Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids Dioecesis Grandcataractensis
Basic information
Location	Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Territory	Counties of Ottawa, Kent, Ionia, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Montcalm, Mecosta, Lake, Mason, and Osceola
Population	162,670 Catholics[1]
Rite	Roman Rite
Patron	St. Andrew
Ecclesiastical province	Archdiocese of Detroit
Established	May 19, 1882
Cathedral	Cathedral of Saint Andrew
Bishop	Walter A. Hurley
Website	www.dioceseofgrandrapids.org
Current leadership
Pope	Benedict XVI
Metropolitan	Allen Henry Vigneron Archbishop of Detroit (pending installation on January 28, 2009)
Diocesan Bishop	Walter A. Hurley Bishop of Grand Rapids

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in western Michigan, in the United States. It comprises 102 churches in Ottawa, Kent, Ionia, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Montcalm, Mecosta, Lake, Mason, and Osceola counties in Michigan.

The prelate of the diocese is the bishop. On June 21, 2005, more than a year after the death of the previous bishop, Kevin Britt, Pope Benedict XVI named Walter A. Hurley the eleventh Bishop of Grand Rapids. Hurley was installed on August 4.

The following is a list of the bishops of the Diocese of Grand Rapids:

1. Henry Richter (1883-1916)
2. Michael J. Gallagher (1916-1918)
3. Edward D. Kelly (1919-1926)
4. Joseph G. Pinten (1926-1940)
5. Joseph C. Plagens 1941-1943)
6. Francis J. Haas (1943-1953)
7. Allen James Babcock (1954-1970)
8. Joseph M. Breitenbeck (1969-1989)
9. Robert J. Rose (1989-2003)
10. Kevin M. Britt (2003-2004)
11. Walter A. Hurley (2005-present)

The Diocese of Grand Rapids was created by Pope Leo XIII on May 19, 1882. The mother church is the Cathedral of Saint Andrew.

[edit] High schools

• Catholic Central High School, Grand Rapids
• Muskegon Catholic Central High School, Muskegon
• St. Patrick High School, Portland
• West Catholic High School, Grand Rapids

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikisource has the text of a 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia article about Diocese of Grand Rapids.

• Diocese of Grand Rapids
• Catholic Hierarchy: Diocese of Grand Rapids
• WOOD TV8: Hurley named Bishop of Grand Rapids