Roman Catholic Diocese of Nelson


The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nelson is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
WWW nelsondiocese.org

Diocesan demographics

The diocese contains 31 parishes. Serving or retired in the diocese are 28 diocesan priests, 7 religious priests ministering to 75,000 Catholics. It also has 13 religious sisters and supports 7 Catholic schools. This diocese covers two time zones with the East Kootenay and Columbia Valley on Mountain Time and the rest on Pacific time.

History

In the late 1830s French Canadians in the Oregon Territory petitioned the Quebec bishops to have missionary priests sent beyond the Rocky Mountains. In response to this plea, Fathers François-Norbert Blanchet and Modeste Demers were sent West to a remote part of the Quebec diocese referred to as New Caledonia by the Hudson’s Bay Company. While at Boat Encampment on the Columbia River, Blanchet and Demers celebrated Mass on October 10, 1838 the first Mass celebrated in what later became the Diocese of Nelson.
During the years of westward expansion and settlement, the spiritual needs of the region presently administered by the Diocese of Nelson came under the jurisdiction of various bishoprics:
• Vicariate Apostolic of the Oregon Territory, 1843-1846
• Diocese of Vancouver Island, 1846-1863
• Vicariate Apostolic of British Columbia, 1863-1890
• Diocese of New Westminster, 1890-1908
• Archdiocese of Vancouver, 1908-1936
On February 22, 1936, Pope Pius XI erected the Diocese of Nelson to cover the Kootenay and Okanagan regions of southeastern British Columbia.

Bishops

Ordinaries

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

  • Bartolomeus Van Roijen, appointed Bishop of Corner Brook and Labrador, Newfoundland in 2019

Churches

Castlegar
  • St. Rita's
Cranbrook
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Creston
  • Holy Cross
Fernie
  • Holy Family
Fruitvale
  • St. Rita's
Golden
  • Sacred Heart
Grand Forks
  • Sacred Heart
Invermere
  • Canadian Martyrs
Kelowna
Keremeos
Kimberley
  • Sacred Heart
Nakusp
Nelson
Oliver
Osoyoos
  • St. Anne's
Penticton
  • St. Ann's
  • St. John Vianney's
Princeton
  • St. Peter's
Revelstoke
  • St. Francis of Assisi
Rossland
  • Sacred Heart
Sparwood
  • St. Michael's
Summerland
  • Holy Child
Trail
  • Our Lady of Perpetual Help
  • St. Anthony / St. Francis Xavier
West Kelowna
  • Our Lady of Lourdes
Winfield
  • St. Edward's

Education

Catholic high schools

SchoolCityEst.WebsiteEnrollment
Immaculata Regional High SchoolKelowna1960https://www.immaculatakelowna.ca~350

Religious institutes

Religious institutes of men

Religious institutes of women