entire state of Virginia)
19 July 1850	Territory Lost	Diocese of Richmond	Diocese of Wheeling (erected) (Virginia west of the Allegheny Mountains and West of Maryland)
15 August 1858	Territory Added	Archdiocese of Baltimore	Diocese of Richmond (Alexandria)
28 May 1974	Territory Lost	Diocese of Richmond (Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, King George, Lancaster, Loudon, Madison, Northumberland, Orange, Page, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren, and Westmoreland)	Diocese of Arlington (erected)
28 May 1974	Territory Added	Diocese of Wheeling (area in Virginia)	Diocese of Richmond
28 May 1974	Territory Added	Diocese of Wilmington (Accomack and Northampton Counties)	Diocese of Richmond
28 May 1974	Territory Lost	Diocese of Richmond (area in West Virginia)	Diocese of Wheeling

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

1950 80,610 2,950,000 2.7% 128 92 220 366 116 512 83 ap1951

1965 217,840 4,074,359 5.3% 182 182 364 598 203 860 166 ap1967

1970 263,514 4,742,925 5.6% 190 193 383 688 237 853 123 ap1971

1976 109,333 3,509,107 3.1% 125 99 224 488 111 425 90 ap1977

1980 111,011 3,685,720 3.0% 151 84 235 472 1 93 414 100 ap1981

1990 141,261 5,168,000 2.7% 170 48 218 647 10 59 369 143 ap1991

1999 191,051 4,507,819 4.2% 164 41 205 931 24 6 210 142 ap2000

2000 196,701 4,519,465 4.4% 158 38 196 1,003 26 45 210 144 ap2001

2001 200,342 4,555,139 4.4% 164 36 200 1,001 27 44 198 147 ap2002

2002 208,008 4,674,975 4.4% 165 36 201 1,034 34 47 187 147 ap2003

2003 213,528 4,727,638 4.5% 158 36 194 1,100 82 47 187 148 ap2004

2004 212,189 4,727,630 4.5% 165 38 203 1,045 83 51 193 148 ap2005

2010 233,000 4,942,100 4.7% 164 30 194 1,201 85 43 205 151 ap2011

2014 241,000 5,600,000 4.3% 189 30 219 1,100 136 37 166 149 ap2015

2016 244,700 5,680,000 4.3% 183 30 213 1,148 115 37 139 142 ap2017

2017 5,118,519 .0% 194 19 213 0 140 27 180 142 ap2018*

2020 259,971 5,242,066 5.0% 182 12 194 1,340 165 18 166 138 ap2021

2022 258,880 5,220,173 5.0% 163 22 185 1,399 214 25 107 138 ap2023

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
1950	80,610	2,950,000	2.7%	128	92	220	366		116	512	83	ap1951
1965	217,840	4,074,359	5.3%	182	182	364	598		203	860	166	ap1967
1970	263,514	4,742,925	5.6%	190	193	383	688		237	853	123	ap1971
1976	109,333	3,509,107	3.1%	125	99	224	488		111	425	90	ap1977
1980	111,011	3,685,720	3.0%	151	84	235	472	1	93	414	100	ap1981
1990	141,261	5,168,000	2.7%	170	48	218	647	10	59	369	143	ap1991
1999	191,051	4,507,819	4.2%	164	41	205	931	24	6	210	142	ap2000
2000	196,701	4,519,465	4.4%	158	38	196	1,003	26	45	210	144	ap2001
2001	200,342	4,555,139	4.4%	164	36	200	1,001	27	44	198	147	ap2002
2002	208,008	4,674,975	4.4%	165	36	201	1,034	34	47	187	147	ap2003
2003	213,528	4,727,638	4.5%	158	36	194	1,100	82	47	187	148	ap2004
2004	212,189	4,727,630	4.5%	165	38	203	1,045	83	51	193	148	ap2005
2010	233,000	4,942,100	4.7%	164	30	194	1,201	85	43	205	151	ap2011
2014	241,000	5,600,000	4.3%	189	30	219	1,100	136	37	166	149	ap2015
2016	244,700	5,680,000	4.3%	183	30	213	1,148	115	37	139	142	ap2017
2017		5,118,519	.0%	194	19	213	0	140	27	180	142	ap2018*
2020	259,971	5,242,066	5.0%	182	12	194	1,340	165	18	166	138	ap2021
2022	258,880	5,220,173	5.0%	163	22	185	1,399	214	25	107	138	ap2023

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

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

Andrew James Louis Brennan † (Bishop: 28 May 1926 to 14 Apr 1945)
Walter (Arthur) Coggin, O.S.B. †
William George Curlin †
Francis Xavier DiLorenzo † (Bishop: 31 Mar 2004 to 17 Aug 2017)
Carroll Thomas Dozier † (Priest: 19 Mar 1937 to 12 Nov 1970)
Samuel Eccleston, P.S.S. † (Apostolic Administrator: 19 Oct 1834 to 22 Nov 1840)
James Louis Flaherty † (Priest: 8 Dec 1936; Auxiliary Bishop: 8 Aug 1966 to 9 Aug 1975)
David Edward Foley † (Auxiliary Bishop: 3 May 1986 to 22 Mar 1994)
James Gibbons † (Bishop: 30 Jul 1872 to 29 May 1877)
Joseph Howard Hodges † (Priest: 8 Dec 1935; Auxiliary Bishop: 8 Aug 1952 to 24 May 1961)
Peter Leo Ireton † (Coadjutor Bishop: 3 Aug 1935; Bishop: 14 Apr 1945 to 27 Apr 1958)
Francis August Anthony Joseph Janssens † (Priest: 21 Dec 1867 to 18 Feb 1881)
Antons Justs † (Priest: 1962 to 28 May 1974)
John Joseph Kain †
John Joseph Keane † (Bishop: 26 Mar 1878 to 12 Aug 1888)
William Henry Keeler † (Apostolic Administrator: 16 Sep 2003 to 31 Mar 2004)
Benjamin Joseph Keiley †
Patrick Kelly † (Bishop: 11 Jul 1820 to 22 Feb 1822)
Ambrose Maréchal, P.S.S. † (Apostolic Administrator: 22 Feb 1822 to 1825)
John McGill † (Bishop: 23 Jul 1850 to 14 Jan 1872)
Denis Joseph O’Connell † (Priest: 26 May 1877 to 24 Dec 1908; Bishop: 19 Jan 1912 to 15 Jan 1926)
John Joyce Russell † (Bishop: 3 Jul 1958 to 28 Apr 1973)
Walter Francis Sullivan † (Priest: 9 May 1953; Auxiliary Bishop: 15 Oct 1970; Bishop: 4 Jun 1974 to 16 Sep 2003)
Ernest Leo Unterkoefler † (Priest: 18 May 1944; Auxiliary Bishop: 11 Dec 1961 to 12 Dec 1964)
Augustine Van de Vyver † (Priest: 24 Jul 1870; Bishop: 16 Jul 1889 to 16 Oct 1911)
Vincent Stanislaus Waters † (Priest: 8 Dec 1931 to 10 Mar 1945)
Richard Vincent Whelan † (Priest: 1 May 1831; Bishop: 15 Dec 1840 to 23 Jul 1850)
James Whitfield † (Apostolic Administrator: 1828 to 19 Oct 1834)

Diocese of Richmond

Dioecesis Richmondiensis

Bishop(s)

General Information

Past and Present Ordinaries

Historical Summary

Statistics

Affiliated Bishops, Living

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

Source(s)