About Diocese of Salt Lake City
The Diocese of Salt Lake City (Latin: Diœcesis Civitatis Lacus Salsi) is a Roman Catholic diocese covering the entire State of Utah, with the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City serving as its mother church. Erected on January 27, 1891, it was elevated from the Apostolic Vicariate of Utah (created 1886) under pioneer Bishop Lawrence Scanlan. Today it is home to roughly 325,000 Catholics — about 10% of Utah's population — served by 48 parishes grouped into five deaneries and a network of Catholic schools, ministries, and Catholic Community Services of Utah.
- Bishop
- Oscar Azarcon Solis
- Established
- 1891
- Cathedral
- Cathedral of the Madeleine, 331 East South Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Territory
- The entire State of Utah, covering approximately 84,990 square miles (220,100 km²) — one of the largest Catholic dioceses in the United States by area.
- Parishes
- 48
- Province
- Archdiocese of Las Vegas (Ecclesiastical Province of Las Vegas, established 2023; previously a suffragan of the Archdiocese of San Francisco from 1891 to 2023).
History of the Diocese
The Diocese of Salt Lake City traces its roots to the Apostolic Vicariate of Utah, erected by Pope Leo XIII on November 23, 1886, with Fr. Lawrence Scanlan — who had arrived in Salt Lake City in 1873 — as its first vicar apostolic. The vicariate was elevated to the Diocese of Salt Lake on January 27, 1891, and renamed the Diocese of Salt Lake City in 1951. Originally spanning Utah and eastern Nevada, the diocese shrank in 1931 when its Nevada territory was split off to form the Diocese of Reno. In 2023, Pope Francis reassigned the diocese from the Province of San Francisco to the new Ecclesiastical Province of Las Vegas.
- 1776: Escalante–Domínguez expedition brings first Franciscan missionaries to Utah
- 1850: Utah Territory placed in the Archdiocese of San Francisco
- 1886 (Nov 23): Apostolic Vicariate of Utah erected
- 1891 (Jan 27): Diocese of Salt Lake erected; Lawrence Scanlan named first bishop
- 1931 (Mar 27): Eastern Nevada detached to form Diocese of Reno
- 1951 (Mar 31): Diocese of Salt Lake renamed Diocese of Salt Lake City
- 2023 (May 30): Diocese transferred to new Province of Las Vegas
Bishop Oscar A. Solis
Most Reverend Oscar Azarcon Solis, D.D., is the 10th Bishop of Salt Lake City. Born on October 13, 1953, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Cabanatuan in the Philippines on April 28, 1979. Pope John Paul II appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles on December 11, 2003, and he was ordained a bishop on February 10, 2004 — becoming the first Filipino-American Catholic bishop in the United States. Pope Francis named him Bishop of Salt Lake City on January 10, 2017, and he was installed at the Cathedral of the Madeleine on March 7, 2017. He speaks English, Spanish, and Tagalog fluently.
- First Filipino-American bishop ordained in the United States
- First Asian-American to lead a U.S. Catholic diocese
- Served as Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, 2003–2017
- USCCB Chairman, Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs
- Installed at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, March 7, 2017
Cathedral of the Madeleine
The Cathedral of the Madeleine, located at 331 East South Temple Street in Salt Lake City, is the mother church of the diocese and the only Catholic cathedral in the United States under the patronage of Saint Mary Magdalene. Bishop Lawrence Scanlan purchased the property in 1890 for $35,000 and broke ground for the cathedral in 1900; it was completed in 1909 and dedicated by Cardinal James Gibbons of Baltimore on August 15, 1909. The exterior, designed by architects Carl M. Neuhausen and Bernard O. Mecklenburg, is Romanesque; the dramatic polychrome interior in Spanish-Gothic style was created under Bishop Joseph S. Glass, who in 1917 engaged architect John T. Comès. A $9.7 million restoration completed in 1993 under Bishop William K. Weigand added a seismic retrofit, a new altar in the midst of the congregation, a relocated cathedra, a separate Blessed Sacrament chapel, and Scanlan Hall on the lower level. The cathedral was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
- Architects: Carl M. Neuhausen and Bernard O. Mecklenburg (exterior, 1900–1909)
- Interior design: John T. Comès (Spanish-Gothic, 1917)
- Tympanum carved by Francis Aretz, Pittsburgh
- Restoration 1991–1993 by Beyer Blinder Belle (New York)
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1971
- Only U.S. cathedral dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene
Parishes, Missions, and Deaneries
The diocese is served by 48 parishes, missions, and stations grouped into five regional deaneries: Eastern, Northern, Salt Lake, Southwest, and Wasatch. The deaneries reflect the geographic realities of Utah ministry, with mission stations stretching from Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon in the south to the Bear River Valley in the north, and from the Utah–Arizona border in the southeast to the mining communities of Carbon and Emery Counties in the east. Newman Centers serve the major state universities, including the University of Utah, Weber State, Utah State, Brigham Young University, and Utah Valley University.
