Diocese of Oita 大分, Japan

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Oita 大分 / Oitaën(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Nagasaki 長崎

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Cathedral Dedication Anniversary: November 3

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1588.02.19: Established as Diocese of Funai 府内 / Funay / Funayen(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Macau 澳門 and became suffragan of Goa)
1660?: Suppressed
1928.03.27: Restored as Mission sui juris of Miyazaki 宮崎 (from Apostolic Prefecture of Kagoshima 鹿児島 and became suffragan of Tokyo 東京)
1935.01.28: Promoted as Apostolic Prefecture of Miyazaki 宮崎
1959.05.04: Became suffragan of Nagasaki 長崎
1961.12.22: Promoted as Diocese of Oita 大分 / Oitaën(sis) (Latin)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2022.04.05 – ...):

Bishop Sulpicius Shinzo Moriyama (スルピス森山信三) (66)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Oita 大分 (Roman Rite)

Bishop Sulpicius Shinzo Moriyama (スルピス森山信三) (66)
(2022.04.05 – ...)

Bishop of Oita 大分 (Japan)

Quod confractum fucrate alligabo et quod infirmum fuerat consolidabo

Born:	1959.01.17 (Fukuoka, 福岡県, Japan)
Ordained Priest:	1988.03.21
Consecrated Bishop:	2022.07.03

Priest of Fukuoka 福岡 (Japan) (1988.03.21 – 2022.04.05)

General Secretary of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (2021.04 – 2022.04.05)

Bishop of Oita 大分 (Japan) (2022.04.05 – ...)

Fr. Joseph Atsushi Yamashita (ヨセフ山下敦)
(Apostolic Administrator 2022.01.15 – 2022.04.05)

Fr. Ignatius Takashi Taguchi (イグナチオ田口孝志)
(Apostolic Administrator 2021.01 – 2022.01.15)

Bishop Paul Sueo Hamaguchi (パウロ浜口末雄)
(2011.03.25 – 2020.12.28)

Prædicate evangelium omni creaturæ

Born:	1948.08.01 (Higashi Shutsu, 東京都, Japan)
Ordained Priest:	1975.03.19
Consecrated Bishop:	2011.06.26
Died:	2020.12.28 (Ōita, 大分県, Japan † 72)

Priest of Nagasaki 長崎 (Japan) (1975.03.19 – 2011.03.25)

Bishop of Oita 大分 (Japan) (2011.03.25 – 2020.12.28)

Bishop Dominic Ryōji Miyahara (ドミニコ宮原良治) (69)
(2000.05.10 – 2008.03.19)

Bishop emeritus of Fukuoka 福岡 (Japan)

Adveniat regnum tuum

Born:	1955.05.22 (Gotō, 長崎県, Japan)
Ordained Priest:	1982.03.19
Consecrated Bishop:	2000.10.01

Priest of Nagasaki 長崎 (Japan) (1982.03.19 – 2000.05.10)

Bishop of Oita 大分 (Japan) (2000.05.10 – 2008.03.19)

Bishop of Fukuoka 福岡 (Japan) (2008.03.19 – 2019.04.27)

Bishop Peter Takaaki Hirayama (ペトロ平山高明)
(1969.11.15 – 2000.05.10)

Born:	1924.03.31 (Seoul, South Korea)
Ordained Priest:	1957.03.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1970.01.25
Died:	2023.07.15 (Oita, Japan † 99)

Priest of Fukuoka 福岡 (Japan) (1957.03.19 – 1969.11.15)

Bishop of Oita 大分 (Japan) (1969.11.15 – 2000.05.10)

Bishop Peter Saburo Hirata (ペトロ平田三郎), P.S.S.
(1961.12.22 – 1969.11.15)

Born:	1913.08.18 (Kitano, 福岡県, Japan)
Ordained Priest:	1939.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1962.03.26
Died:	2007.08.05 († 93)

