Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Archidioecesis Bostoniensis |  Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston
| | Basic information | | Location | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | | Territory | Counties of Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Plymouth (the towns of Mattapoisett, Marion, and Wareham excepted)[1] | | Population | 1,845,758 Catholics[2] | | Rite | Roman Rite | | Patron | Saint Patrick | | Ecclesiastical province | Archdiocese of Boston | | Established | April 8, 1808 | | Cathedral | Cathedral of the Holy Cross | | Bishop | Seán Patrick O'Malley, OFM Cap | | Website | www.BostonCatholic.org | | Current leadership | | Pope | Benedict XVI | | Metropolitan | Seán Patrick O'Malley, OFM Cap
Archbishop of Boston | | Diocesan Bishop | Seán Patrick O'Malley, OFM Cap
Archbishop of Boston | | Auxiliary bishops | Most Rev. Emilio S. Allué
Most Rev. John A. Dooher
Most Rev. Walter J. Edyvean
Most Rev. Robert F. Hennessey
Most Rev. Francis X. Irwin |  Seán Patrick Cardinal O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston (Latin: Archidioecesis Bostoniensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It comprises several counties of the state of Massachusetts. It is led by a prelate archbishop who serves as pastor of the mother church, Cathedral of the Holy Cross in the South End of Boston. As of 2009, there are 292 parishes in the archdiocese.[3] In 2007, the archdiocese estimated that 1.8 million Catholics were in the territory, of whom about 315,000 regularly attended Mass.[4] [edit] History The original Diocese of Boston was canonically erected on April 8, 1808 by Pope Pius VII. It took its territories from the larger historic Diocese of Baltimore and consisted of the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. In the nineteenth century, as Catholicism grew exponentially in New England, the Diocese of Boston was carved into smaller new dioceses: on November 28, 1843, Pope Gregory XVI erected the Diocese of Hartford; Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Burlington and the Diocese of Portland on July 29, 1853, the Diocese of Springfield on June 14, 1870, and the Diocese of Providence on February 16, 1872. On February 12, 1875, Pope Pius IX elevated the diocese to the rank of an archdiocese. The diocesan newspaper The Pilot has been published in Boston since 1829. [edit] List of Pastoral Regions The Archdiocese of Boston is divided into 5 pastoral regions, each headed by an episcopal vicar. [edit] List of bishops and archbishops The following is a list of the Ordinaries of Boston: - Bishop Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus (1808-1823) appointed Bishop of Montauban, France
- Bishop Benedict Joseph Fenwick S.J. (1825-1846) died
- Bishop John Bernard Fitzpatrick (1846-1866) died
- Archbishop John Joseph Williams (1866-1907) died
- Cardinal Archbishop William Henry O'Connell (1907-1944) died
- Cardinal Archbishop Richard Cushing (1944-1970) retired
- Cardinal Archbishop Humberto Sousa Medeiros (1970-1983) died
- Cardinal Archbishop Bernard Francis Law (1984-2002) resigned, appointed Archpriest of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in 2004
- Cardinal Archbishop Seán Patrick O'Malley O.F.M.Cap. (2003- )
[edit] High schools - Academy of Notre Dame, Tyngsboro
- Archbishop Williams High School, Braintree
- Arlington Catholic High School, Arlington
- Austin Preparatory School, Reading
- Bishop Fenwick High School, Peabody
- Boston College High School, Dorcester
- Cardinal Spellman High School, Brockton
- Cathedral High School, Boston
- Catholic Memorial High School, West Roxbury
- Central Catholic High School, Lawrence
- Elizabeth Seton Academy, Boston
- Fontbonne Academy, Milton
- Lowell Catholic High School, Lowell
- Malden Catholic High School, Malden
- Marian High School Framingham
- Matignon High School, Cambridge
- Mount Alvernia High School, Newton
- Mount Saint Joseph Academy Boston
- Newton Country Day School, Newton
- North Cambridge Catholic High School, Cambridge
- Notre Dame Academy, Hingham
- Notre Dame High School, Lawrence
- Our Lady of Nazareth Academy, Wakefield (closing 2009)
- Pope John XXIII High School, Everett
- Presentation of Mary Academy, Metheun
- Sacred Heart High School, Kingston
- Saint Clement High School, Medford
- St. John's Preparatory School, Danvers
- St. Mary's High School, Lynn
- Saint Sebastian's School, Needham
- Trinity Catholic High School, Newton
- Ursuline Academy, Dedham
- Xaverian Brothers High School, Westwood
[edit] Former high schools [edit] Seminaries [edit] External links [edit] References | Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Boston | | | | | |
