Roman Catholic Diocese of Port-Vila

Diocese of Port-Vila Dioecesis Portus Vilensis Diocèse de Port-Vila
230px Cathédrale du Sacré-Coeur, Port Vila
Location
Country	Vanuatu
Ecclesiastical province	Nouméa
Metropolitan	Archdiocese of Nouméa
Statistics
Area
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2004) 205,000 29,500 (14,4%)
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	9 February 1901 (As Prefecture Apostolic of New Hebrides) 22 March 1904 (As Vicariate Apostolic of New Hebrides) 21 June 1966 (As Diocese of Port-Vila)
Cathedral	Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Port-Vila
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Jean Bosco Baremes
Metropolitan Archbishop	Michel-Marie-Bernard Calvet

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Port-Vila in Vanuatu is a suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nouméa. It was erected in 1901 as the Prefecture Apostolic of New Hebrides and elevated to a Vicariate Apostolic in 1904. In 1966, it was elevated as the Diocese of Port-Vila. The first Catholic mission in Vanuatu was started in 1887 at Mele on Efate, by the Marist Father Le Forestier S.M., three other Marist priests and a brother. The greatest growth of Catholic converts took place in the North, where the French influence was strong. This was especially true in Espiritu Santo and Malekula.

Ordinaries

• Isidore-Marie-Victor Douceré, S. M. (1901 – 1939)
• Jules Halbert, S. M. (1939 - 1954)
• Louis-Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Julliard, S. M. (1955 – 1976)
• Francis-Roland Lambert, S. M. (1976 – 1996)
• Michel Visi (1996– May 19, 2007)
• Jean Bosco Baremes S. M. (November 18, 2009 - Present)

External links and references

• Pacific News: Vanuatu Bishop Michel Visi Dies Aged 52