Grace Thompson
The Catholic Church in the United States is divided into 194 archdioceses and dioceses, including the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. These are further divided into 14 geographic regions, with the Eastern Catholic Churches constituting their own membership region. The Catholic Church in the US has a total of 196 particular churches in the 50 US states, Washington D.C., and the US Virgin Islands: 33 territorial archdioceses and 143 territorial dioceses.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Archdioceses in the US | 33 territorial archdioceses |
| Number of Dioceses in the US | 143 territorial dioceses |
| Number of Archdioceses/Dioceses in the US | 194 |
| Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA | Serves the US Armed Forces, Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, and their dependents |
| Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter | Serves Catholics who were formerly Anglicans |
| Number of Geographic Regions | 14 |
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What You'll Learn
The US has 33 archdioceses and 143 dioceses
The Catholic Church in the United States is divided into 194 archdioceses/dioceses, comprising 33 archdioceses and 143 dioceses, as well as the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. These dioceses are led by bishops or archbishops, respectively, who are responsible for governing their respective jurisdictions.
The Archdioceses and Dioceses are further divided into 14 geographic membership regions for United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) proceedings. These regions typically include multiple Metropolitan Archdioceses and Dioceses across one or more states. For example, the Diocese of Saint Thomas is located in the US Virgin Islands, which is part of the mainland North American Metropolitan Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.
The Eastern Catholic Churches constitute their own membership region for USCCB proceedings, and they include two archeparchies and 16 eparchies. The Eastern Catholic Churches have distinct liturgical, legal, and organizational systems and are identified by their national or ethnic character. They have jurisdiction over large areas of the United States and Canada, catering to specific ethnic and cultural groups.
The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, is a unique diocese that serves members of the US Armed Forces, the Diplomatic Corps, and those in facilities of the Veterans Administration, along with their dependents. It is led by an archbishop and assisted by auxiliary bishops, providing spiritual services to those within its jurisdiction.
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The Archdiocese for the Military Services
The Catholic Church in the United States has 33 archdioceses, 143 dioceses, and the Archdiocese for the Military Services. The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS) is not a metropolitan diocese. It was established as a separate entity from the Archdiocese of New York in 1986 by Pope John Paul II. The AMS provides pastoral care and spiritual services to members of the US Armed Forces, the Diplomatic Corps, and the Veterans Administration, as well as their dependents.
The vocation of a military chaplain is a unique calling. He offers spiritual guidance and solace to soldiers, providing prayers and comfort in the midst of battle. The mobile nature of military life adds a layer of complexity to the call to "go out and make disciples of all nations." This calls for a focus on personal and communal prayer and the celebration of sacraments.
The AMS has had several archbishops throughout its history. The first was Reverend Joseph T. Ryan, a veteran of the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 who was decorated for bravery. He was followed by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Dimino, a US Navy Chaplain Corps veteran appointed in 1991. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI named Archbishop Timothy Broglio as the head of the AMS. Archbishop Broglio has issued statements and led initiatives such as Religious Freedom Week, highlighting the defence of religious liberty.
The AMS relies on donations and support to carry out its mission. There are various ways for individuals to contribute, including immediate donations, donor-advised funds, corporate matching gifts, and annuities. These contributions ensure that the spiritual needs of service members are met.
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The Eastern Catholic Churches
The Catholic Church is made up of 24 churches, one Latin (Roman) and 23 Eastern or Oriental churches. The Eastern Catholic Churches are distinct particular churches sui iuris (autonomous) and have their own hierarchies, liturgies, and apostolic lineages. They are in full communion with the pope in Rome and members of the worldwide Catholic Church, but they are not part of the Latin Church, which uses the Latin liturgical rites.
Eastern Catholic Churches have their origins in the Middle East, North Africa, East Africa, Eastern Europe, and South India. However, since the 19th century, the diaspora has spread to Western Europe, the Americas, and Oceania. Eastern Catholic Churches are generally grouped into five liturgical traditions:
- Alexandrian liturgical tradition, originating in Egypt
- Antiochian liturgical tradition, originating in Antioch and West Syria
- Armenian liturgical tradition
- Chaldean or East Syrian liturgical tradition, originating in Mesopotamia
- Byzantine or Constantinopolitan liturgical tradition, originating in Constantinople
The Byzantine liturgical tradition, for example, is a highly stylized form of the Antiochian Rite developed for the Imperial Church based in Constantinople (Byzantium). The Latin term "rite" is sometimes used to refer to a particular church itself, leading to the conflation of "rite" and "church". The term "rite" is also used in the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO) and the Code of Canon Law, which uses the phrase "autonomous ritual Churches" to designate the various Churches.
In the United States, the Eastern Catholic Churches constitute their own membership region for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) proceedings. The USCCB is an assembly of the Catholic Church hierarchy of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. There are two archeparchies and 16 eparchies in the Eastern Catholic Churches in the US, and they have jurisdiction over large swaths of the country (and Canada) based on the breadth of each individual Church. The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, is one example of an Eastern Catholic Church in the US, serving members of the US Armed Forces and Diplomatic Corps.
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The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter
In the United States, there are 194 archdioceses and dioceses, including the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. The latter was established on January 1, 2012, for former Anglicans joining the Catholic Church. The ordinariate is under the direct authority of the Holy See and is juridically equivalent to a diocese. It includes over 40 parishes and missions with 8,000 members in the United States and Canada, a number that has since grown to 11,255 faithful, 81 priests, seven seminarians, and 36 parishes and communities in 15 states and three Canadian provinces.
The head of the ordinariate, currently Bishop Steven J. Lopes, is a full member of both the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). The parishioners are led by an ordinary, who is named directly by the pope. The ordinary may be a bishop, if celibate, or a priest, if married. The ordinary holds the same power of governance over the ordinariate that a diocesan bishop holds over a diocese.
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The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is a national membership organisation of Catholic Bishops in the United States. It is an assembly of the Catholic Church hierarchy of the United States and the US Virgin Islands. The USCCB is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic hierarchy in the United States and the territory of the US Virgin Islands.
The USCCB was founded in 2001 after the merger of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and the United States Catholic Conference (USCC). As of January 2025, Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese of Military Services, USA, is the president of the USCCB, and the vice president is Archbishop William E. Lori of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
The USCCB has 19 standing committees, seven of which have subcommittees. The Archdioceses and Dioceses of the United States are divided into 14 geographic regions, with the Eastern Catholic Churches constituting their own membership region for USCCB proceedings. These regions typically include two or more Metropolitan Archdioceses and several Dioceses across one or more states.
The USCCB promotes the greater good that the Church offers humankind, especially through forms and programs of the apostolate. Each committee of the Conference supports the ministry of the bishops with an emphasis on evangelization.
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Frequently asked questions
There are 33 Catholic Archdioceses in the US.
There are 143 Catholic Dioceses in the US.
The USCCB is an assembly of the Catholic Church hierarchy of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The pastor of an archdiocese is an archbishop, while the pastor of a diocese is a bishop.
