Diocese of Charleston: Difference between revisions

The '''Diocese of Charleston''', a [[suffragan diocese]] of the [[Latin Rite]], is an active diocese encompassing the entire state of [[South Carolina]] in the [[United States]]. Founded in 1820 by [[Pope Pius VII]], it is led by Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune as of 2023. As part of the [[Province of Atlanta]], the diocese serves a growing Catholic community in a historically Protestant region, with 96 parishes and 21 missions. A notable aspect is its vibrant Eucharistic Congress, which drew over 2,000 participants in 2024, reflecting its dynamic role in fostering Catholic faith in the Southeast.

  |Type=Suffragan diocese

  |CatholicPercentage=10.0

The Diocese of Charleston was established on July 11, 1820, by [[Pope Pius VII]] to serve the Catholic population in the Carolinas and Georgia, initially covering a vast region. It was created as a missionary diocese to address the needs of Catholic immigrants and missionaries in the southeastern [[United States]], without a direct predecessor diocese.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charlestondiocese.org/about/history |title=History |website=Diocese of Charleston |accessdate=2025-06-04}}</ref>

Founded in 1820 under Bishop John England, the diocese initially spanned [[South Carolina]], [[North Carolina]], and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. England, an Irish-born bishop, established the *United States Catholic Miscellany*, the first Catholic newspaper in the U.S., to promote catechesis in a Protestant-dominated region.<ref name="catholic-hierarchy">{{cite web |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dchar.html |title=Diocese of Charleston |website=Catholic-Hierarchy.org |accessdate=2025-06-04}}</ref>

In 1850, the creation of the [[Diocese of Savannah]] reduced Charleston’s territory to [[South Carolina]] alone. The diocese saw significant growth in the 20th and 21st centuries, particularly with Hispanic Catholic immigration, and rebuilt the [[Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Charleston)|Cathedral of St. John the Baptist]] in 1907.<ref name="diocese-history">{{cite web |url=https://charlestondiocese.org/about/history |title=History |website=Diocese of Charleston |accessdate=2025-06-04}}</ref>

It is part of the [[Province of Atlanta]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charlestondiocese.org/parishes |title=Parish Directory |website=Diocese of Charleston |accessdate=2025-06-04}}</ref><ref>https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dchas.html</ref>

[[Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Charleston)|Cathedral of St. John the Baptist]] in [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]], a [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]] structure completed in 1907, serves as the diocese’s mother church. It is a historic landmark hosting major diocesan liturgies.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charlestoncathedral.com/history |title=Cathedral History |website=Cathedral of St. John the Baptist |accessdate=2025-06-04}}</ref>

Jacques Fabre-Jeune has served as bishop since May 13, 2022. A Haitian-born priest, he emphasizes evangelization and outreach to diverse communities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charlestondiocese.org/bishop-fabre-jeune |title=Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune |website=Diocese of Charleston |accessdate=2025-06-04}}</ref>

| Became Archbishop of [[Archdiocese of Atlanta|Atlanta]].

The Diocese of Charleston leans slightly conservative (rating: 3.5). It offers regular [[Latin Mass]]es in several parishes (rating: 4), emphasizes traditional teachings like pro-life advocacy alongside progressive outreach such as immigration and poverty programs (rating: 3), and is led by Bishop Fabre-Jeune, who balances evangelization and inclusivity (rating: 3.5).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charlestondiocese.org/about |title=About the Diocese |website=Diocese of Charleston |accessdate=2025-06-04}}</ref>

The diocese covers 31,055 square miles (80,432 km²), serves approximately 200,000 registered Catholics across 96 parishes and 21 missions, and has a total population of about 5,200,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charlestondiocese.org/about/statistics |title=Diocesan Statistics |website=Diocese of Charleston |accessdate=2025-06-04}}</ref>

The [[Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia]] operate schools and catechetical programs. Address: 2431/2 Rutledge Ave, [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]], SC 29403. [https://nashvilledominican.org Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia]<ref name="religious-communities">{{cite web |url=https://charlestondiocese.org/religious-communities |title=Religious Communities |website=Diocese of Charleston |accessdate=2025-06-04}}</ref>

The [[Franciscan Friars]] support parish ministries and outreach programs. Address: 1204 Middle St, Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482. [https://franciscan.org Franciscan Friars]<ref name="religious-communities" />

The Diocese of Charleston serves 96 parishes and 21 missions across 7 deaneries, covering all of [[South Carolina]]. It includes diverse parishes with Spanish-language Masses and one [[Maronite Rite]] parish.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charlestondiocese.org/parishes |title=Parish Directory |website=Diocese of Charleston |accessdate=2025-06-04}}</ref>

| [https://www.christourking.org Christ Our King]

|}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://charlestondiocese.org/schools |title=School Directory |website=Diocese of Charleston |accessdate=2025-06-04}}</ref>

[[Catholic Charities]] of South Carolina provides food assistance, immigration services, and disaster relief, serving over 50,000 people annually.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://catholiccharitiessc.org |title=Our Services |website=Catholic Charities of South Carolina |accessdate=2025-06-04}}</ref>

* In 2024, the diocese’s Eucharistic Congress, featuring Catholic speaker Edward Sri, drew over 2,000 participants, emphasizing Eucharistic devotion.  

* Bishop John England, the founding bishop, is renowned for establishing the first U.S. Catholic newspaper.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://themiscellany.org/2024-eucharistic-congress |title=2024 Eucharistic Congress |website=The Catholic Miscellany |accessdate=2025-06-04}}</ref>