Sarah Mitchell
The Diocese of Raleigh, the first Catholic diocese in North Carolina, covers eastern North Carolina in the United States and has a Catholic population of approximately 500,000 people. This population is served by 147 diocesan and religious order priests. The current bishop of Raleigh, Luis Rafael Zarama, was appointed in 2017. In this paragraph, we will explore the number of practising Catholics in the Raleigh diocese.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Eastern North Carolina, United States |
| Type | Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church |
| Number of deaneries | 8 |
| Number of parishes | 80 |
| Number of missions | 17 |
| Number of campus ministries | 4 |
| Catholic population | 500,000 |
| Number of diocesan and religious order priests | 147 |
| Current bishop | Luis Rafael Zarama |
| Date of appointment | 5 July 2017 |
| Date of installation | 29 August 2017 |
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What You'll Learn
- The Catholic population of Raleigh diocese is approximately 500,000
- Pope Francis named Luis Rafael Zarama as the 6th Bishop of Raleigh in 2017
- The diocese has 80 parishes, 17 missions and four campus ministries
- The first bishop of Raleigh was Monsignor William Hafey
- Bishop Waters ordered the desegregation of Catholic churches and schools in the diocese in 1953
The Catholic population of Raleigh diocese is approximately 500,000
The Catholic population of the Diocese of Raleigh is approximately 500,000. This large Catholic community is served by 147 diocesan and religious order priests. The Diocese of Raleigh is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, covering eastern North Carolina in the United States. It was the first Catholic diocese in North Carolina, established in 1924 by Pope Pius XI. The territory was previously an Apostolic Vicariate of North Carolina, under the jurisdiction of the Apostolic Vicariate of the London District during the American Revolutionary War.
The Diocese has a rich history, with several notable figures having served as Bishop of Raleigh. The current bishop, Luis Rafael Zarama, was installed in 2017 and is the sixth bishop of the diocese. His predecessors include Bishop F. Joseph Gossman, who served for 31 years, and Bishop Michael Burbidge, who initiated the construction of the Cathedral of the Holy Name of Jesus.
The Diocese of Raleigh has been at the forefront of social change, with Bishop Waters ordering the racial desegregation of all Catholic churches and schools within the diocese in 1953. Waters described racial segregation as a "product of darkness" and encouraged unity through faith. This diocese also has a strong charitable presence, demonstrated by Bishop Burbidge's response to the 2011 tornado outbreak, urging Catholics to include victims and survivors in their prayers and organising a special collection for disaster relief funds.
The Catholic population of Raleigh diocese being approximately 500,000 showcases the significant presence of Catholics in eastern North Carolina. With eight deaneries, 80 parishes, 17 missions, and four campus ministries, the diocese provides extensive spiritual guidance and support to its Catholic community.
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Pope Francis named Luis Rafael Zarama as the 6th Bishop of Raleigh in 2017
On July 5, 2017, Pope Francis appointed Luis Rafael Zarama as the 6th Bishop of Raleigh. Zarama was installed on August 29, 2017, at the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh. He was the first Hispanic and non-native bishop of Raleigh and the first Colombian-born bishop to lead a Catholic diocese in the United States.
Zarama was born in Pasto, Colombia, on November 28, 1958. He attended the Conciliar Seminary in Pasto, Colombia, where he graduated from high school. During his time at the seminary, he also taught at local high schools in Pasto. He earned a degree in Philosophy and Theology from Marian University in Pasto and a degree in Canon Law from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, Colombia. He emigrated to the United States in 1989 and was ordained into the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Atlanta on November 27, 1993.
Zarama served as a Philosophy and Theology professor at various schools for eleven years. He was the first Hispanic priest to be named pastor in the Archdiocese of Atlanta and served on the Vocations Committee. He was named Vicar General of the Archdiocese in 2006 and Chaplain of His Holiness by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as Titular Bishop of Bararus and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
As the Bishop of Raleigh, Zarama has addressed issues such as clerical sexual abuse, gun control legislation, and the continued use of the Tridentine Mass. He has also supported initiatives against human trafficking and for investigating and resolving accounts of sexual abuse. The Diocese of Raleigh, as of 2023, was divided into eight deaneries, with 80 parishes, 17 missions, and four campus ministries, serving a Catholic population of approximately 500,000.
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The diocese has 80 parishes, 17 missions and four campus ministries
The Diocese of Raleigh, covering eastern North Carolina in the United States, is divided into 80 parishes, 17 missions, and four campus ministries. This structure serves a Catholic population of approximately 500,000 people. The diocese has a total of 147 diocesan and religious order priests.
