About Diocese of Great Falls-Billings
The Diocese of Great Falls–Billings (Latin: Dioecesis Magnocataractensis–Billingensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese covering the eastern two-thirds of Montana, encompassing about 94,000 square miles across 33 counties. Erected by Pope Pius X on May 18, 1904, it was carved from the Diocese of Helena and was renamed the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings in 1980 to reflect the growth of Billings as the state's largest city. It is led today by Bishop Jeffrey M. Fleming, the eighth ordinary, who succeeded Bishop Michael W. Warfel in August 2023. The see is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon and serves roughly 32,000 Catholics through 47 parishes and 50 missions.
- Bishop
- Jeffrey M. Fleming
- Established
- 1904
- Cathedral
- St. Ann's Cathedral, Great Falls, Montana
- Territory
- 33 counties in the eastern two-thirds of Montana: Big Horn, Blaine, Carbon, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Fergus, Hill, Musselshell, Park, Rosebud, Sheridan, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Valley, Wibaux, and Yellowstone, among others — extending from Gardiner to Plentywood and from Fort Shaw to Wibaux.
- Parishes
- 47 parishes, 50 missions, 19 chapels of occasional worship
- Province
- Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon
History of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings
The Diocese of Great Falls-Billings traces its origins to the arrival of Father Pierre-Jean DeSmet, SJ, who celebrated the first Mass in Montana on July 26, 1840 near Three Forks. After the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1866, Rome erected the Vicariate of Montana, which in 1883 became a single vicariate under Bishop Jean-Baptiste Brondel. Pope Pius X erected the Diocese of Great Falls on May 18, 1904 from the Diocese of Helena, naming Mathias Lenihan its first bishop. The diocese was renamed the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings on February 14, 1980 by Pope John Paul II, and St. Patrick's Church in Billings was elevated to co-cathedral. Today the diocese spans the eastern two-thirds of Montana and is led by its eighth bishop, Jeffrey M. Fleming.
- 1840: Fr. DeSmet celebrates first Mass in Montana near Three Forks
- 1841: Arrival in the Bitterroot Valley; St. Mary's Mission founded for the Flatheads
- 1866: Two apostolic vicariates erected by Rome (Idaho and Montana)
- 1883: Single Vicariate of Montana erected; Bishop Brondel consecrated 1884
- 1904: Diocese of Great Falls erected from Diocese of Helena (May 18)
- 1980: Renamed the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings (Feb. 14)
- 2023: Bishop Jeffrey M. Fleming becomes eighth bishop (Aug. 22)
Our Bishops
Eight bishops have shepherded the diocese since its 1904 erection. Bishop Jeffrey M. Fleming, born in Billings in 1966 and ordained a priest in 1992, was appointed Coadjutor Bishop by Pope Francis on April 19, 2022 and ordained a bishop on June 22, 2022 before automatically succeeding Bishop Michael W. Warfel on August 22, 2023. Bishop Emeritus Michael W. Warfel (2007–2023) previously served as Bishop of Juneau and Apostolic Administrator of Fairbanks. The full succession includes Bishops Brondel (vicariate), Lenihan, O'Hara, Condon, Schuster, Murphy, Milone, Warfel, and Fleming.
- Bishop Jeffrey M. Fleming (2023–present) — current ordinary
- Bishop Michael W. Warfel (2007–2023) — bishop emeritus
- Bishop Thomas Joseph Murphy (1978–1987) — renamed diocese in 1980
- Bishop Mathias C. Lenihan (1904–1930) — first bishop of Great Falls
Cathedral and Co-Cathedral
The diocese has two cathedrals, reflecting the regional centrality of both Great Falls and Billings. St. Ann's Cathedral in Great Falls is Great Falls' largest church, a Gothic Revival limestone structure designed by John H. Kent and dedicated in 1907 at a cost of $100,000. It is a contributing property to the Great Falls Northside Residential Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places (1991) and houses a 1929 Reuter pipe organ (Opus 328). St. Patrick Co-Cathedral in Billings was begun in 1905, with cornerstone laid August 12, 1906, and was solemnly dedicated March 1, 1908. It was elevated to co-cathedral status when the diocese was renamed in 1980.
- St. Ann's Cathedral: 715 3rd Avenue N, Great Falls — built 1906–1907
- St. Patrick Co-Cathedral: Billings — cornerstone 1906, dedicated 1908
- St. Ann's Cathedral is Great Falls' largest church
- Reuter pipe organ (1929, Opus 328) refurbished 1995
Catholic Schools
Catholic education in eastern Montana dates to 1884 (St. Labre). Today the diocese supports one university, three high schools, and ten elementary and middle schools spread across 94,000 square miles. Billings Catholic Schools is a unified PK–12 district serving over 1,000 students in and around Billings, with Billings Central Catholic High School (first class 1948) and Saint Francis Catholic K-8 (state-of-the-art facility built 2017). Great Falls Catholic schools were consolidated into St. Patrick's Academy, a Pre-K–12 institution formed from Holy Spirit, Our Lady of Lourdes, and Great Falls Central Catholic High School. On the reservations, St. Labre Indian Catholic School District in Ashland serves Northern Cheyenne and Crow students tuition-free through a Capuchin Franciscan presence, while Sacred Heart (Crow Reservation, since 1887) and St. Charles Mission School (Pryor) integrate Crow language and culture.
