Apostolic Prefecture of the Marshall Islands

Praefectura Apostolica Insularum Marshallensium
Location
CountryMarshall Islands
Ecclesiastical provinceAgaña
Statistics
Area69 sq mi (180 km2)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2021)
59,000
5,123 (8.7%)
Parishes5
Information
DenominationCatholic Church
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established23 April 1993 (30 years ago)
CathedralCathedral of the Assumption (Majuro)
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
Apostolic PrefectFr. Ariel Galido, M.S.C.
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The Apostolic Prefecture of the Marshall Islands (Latin: Praefectura Apostolica Insularum Marshallensium) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or apostolic prefecture of the Catholic Church in the Marshall Islands.

The apostolic prefecture is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Agaña (with its see on Guam), yet still depends on the Dicastery for Evangelization.

Although the see of the prefecture, the Cathedral of the Assumption, in Majuro, on Majuro Atoll, is not in the United States, the prelature includes Wake Island, which is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States.

Statistics

As of 2021, there were 5,123 Catholics (8.7% of the population) on 181 km² of islands in a marine area nearly the size of the United States, served by 6 priests, 3 deacons and 6 nuns across 5 parishes.[1][2]

History

Missionaries from the Order of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (M.S.C.) arrived in 1898.[3] In 1905, a pre-diocesan jurisdiction was established as Mission sui juris of Marshall Islands, on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of New Pomerania (mainly New Britain, in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea).

On April 5, 1923, the independent mission was suppressed, its territory being merged into the then Apostolic Vicariate of Mariana, Caroline and Marshall Islands.

On April 23, 1993, Pope John Paul II split the former Diocese of Carolines-Marshalls into the Apostolic Prefecture of the Marshall Islands and the Diocese of Caroline Islands. In 2007, Father James Gould, apostolic prefect, resigned. Father Raymundo Sabio, a Filipino missionary, was chosen to succeed him.[4]

Ordinaries

Ecclesiastical Superior of the mission sui iuris Marshall Islands
Apostolic Prefects of Marshall Islands
  1. James Charles Gould, Jesuits (S.J.) (born USA) (23 April 1993 – resigned 21 December 2007),[4] no other prelature
  2. Raymundo Taco Sabio, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (M.S.C.) (born Philippines) (22 December 2007 – retired 28 June 2017),[4] no previous prelature
  3. Ariel Galido, M.S.C. (born Philippines) (28 June 2017 – ...), no previous prelature

See also

References

  1. ^ "G Catholic website, retrieved 2023-08-28".
  2. ^ Catholics and Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-08
  3. ^ Gary D. Bouma; Rod Ling; Douglas Pratt (2010). Religious Diversity in Southeast Asia and the Pacific: National Case Studies. London: Springer Publishing. p. 154. ISBN 978-90-481-3388-8.
  4. ^ a b c CNA Editorial Staff (2007-12-21). "Korean missionary to be apostolic prefect of the Marshall Islands". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2013-02-22.

Sources and external links

7°00′47″N 168°13′19″E / 7.013°N 168.222°E / 7.013; 168.222

Catholic Church in Oceania
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