Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau

Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau Dioecesis Campifontis-Capitis Girardeauensis
Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation in Cape Girardeau
Location
Country	United States
Territory	39 counties across Southern Missouri
Ecclesiastical province	Archdiocese of Saint Louis
Metropolitan	Springfield, Missouri
Population - Catholics	63,240
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	August 24, 1956
Cathedral	St. Agnes Cathedral, Springfield
Co-cathedral	Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation, Cape Girardeau
Patron saint	Rose Philippine Duchesne, Pope Pius X
Current leadership
Pope	Benedict XVI
Bishop	James Vann Johnston, Jr. Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
Metropolitan Archbishop	Robert James Carlson Archbishop of Saint Louis
Emeritus Bishops	John Joseph Leibrecht Bishop Emeritus of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
Map
Website
catholicweb.com/diocspfdcape

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau (Latin: Dioecesis Campifontis-Capitis Girardeauensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Missouri. It was founded on August 24, 1956. The current bishop is the Most Reverend James Vann Johnston, Jr., appointed January 24, 2008, and installed March 31, 2008.

The diocese was formed from the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the Diocese of Saint Joseph. It consists of 39 primarily rural counties in the southern third of Missouri that include the urban areas of Springfield (the diocese headquarters), Branson, and Cape Girardeau.

The diocese has two cathedrals: St. Agnes Cathedral in Springfield and The Cathedral of the Annunciation in Cape Girardeau. They are often referred to as co-cathedrals, but they are not. Two cathedrals were established because the eventual plan is to make each cathedral the seat of a separate diocese. However, this does not look to be coming to fruition in the near future.

Demographics

The diocese includes 66 parishes, 19 missions, 2 chapels, and, as of a 2003 estimate, 63,179 Catholics. The diocese has an increasing Hispanic population.

This region is mainly located in the Ozarks and Bootheel of Missouri, where Catholics make up about 5% of the total population. The religion of the Ozarks, in particular, is notably individualistic and conservative; a major Christian denomination in the region is Pentecostalism.

Each year, tens of thousands of Vietnamese American Catholics converge on Carthage, at the western end of the diocese, to participate in the Marian Days celebration.

Bishops

The past bishops of the diocese are:

• Charles Herman Helmsing (1956–1962)
• Ignatius Jerome Strecker (1962–1969)
• William Wakefield Baum (1970–1973)
• Bernard Francis Law (1973–1984)
• John Joseph Leibrecht (1984–2008)
• James Vann Johnston, Jr. (2008–present)

High schools

• McAuley Catholic High School, Joplin
• Notre Dame High School, Cape Girardeau
• Springfield Catholic High School, Springfield

Resources

• Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
• Catholic Hierarchy Profile of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
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