Roman Catholic Diocese of Port Victoria

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Port Victoria (or Seychelles) is the only Latin Catholic diocese in the Seychelles.

It is exempt, i.e. directly dependent on the Holy See, and remains missionary, governed by the Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Its cathedral episcopal see is the Cathédrale de l’Immaculée Conception (dedicated to the Immaculate Conception) in Victoria, the capital city of the country.

History

• Established in 1852 as Apostolic Prefecture of Seychelles, on insular territory split off from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Port-Louis (Indian Ocean neighbour Mauritius).
• Promoted on 31 August 1880 as Apostolic Vicariate of Seychelles, hence entitled to a titular bishop.
• Promoted and renamed after its see on 14 July 1892 as Diocese of Port Victoria (also still known as Seychelles).
• It enjoyed a papal visit from Pope John Paul II in December 1986.

Ordinaries

Apostolic Prefects of Seychelles

• Jérémie de Paglietta (1853 – 1855)
• Léon des Avanchers (1855 – 1863)
• Symphorien Jean-Pierre-Ignace Galfione, Capuchin Franciscans (O.F.M. Cap.) (1863 – 1880.08.30 see below)

Apostolic Vicars of Seychelles

• Symphorien Jean-Pierre-Ignace Galfione, Friars Minor (O.F.M.) ( see above 1880.08.30 – death 19 December 1881), Titular Bishop of Aureliopolis (1880.08.30 – 1881.12.19)
• Charles-Jacques Mouard (Monard), Friars Minor (O.F.M.) (Appointed 8 August 1882 - 8 August 1888), Titular Bishop of Cydonia (1882.09.15 – 1888.08.08); later Bishop of Lahore (Pakistan) (1888.08.08 – death 1890.06.14)
• Edmond Alfred Dardel, Capuchin Franciscans (O.F.M. Cap.) (1889.08.23 – death 1890.03.21 not possessed), Titular Bishop of Zaraï (1889.08.23 – 1890.03.21)
• Marc Hudrisier, (O.F.M. Cap.) (Appointed 2 September 1890 - Died 6 January 1910 ), Titular Bishop of Teos (1890.09.02 – 1892.07.14 see below)

Suffragan Bishops of Port Victoria

• Marc Hudrisier, O.F.M. Cap. (see above' 1892.07.14 – death 1910.01.06)
• Bernard Thomas Edward Clark, O.F.M. (Appointed 18 June 1910 - Died 26 September 1915), previously Titular Bishop of Tingis (1902.03.21 – 1910.06.18) & Apostolic Vicar of Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (1902.03.21 – 1910.06.18)
• Georges-Jean-Damascène Lachavanne, C.S.Sp. (Appointed 13 April 1916 - Died 24 July 1920)
• Louis-Justin Gumy, O.F.M. (Appointed 10 March 1921 - Resigned 9 January 1934), emeritate as Titular Bishop of Olba (1934.01.09 – 1941.04.27)
• Aloys Ernest Joye, O.F.M. (9 January 1934 - Resigned 4 June 1936), Succeeded as former Coadjutor Bishop of Port Victoria (Seychelles) (1933.05.31 – 1934.01.09) & Titular Bishop of Ceramus (1933.05.31 – 1934.01.09); emeritate as Titular Bishop of Raphia (1936.06.04 – 1962.10.04), albeit first still a year ad interim :
• Apostolic Administrator the above Aloys Ernest Joye, O.F.M. Cap. (1936.06.04 – 1937.06.17)
• Marcel Olivier Maradan, O.F.M. (Appointed 17 June 1937 - Resigned 6 October 1972)
• Félix Paul † (Appointed 17 March 1975 - Resigned 30 May 1994)
• Apostolic Administrator Gilbert Guillaume Marie-Jean Aubry (1994 – 1995.03.03), while Bishop of Saint-Denis-de-La Réunion (Réunion) (1975.11.20 – ...) & President of Episcopal Conferences of Indian Ocean (1989 – 1996)
• Xavier-Marie Baronnet, † Society of Jesus (S.J.) (Appointed 3 March 1995 - Retired 1 Jun 2002 - Died 8 September 2012 at Paris)
• Denis Wiehe, Holy Ghost Fathers (C.S.Sp.) (1 June 2002 - ...), also President of Episcopal Conferences of Indian Ocean (2006 – 2013); Succeeded as former Coadjutor Bishop of Port Victoria (Seychelles) (2001.04.24 – 2002.06.01)

See also

• Roman Catholicism in Seychelles
• List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Seychelles

Sources and External links

• GigaCatholic, with incumbent biography links
• Catholic Hierarchy