Diocese of Wewak
Diocese of Wewak | |
Basic data | |
---|---|
State | Papua New Guinea |
Metropolitan Bishopric | Archdiocese of Madang |
Diocesan Bishop | Józef Roszyński SVD |
Foundation | 25. July 1913 |
Area | 36.917 km² |
Parishes | 48 (2014 / AP 2015) |
Inhabitants | 375.000 (2014 / AP 2015) |
Catholics | 229.000 (2014 / AP 2015) |
Share | 61,1 % |
Diocesan Priest | 25 (2014 / AP 2015) |
Religious priest | 11 (2014 / AP 2015) |
Catholics per priest | 6361 |
Friars | 31 (2014 / AP 2015) |
Religious Sisters | 72 (2014 / AP 2015) |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Cathedral | Christ the King Cathedral |
The Diocese of Wewak (Latin: Dioecesis Ueuakensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese located in Papua New Guinea with its seat in Wewak.
History
Pope Pius X created the Apostolic Prefecture of Western Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land on 25 July 1913 from the division of the Apostolic Prefecture of Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land into the Apostolic Prefectures of Eastern Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land and Western Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land. On 14 November 1922, it adopted the name Apostolic Prefecture of Central New Guinea.
With the Breve Quae rei sacrae it was elevated to the status of Vicariate Apostolic on 22 August 1931. On 15 May 1952, with the Bull Ad latius prolatandam, it took the name of Vicariate Apostolic of Wewak. It was elevated to the status of diocese on 15 November 1966 by the Apostolic Constitution Laeta incrementa.
It lost parts of its territory in favor of the establishment of the following bishoprics:
- to the Apostolic Prefecture of Aitape on 15 May 1952;
- to the Apostolic Vicariate of Mount Hagen on 18 June 1959.
Ordinaries
Apostolic Prefects of the Western Kaiser-Wilhelms-Land
- Canisius Theodorus Gellings SS.CC. (19 August 1913 – 1918)
- Adalberto Ottone Rielander SSCC (1918-1922)
Apostolic Prefects of Central New Guinea
- Teodosio Heikenrath SSCC (1922-1923)
- Josef Lörks SVD (19 June 1928 – 22 August 1931)
Vicars Apostolic of Central New Guinea
- Josef Lörks SVD (22 August 1931 – 17 March 1943)
- Leo Clement Andrew Arkfeld SVD (8 July 1948 – 15 May 1952)
Vicar Apostolic of Wewak
- Leo Clement Andrew Arkfeld SVD (15 May 1952 – 15 November 1966)
Bishops of Wewak
- Leo Clement Andrew Arkfeld SVD (15 November 1966 – 19 December 1975, then Archbishop of Madang)
- Raymond Philip Kalisch SVD (24 April 1980 – 14 August 2002)
- Anthony Joseph Burgess (August 14, 2002 – September 20, 2013)
- Józef Roszyński SVD (since 6 February 2015)
Statistics
Year | Population | Priest | Permanent deacons | Religious | Parishes | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Catholics | Inhabitants | % | Total | Diocesan Priest | Religious priest | Catholics per priest | Friars | Religious Sisters | |||
1950 | 33.625 | 296.944 | 11,3 | 46 | 46 | 730 | 33 | ||||
1970 | 84.392 | 195.719 | 43,1 | 64 | 11 | 53 | 1.318 | 1 | 96 | 69 | |
1980 | 113.000 | 208.000 | 54,3 | 60 | 7 | 53 | 1.883 | 7 | 101 | 57 | |
1990 | 125.350 | 197.641 | 63,4 | 61 | 8 | 53 | 2.054 | 7 | 90 | 77 | |
1999 | 89.280 | 145.264 | 61,5 | 59 | 18 | 41 | 1.513 | 6 | 74 | 67 | |
2000 | 182.323 | 278.998 | 65,3 | 52 | 19 | 33 | 3.506 | 6 | 70 | 60 | |
2001 | 187.755 | 280.258 | 67,0 | 54 | 22 | 32 | 3.476 | 6 | 69 | 77 | |
2002 | 193.174 | 288.968 | 66,8 | 59 | 24 | 35 | 3.274 | 6 | 72 | 60 | |
2003 | 193.937 | 292.597 | 66,3 | 50 | 25 | 25 | 3.878 | 5 | 62 | 60 | |
2004 | 195.950 | 295.700 | 66,3 | 44 | 23 | 21 | 4.453 | 4 | 46 | 68 | |
2010 | 210.000 | 344.000 | 61,0 | 37 | 22 | 15 | 5.675 | 1 | 35 | 72 | 45 |
See also
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses
Web links
- Entry on cbcpngsi.org (english)
- Entry on Diocese of Wewak at catholic-hierarchy.org (English)
- Entry on Giga-Catholic (english)
- Roman Catholic Diocese (Papua New Guinea)
- East Sepik Province
- Founded 1913
- Religion (New Guinea)