Diocese of Roseau, Dominica

Continent: Central America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Roseau / Rosen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Castries

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1850.04.30: Established as Diocese of Roseau / Rosen(sis) (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Trinidad and became suffragan of Port of Spain)
1924.11.21: Lost territory to Diocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico
1971.01.16: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Saint John’s
1974.11.18: Became suffragan of Castries

Present Prelates

Bishop (2024.05.02 – ...):

Bishop Kendrick John Forbes (49)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Roseau (Roman Rite)

Bishop Kendrick John Forbes (49)
(2024.05.02 – ...)

Bishop of Roseau (Dominica)

Mane nobiscum Domine

Born:	1975.08.20 (Nassau, Bahamas)
Ordained Priest:	2002.06.11
Consecrated Bishop:	2024.07.25

Priest of Nassau (Bahamas) (2002.06.11 – 2024.05.02)

Bishop of Roseau (Dominica) (2024.05.02 – ...)

Archbishop Gabriel Malzaire (67)
(Apostolic Administrator 2022.02.11 – 2024.05.02)

Bishop Gabriel Malzaire (67) (later Archbishop)
(2002.07.10 – 2022.02.11)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Castries (Saint Lucia)

All I want is to know Jesus Christ

Born:	1957.10.04 (Mons Repos, Saint Lucia)
Ordained Priest:	1985.07.28
Consecrated Bishop:	2002.10.04

Priest of Castries (Saint Lucia) (1985.07.28 – 2002.07.10)

Bishop of Roseau (Dominica) (2002.07.10 – 2022.02.11)

Apostolic Administrator of Saint John’s–Basseterre (Antigua and Barbuda) (2007.10.12 – 2011.11.19)

President of Antilles Episcopal Conference (2017.05.04 – 2023.04.28)

Apostolic Administrator of Roseau (Dominica) (2022.02.11 – 2024.05.02)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Castries (Saint Lucia) (2022.02.11 – ...)

Bishop Edward Joseph Gilbert, C.SS.R. (88) (later Archbishop)
(1994.07.01 – 2001.03.21)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago)

The Lord is my strength

Born:	1936.12.26 (Brooklyn, NY, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1964.06.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1994.09.07

Bishop of Roseau (Dominica) (1994.07.01 – 2001.03.21)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) (2001.03.21 – 2011.12.26)

Bishop Arnold Boghaert, C.SS.R.
(1957.06.04 – 1993.11.29)

Born:	1920.10.21 (Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1944.06.18
Consecrated Bishop:	1957.02.25
Died:	1993.11.29 († 73)

Titular Bishop of Sufetula (1956.11.09 – 1957.06.04)

Coadjutor Bishop of Roseau (Dominica) (1956.11.09 – 1957.06.04)

Bishop of Roseau (Dominica) (1957.06.04 – 1993.11.29)

Bishop Giacomo Moris, C.SS.R.
(1922.03.04 – 1957.06.04)

Born:	1876.03.10 (Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1900.10.02
Consecrated Bishop:	1922.04.30
Died:	1957.06.04 († 81)

Bishop of Roseau (Dominica) (1922.03.04 – 1957.06.04)

Bishop Philip Schelfhaut, C.SS.R.
(1902.05.25 – 1921.05.22)

Born:	1850.09.27 (Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1878.10.18
Consecrated Bishop:	1902.03.16
Died:	1921.05.22 († 70)

Bishop of Roseau (Dominica) (1902.05.25 – 1921.05.22)

Bishop Michael Naughten
(1879.09.02 – 1900.07.04)

Born:	1835.05.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1880.01.04
Died:	1900.07.04 († 65)

Bishop of Roseau (Dominica) (1879.09.02 – 1900.07.04)

Bishop René-Marie-Charles Poirier, C.I.M.
(1858.11.12 – 1878.04.23)

Born:	1802.10.07 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1827.06.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1859.02.13
Died:	1878.04.23 († 75)

Bishop of Roseau (Dominica) (1858.11.12 – 1878.04.23)

Bishop Michel-Désiré Vesque
(1856.10.14 – 1858.07.10)

Born:	1817.11.19 (France)
Consecrated Bishop:	1856.10.26
Died:	1858.07.10 († 40)

Bishop of Roseau (Dominica) (1856.10.14 – 1858.07.10)

Bishop Michael Monaghan
(1851.02.16 – 1855.07.14)

Consecrated Bishop:	1851.02.16
Died:	1855.07.14

Bishop of Roseau (Dominica) (1851.02.16 – 1855.07.14)

Apostolic Administrator of Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) (1852 – 1855.07.14)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Arnold Boghaert, C.SS.R. (1956.11.09 – 1957.06.04)
Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Antoon Demets, C.SS.R. (1946.06.13 – 1954.10.30)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of Our Lady of Fairhaven, Roseau, Saint George
National Shrine: Church of St. Luke, Pointe Michel, Saint Luke
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Churches by City (16)

Basse-Terre et Pointe-à-Pitre (↖), Fort-de-France–Saint-Pierre (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 750 km²

Population: 41,292 Catholics (59.4% of 69,550 total)

Pastoral Centres: 15 parishes, 2 missions

Personnel: 22 priests (14 diocesan, 8 religious), 3 deacons, 21 religious (10 brothers, 11 sisters), 2 seminarians