About Diocese of Pueblo
The Diocese of Pueblo (Dioecesis Pueblensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese covering the southern half of Colorado, in the United States. Established on November 15, 1941, by Pope Pius XII from territory taken from the Archdiocese of Denver, it is a suffragan diocese of the Province of Denver and a Latin-rite jurisdiction of about 124,754 square kilometers. Its mother church is the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pueblo, and it carries the nickname 'The Diocese of The Little Way' because St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus (co-patrons with Our Lady of Guadalupe) is patroness of the diocese. The current bishop is Stephen Jay Berg, the fifth ordinary, who was installed February 27, 2014.
- Bishop
- Stephen Jay Berg
- Established
- 1941
- Cathedral
- Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Pueblo
- Territory
- Southern half of Colorado, including Pueblo, Alamosa, Durango, Grand Junction, Gunnison, Lamar and surrounding counties (approximately 30 counties).
- Parishes
- 53 parishes and 44 missions (most recent published count, c. 2011–2012)
- Province
- Archdiocese of Denver (Ecclesiastical Province of Denver)
History of the Diocese of Pueblo
The Diocese of Pueblo was canonically erected on November 15, 1941, by Pope Pius XII from territory taken from the Archdiocese of Denver, making it a suffragan of Denver in the Province of Denver. Its history stretches further back, however: the southern Colorado territory had been under the Archdiocese of Durango (Mexico) before the Mexican-American War (1846–1849). The first Catholic church still standing in the diocese's territory is Our Lady of Guadalupe in Conejos, built in 1858 by New Mexican colonists. Bishop Joseph Willging, appointed in December 1941, expanded the diocese from 39 parishes and 84 priests to 60 parishes and 151 priests in 17 years and laid the groundwork for its Catholic schools, Catholic Charities (founded 1944) and the Shrine of St. Thérèse.
- Established November 15, 1941 by Pope Pius XII
- First Bishop Joseph Clement Willging (1941–1959)
- Our Lady of Guadalupe, Conejos (1858) — oldest church in territory
- Shrine of St. Thérèse cornerstone laid January 2, 1949
Bishops in Succession
The diocese has been led by five ordinaries since 1941. First bishop Joseph Clement Willging (Helena) laid institutional foundations; second bishop Charles Buswell (Oklahoma City-Tulsa) led through Vatican II and resigned 1979; Arthur Tafoya (Santa Fe) served 29 years and steered the 1983 creation of the Diocese of Colorado Springs; Fernando Isern (Miami) led briefly 2009–2013; Bishop Michael Sheridan (Colorado Springs) was apostolic administrator during the 2013–2014 sede vacante; and Stephen Jay Berg (Fort Worth) was installed in 2014 and continues as the fifth ordinary.
- 1st: Joseph C. Willging (1941–1959)
- 2nd: Charles A. Buswell (1959–1979)
- 3rd: Arthur N. Tafoya (1980–2009)
- 4th: Fernando Isern (2009–2013)
- Apostolic Administrator: Michael J. Sheridan (2013–2014)
- 5th (current): Stephen Jay Berg (2014–present)
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
The mother church of the Diocese of Pueblo is the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, located in Pueblo, Colorado. The building was completed in 1913, well before the diocese itself was erected; it served the Sacred Heart parish before becoming the cathedral seat in 1941. It anchors the diocesan curial complex at 101 N. Greenwood Ave., where the chancery remains today.
- Built 1913 as Sacred Heart parish church
- Designated cathedral upon erection of the diocese in 1941
- Located in downtown Pueblo at 101 N. Greenwood Ave.
The Diocese of The Little Way
The diocese carries the unofficial title 'The Diocese of The Little Way' because its patroness, St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, taught that holiness is found in small, hidden acts of love. Bishop Berg has written that 'we follow Jesus according to The Little Way, which is the little path of spiritual simplicity and surrender to God. It is always one little step at a time, with eyes, minds, and hearts on Jesus.' St. Thérèse shares the patronage with Our Lady of Guadalupe, and her intercession is invoked throughout the diocese 'from Pueblo through Alamosa, Durango, Grand Junction, Gunnison, Lamar, and all parts between.'
