Description and Statistics
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About the Diocese
The Diocese of Santa Rosa was established on February 21, 1962. Drawn from portions of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Diocese of Sacramento, the new diocese formed the northern counties of California into a new Church territory with its See in Santa Rosa.
Today, the Diocese of Santa Rosa includes an official Catholic population of 178,443 people in the counties of Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt, and Del Norte. As such, it is geographically large and very diverse, but demographically it remains the smallest of California's dioceses.
St. Eugene Cathedral was built in 1950 on the site of the Asistencia Santa Rosa de Lima (akin to a satellite of the Mision San Francisco de Solano in Sonoma), a small mission outpost established by the creek where a young Native American woman was baptized in 1828, on the feast of St. Rose. To mark that occasion Fr. Juan Amoros, OFM, a successor of Bl. Junípero Serra , declared the creek and its entire area would henceforth be known as Santa Rosa. And so it remains.
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11,711 square miles comprising Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties in the State of California
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Established as a diocese February 21, 1962, from portions of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Diocese of Sacramento. Pastored in succession by five bishops: Leo T. Maher (1962-1969), Mark J. Hurley (1969-1986), John T. Steinbock (1987-1991), G. Patrick Ziemann (1992-1999), Daniel F. Walsh (2000-2011), and Robert F. Vasa (2011-Present).
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178,443 Catholics in an area population of 948,769.
40 Parishes
22 Missions
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37 Active diocesan priests
5 Active outside the diocese
11 Active serving from other dioceses
12 Religious order priests
1 Bishop emeritus
26 Retired priests
0 Priests on medical leave
1 Unassigned priests
1 Chartered priest
5 Retired extern priests
28 Women religious (sisters)
25 Religious brothers
39 Active permanent deacons in the diocese
5 active permanent deacons outside the diocese
4 retired permanent deacons
28 Lay ministers
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5 High schools
1,607 students
12 Elementary schools
1,806 students
Department of Catholic Schools Annual Statistics 2024Catechesis/Religious education enrollment: 5588
High School = 878
Jr. High School = 1650
Elem. = 2996
Pre-school = 64
Total students under Catholic formation: 9,001
Welfare
5 Catholic hospitals
1 Home for the aged
1 Residential Care of Children
2 Special centers for social services
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3,017 Infant baptisms
100 Adult baptisms
73 Received into full Communion
2,421 First Communions
1,106 Confirmations
456 Marriages
805 FuneralsAll figures from the 2015 Official Catholic Directory of the United States
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HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION 2024
The following Solemnities are Holy Days of Obligation:+ January 1 (Monday)................... Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God+ Since the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God falls on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass isabrogated. The Holy See approved the decree of the USCCB effective January 1, 1992.
++May9 (Thursday)................ Ascension of the Lord
August 15 (Thursday)................ Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
November 1 (Friday)...................... Solemnity of All Saints
+++ December 9 (Monday)................... Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.
December 25 (Wednesday).............. Nativity of the Lord - Christmas
++ Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord will be observed on Sunday, May 12, 2024 (in placeof the Seventh Sunday of Easter). This is in accord with the decree of the Bishops of the Province of San Francisco according to the procedure approved by the USCCB and confirmed by the Holy See.
+++ Since the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary falls on a Sunday, it will be observed on Monday, December 9, 2024. However, it is not a Holy Day ofObligation this year.
************************************CHRISM MASS DAY
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Day of Recollection for Priests 10:30 am to 4:00 pm
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Windsor
Chrism Mass
5:30 pm - Cathedral of St. Eugene, Santa Rosa
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