Bishop of Oita 大分 (Japan) (1961.12.22 – 1969.11.15)

Bishop of Fukuoka 福岡 (Japan) (1969.11.15 – 1990.10.06)

Prefects Apostolic of Miyazaki 宮崎 (Roman Rite)

Bishop Dominic Senyemon Fukahori (ドミニコ深堀仙右衛門)
(Apostolic Administrator 1945.11.18 – 1961.12.22)

Fr. Francis Xavier Ichitaro Ideguchi (フランシスコ出口一太郎)
(Apostolic Administrator 1940 – 1945.11.18)

Venerable Fr. Vincenzo Cimatti (ヴィンチェンツォ・チマッチ), S.D.B.
(1935.01.28 – 1940.11.21)

Born:	1879.07.15 (Faenza, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1905.03.19
Died:	1965.10.06 (Tōkyō, 東京都, Japan † 86)

Ecclesiastical Superior of Miyazaki 宮崎 (Japan) (1928.08.01 – 1935.01.28)

Prefect Apostolic of Miyazaki 宮崎 (Japan) (1935.01.28 – 1940.11.21)

Priest of Salesians of Saint John Bosco (Salesians).

Ecclesiastical Superiors of Miyazaki 宮崎 (Roman Rite)

Venerable Fr. Vincenzo Cimatti (ヴィンチェンツォ・チマッチ), S.D.B.
(1928.08.01 – 1935.01.28)

(see above)

Bishops of Funai 府内 (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Francesco Antonio Frascella, O.F.M. Conv.
(Apostolic Administrator 1638.02.26 – ?)

Bishop Diogo Correia Valente (ディオゴ・コレア・ヴァレンテ / 華倫他), S.J.
(1618.01.08 – 1633.10.28)

Born:	1567 (Portugal)
Ordained Priest:	1599
Consecrated Bishop:	1618.03.18
Died:	1633.10.28 (Macau † 65)

Bishop of Funai 府内 (Japan) (1618.01.08 – 1633.10.28)

Apostolic Administrator of Macau 澳門 (Macau) (1626.08.27 – 1633.10.28)

Bishop Luis Cerqueira (ルイス・デ・セルケイラ), S.J.
(1598.02.18 – 1614.02.15)

Born:	1552 (Portugal)
Consecrated Bishop:	1593.11
Died:	1614.02.15 († 61)

Titular Bishop of Tiberias (1593.01.29 – 1598.02.18)

Coadjutor Bishop of Funai 府内 (Japan) (1593.01.29 – 1598.02.18)

Bishop of Funai 府内 (Japan) (1598.02.18 – 1614.02.15)

Bishop Pedro Martins (ペドロ・マルティンス), S.J.
(1592.02.17 – 1598.02.18)

Born:	1542 (Portugal)
Ordained Priest:	1570
Died:	1598.02.18 († 55)

Bishop of Funai 府内 (Japan) (1592.02.17 – 1598.02.18)

Bishop Sebastião de Morais (セバスティアン・デ・モライス), S.J.
(1588.02.19 – 1588.08.19)

Born:	1536 (Portugal)
Ordained Priest:	1560
Consecrated Bishop:	1588.03.27
Died:	1588.08.19 (Ilha de Moçambique, Mozambique † 51)

Bishop of Funai 府内 (Japan) (1588.02.19 – 1588.08.19)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Luis Cerqueira (ルイス・デ・セルケイラ), S.J. (1593.01.29 – 1598.02.18)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier (Oita Church), 大分 (Ōita), 大分県, 九州
Jubilee Churches in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016)
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Churches by City (30)

Kagoshima 鹿児島 (↙), Fukuoka 福岡 (←), Hiroshima 広島 (↗)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 14,076 km²

Population: 5,607 Catholics (0.3% of 2,157,786 total)

Pastoral Centres: 24 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 34 priests (17 diocesan, 17 religious), 1 deacon, 235 religious (28 brothers, 207 sisters), 2 seminarians