- Patroness: St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus (October 1)
- Co-patroness: Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12)
- Diocese logo features the Little Way spirituality
Shrine of St. Thérèse
The diocesan Shrine of St. Thérèse in Pueblo was the personal project of Bishop Willging after a pilgrimage to the Carmel of Lisieux. He purchased the two-square-block site in 1946, appointed Rev. Joseph Warnat as first pastor, and laid the cornerstone January 2, 1949; the original church seated 400 and cost $150,000. A school opened the same year with 60 pupils (rising to 300 students from 750 families by 1956); Pueblo's parochial schools closed in 1971, but St. Thérèse Catholic School reopened in September 2000 as a diocesan school. The current Shrine church, completed October 1994, was modeled on the architecture of the Lisieux Carmel after architect G. Luis Castillo, liturgical designer Drew Bacigalupa, and Monsignor Joseph P. McGuinness visited France in 1988.
- First cornerstone: January 2, 1949
- New Shrine church completed October 1994
- St. Thérèse Catholic School reopened September 2000
Catholic Schools
The Diocese of Pueblo operates a system of Catholic elementary schools serving its territory. Deacon Allan Medina serves as Superintendent of Catholic Schools. The four currently affiliated schools are St. Columba (Durango), St. Thérèse (Pueblo), St. John Neumann, and Holy Family (Grand Junction).
- St. Columba Catholic School — Durango
- St. Thérèse Catholic School — Pueblo (diocesan)
- St. John Neumann Catholic School
- Holy Family Catholic School — Grand Junction
- Superintendent: Deacon Allan Medina
Catholic Charities of Southern Colorado
Catholic Charities Diocese of Pueblo — today Catholic Charities of Southern Colorado (CCSoCo) — was founded by Bishop Willging in 1944 as Catholic Social Service Inc., and has been a 501(c)(3) since March 1946. It is described as 'the outreach arm of the Diocese of Pueblo' and works across an 80-county service area in southern Colorado. CCSoCo runs 15 evidence-based programs in three main areas: Family Strengthening, Prevention and Stabilization, and Opportunity Building (which includes accredited immigration legal services). In its most recent reported fiscal year it served about 5,768 individuals, distributed 50,780 meals and 10,209 diapers, and nearly 17% of people in southern Colorado live below the poverty line.
- Founded 1944 by Bishop Willging as Catholic Social Service Inc.
- 501(c)(3) since March 1946
- Programs: Family Strengthening, Prevention & Stabilization, Opportunity Building
- Accredited immigration legal services
- Service area: 80 counties in southern Colorado
Outreach Ministries
Beyond Catholic Charities, the diocese sponsors a network of outreach ministries that put its mission of 'Missionary Disciples of Jesus Christ, evangelizing a diversity of cultures by proclaiming the Gospel, celebrating the Sacraments, and promoting Justice & Charity' into practice. These include Catholic Charities Diocese of Pueblo (CCSoCo), Grand Valley Catholic Outreach, the Hispanic Affairs Project in Montrose, and The Catholic Foundation. The diocese describes its purpose as serving 'Catholics of Southern Colorado' across a far-flung, largely rural region.
- Catholic Charities Diocese of Pueblo
- Grand Valley Catholic Outreach
- Hispanic Affairs Project — Montrose
- The Catholic Foundation
Territory and Statistics
The Diocese of Pueblo covers the southern half of Colorado, including the counties surrounding Pueblo, Alamosa, Durango, Grand Junction, Gunnison and Lamar. With roughly 124,754 sq km (48,186 sq mi), it is one of the largest geographic Catholic jurisdictions in the Mountain West. The most recent published directory figures cite about 110,200 Catholics (approximately 18.3% of the population), 53 parishes and 44 missions, 49 active priests (diocesan, religious, and international) and 38 active deacons. The diocese is in the USCCB Conference Region XIII, which covers Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
- Area: ~124,754 km² (48,186 sq mi)
- USCCB Region XIII (AZ, CO, NV, NM, UT, WY)
- Confers with ~110,200 Catholics (18.3% of population)
Contact and Visiting the Diocese
The diocesan chancery is located at 101 N. Greenwood Ave., Pueblo, CO 81003-3164. Telephone (719) 544-9861; fax (719) 544-5202. GCatholic lists a slightly different curial address (1001 N. Grand Ave., Pueblo, CO 81003) but Catholic-Hierarchy lists 101 N. Greenwood as the official mailing address. The official website is https://www.diopueblo.org, where visitors can find parish directories, the Faith Formation pages, news ('Pastorale'), and details of ministries including the Schools and Outreach pages.
- Address: 101 N. Greenwood Ave., Pueblo, CO 81003-3164
- Phone: (719) 544-9861
- Website: https://www.diopueblo.org