The Diocese of Raleigh was first established in 1924 when Pope Pius XI elevated the Apostolic Vicariate of North Carolina to a diocese, appointing Monsignor William Hafey of Baltimore as its first bishop. Over time, the diocese has undergone territorial changes, with counties being transferred to and from other dioceses. In 1960, Pope John XXIII transferred Gaston County to Raleigh, giving Belmont Abbey jurisdiction over its own campus.
The current bishop of Raleigh is Luis Rafael Zarama, who was named by Pope Francis in 2017 and installed at the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral. The construction of this cathedral was initiated by the previous bishop, Michael Burbidge, in 2013, with the building completed in 2017.
The 80 parishes of the Diocese of Raleigh are spread across eight deaneries, each overseeing a specific geographic area within the diocese. This organisational structure facilitates the administration and pastoral care of the large number of parishes and their respective congregations. The 17 missions, meanwhile, are outlying chapels or churches that are affiliated with a particular parish but located in a different area. They serve the Catholic population in regions that are geographically distant from the main parish church.
Finally, the four campus ministries are dedicated to serving the spiritual needs of Catholic students, faculty, and staff at colleges or universities within the diocese's territory. These ministries provide a range of programmes and activities that cater to the unique spiritual, intellectual, and social concerns of young adults in an academic setting.
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The first bishop of Raleigh was Monsignor William Hafey
The Diocese of Raleigh, a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, covers eastern North Carolina in the United States. It was the first Catholic diocese in North Carolina, established in 1924. On April 6, 1925, Pope Pius XI appointed Monsignor William Hafey of Baltimore as its first bishop.
Monsignor William Hafey was born in 1888 and became the first bishop of Raleigh in 1925. He received his episcopal consecration on June 24, 1925, from Archbishop Michael Curley at the Baltimore Cathedral. Bishops Thomas O'Leary and Michael Keyes were co-consecrators. During his tenure, Hafey was dedicated to social needs, including education, healthcare, and youth activities. He also worked to expand the diocese's infrastructure and personnel, creating new parishes and increasing the number of priests and religious orders. In recognition of his contributions, Bishop Hafey High School in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, was named in his memory, as was the Knights of Columbus Bishop Hafey Council 4507 of High Point, North Carolina.
In 1937, after 12 years as the bishop of Raleigh, Monsignor William Hafey was named coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Scranton by Pope Pius XI. That same year, Pope Pius XI appointed Monsignor Eugene J. McGuinness from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as the new bishop of Raleigh.
As of 2023, the Diocese of Raleigh is divided into eight deaneries, with 80 parishes, 17 missions, and four campus ministries. The Catholic population is approximately 500,000, served by 147 diocesan and religious order priests. The current bishop, Luis Rafael Zarama, was appointed by Pope Francis in 2017 and installed at the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh.
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Bishop Waters ordered the desegregation of Catholic churches and schools in the diocese in 1953
The Diocese of Raleigh is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church that covers eastern North Carolina in the United States. As of 2023, the Diocese of Raleigh was divided into eight deaneries, with 80 parishes, 17 missions, and four campus ministries. The Catholic population was approximately 500,000, served by 147 diocesan and religious order priests.
In 1945, Pope Pius XII appointed Monsignor Vincent Waters from the Diocese of Richmond as the new bishop of Raleigh. Waters is best known for desegregating his diocese early on in the civil rights movement. In 1953, a year before the Brown v. Board of Education case, Waters ordered the desegregation of all Catholic churches and schools in the diocese. He described racial segregation as a product of "darkness" and declared that "the time has come for it to end." He also acknowledged the prevalence of racial prejudice in the South and the North, expressing his faith in the ability to overcome it.
Within churches, Waters announced that a parishioner should "sit or kneel wherever he desires and approach the sacraments without any regard to race or nationality." The first attempt at desegregation within the diocese occurred in Newton Grove, where Bishop Waters faced opposition from some parishioners who protested the first desegregated service. Despite this resistance, Waters' stance on desegregation demonstrated his commitment to civil rights for Black people in the integration of schools and churches.
Waters' tenure as bishop also included controversies, such as accusations of holding onto idle church property while some parishes were in debt and denying requests for the creation of a priests' senate. Around twenty percent of the clergy requested his resignation. Vincent Waters passed away in 1974, and Pope Paul VI appointed Auxiliary Bishop F. Joseph Gossman of Baltimore as the new bishop the following year.
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Frequently asked questions
As of 2023, there were approximately 500,000 Catholics in the Diocese of Raleigh.
There are 147 diocesan and religious order priests serving the Diocese of Raleigh.
As of 2023, there are 80 parishes in the Diocese of Raleigh.
Luis Rafael Zarama is the current Bishop of Raleigh, he is the 6th Bishop and was installed in 2017.
No, Pope Pius XI elevated the Apostolic Vicariate of North Carolina to the Diocese of Raleigh in 1924, making it the first Catholic diocese in the state.