- Billings Catholic Schools — unified PK–12 district, 1,000+ students
- St. Patrick's Academy, Great Falls — Pre-K–12 unified Catholic school
- St. Labre Indian Catholic School District, Ashland — high school, middle school, elementary
- Billings Central Catholic High School — first class 1948
- Saint Francis Catholic, Billings — K–8 (opened 2017)
- Sacred Heart School, Crow Reservation — since 1887
- St. Charles Mission School, Pryor — Crow language and culture
Indigenous and Mission History
The Catholic faith came to Montana through a band of Iroquois who had been instructed by Father Isaac Jogues; they shared it with the Flatheads, who sent three delegations to St. Louis requesting a priest. The response was Father DeSmet and the founding of missions across the territory. Over the next half century the Jesuits established missions for the Flatheads (St. Mary's, 1841), the Crow (St. Xavier, south of Billings), the Blackfeet (St. Peter, 1858; Holy Family Mission, 1886), the Cheyenne (St. Labre, 1885), and the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine (St. Paul's, 1886). In 1913 Bishop Lenihan brought Benedictine sisters from Germany to minister to Native Americans at the Fort Peck Reservation; in 1907 the Fort Peck Indian school was founded for the Northern Sioux.
- St. Mary's Mission (1841) — Flatheads
- St. Ignatius Mission (1846) — founded by Fr. DeSmet
- St. Peter Mission (1858) — Blackfeet
- St. Labre Mission (1885) — Cheyenne (south of Miles City)
- St. Paul's Mission (1886) — Gros Ventre and Assiniboine
- Holy Family Mission (1886) — Blackfeet
- Fort Peck Indian school (1907) — Northern Sioux
- Benedictine sisters arrived 1913 at Fort Peck Reservation
Native American Ministry Today
Ministry among Native peoples remains central to diocesan identity. St. Labre Indian Catholic School District, with campuses in Ashland and the surrounding Northern Cheyenne and Crow communities, has been in continuous operation since 1884 and is served today by the Capuchin Franciscan Order. Sacred Heart School on the Crow Reservation, serving since 1887, and St. Charles Mission School in Pryor (35 miles south of Billings) integrate Crow language and tradition into a Catholic curriculum, with bussed students from Billings joining local students.
- St. Labre Indian Catholic School District (Ashland)
- Capuchin Franciscan presence at St. Labre
- Sacred Heart School (Crow Reservation, since 1887)
- St. Charles Mission School (Pryor)
Diocesan Mission Statement
The Diocesan Mission Statement reads: 'We, the people of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, from diverse backgrounds yet guided by the same Spirit, are working together in Eastern Montana to forge new dimensions in our church. The sacred richness of our land and people shapes us. Rooted in the Eucharist and Catholic Tradition, we are living witnesses who struggle to embody the values of Christ's reign. We commit ourselves to discover and make known God's presence in our world by living the Gospel joyfully, working for justice and peace, and continuing our spiritual growth through a lifetime.'
- Rooted in the Eucharist and Catholic Tradition
- Discover and make known God's presence
- Living the Gospel joyfully
- Working for justice and peace
By the Numbers
The Diocese of Great Falls-Billings reports the following operational footprint: 94,158 square miles; 33 counties; 448,637 total population in territory; 47 parishes and 50 missions serving communities; 19 chapels of occasional worship; 1 university; 3 high schools; 10 elementary schools; 13,525 registered households; 1 ordinary; 1 bishop emeritus; 70 priests; 28 permanent deacons; 20 religious sisters; 1 religious brother; 6 men preparing for priestly ordination.
- 94,158 square miles
- 33 counties — eastern two-thirds of Montana
- 47 parishes, 50 missions, 19 chapels
- 32,000+ Catholics / 13,525 registered households
- 70 priests, 28 permanent deacons, 20 religious sisters
- 1 university, 3 high schools, 10 elementary schools
Annual Catholic Appeal and Giving
The Diocese of Great Falls-Billings supports parishes, ministries, and seminarian education through the Annual Catholic Appeal. Donations fund vital ministries, parish support, and the education of future priests for the diocese. The Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana coordinates additional endowed giving, including the Saint Joseph Movement Mass celebrated annually at St. Patrick Co-Cathedral.
- Annual Catholic Appeal
- Catholic Foundation of Eastern Montana
- Saint Joseph Movement Mass (March 19)