- Eastern Deanery: Price, Vernal, Roosevelt, Moab, Monticello, Helper
- Northern Deanery: Ogden, Layton, Brigham City, Logan, Hyde Park
- Salt Lake Deanery: Cathedral of the Madeleine, parishes in SLC, Park City, Tooele, Bountiful, Wendover
- Southwest Deanery: St. George, Cedar City, Kanab, with mission stations in Bryce Canyon, Zion, Beaver, Delta, and Torrey
- Wasatch Deanery: Orem, Provo-area, Sandy, Draper, Riverton, West Jordan, Taylorsville, West Valley City
- Newman Centers: St. Jerome (Logan/Utah State), Weber State, BYU, University of Utah, Utah Valley University
Utah Catholic Schools
The diocesan school system, branded 'Utah Catholic Schools,' provides Christ-centered education from preschool through 12th grade. The diocese operates three high schools: Judge Memorial Catholic High School (downtown Salt Lake City, founded 1921, motto 'Spiritus Donorum' / 'Spirit of Giving'), Juan Diego Catholic High School (Draper, opened 1999), and St. Joseph Catholic High School (Ogden). A network of parish elementary schools and preschools serves the Wasatch Front and outlying communities, including the Madeleine Choir School, Blessed Sacrament, Our Lady of Lourdes, J.E. Cosgriff Memorial, Saint Francis Xavier, Saint Olaf, Saint Andrew, Saint Joseph Elementary, and Saint Marguerite schools, plus the Kearns–Saint Ann school. The Office of the Superintendent of Utah Catholic Schools and a Diocesan Scholarship Coordinator administer the system from the Pastoral Center.
- Three Catholic high schools: Judge Memorial, Juan Diego, St. Joseph
- Elementary/middle schools in Salt Lake City, Bountiful, Sandy, Riverton, Tooele, Kearns, and Ogden
- Madeleine Choir School
- Diocesan preschool programs (Blessed Beginnings, Guardian Angel Daycare, etc.)
- Office of the Superintendent of Utah Catholic Schools
Catholic Community Services of Utah
Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS), sponsored by the Diocese of Salt Lake City since 1945, is the charitable arm of the diocese and one of Utah's largest social-service providers. Headquartered at 224 North 2200 West in Salt Lake City, CCS practices the Gospel values of love, compassion, and hope through service, support, and collaboration. Its programs include the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall (serving thousands of hot meals weekly), the Bishop Weigand Resource Center for the homeless, St. Martha's Baby Project, the Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank in Ogden, refugee resettlement and foster care, immigration legal services, addiction recovery at St. Mary's Home for Men, and senior services. In 2025, CCS marked its 80th anniversary.
- Founded 1945; 80th anniversary celebrated 2025
- Largest refugee resettlement agency in Utah
- St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall
- Bishop Weigand Resource Center
- St. Mary's Home for Men (addiction recovery)
- St. Martha's Baby Project
- Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank (Ogden)
Diocesan Offices and Operations
The Pastoral Center at 27 C Street houses the diocesan curia, including the Office of the Bishop, the Vicar General, the Chancellor, the Tribunal and Canonical Affairs, the Offices of Faith Formation, Vocations, Worship, the Diaconate, Marriage and Family Life, Life/Justice and Peace, Safe Environment, Finance, and Human Resources. The Office of Archives and Records serves as the institutional memory of the diocese, and DDD (Diocesan Development Drive) coordinates the annual appeal that funds diocesan ministries.
- Office of the Bishop / Vicar General / Chancellor
- Faith Formation
- Office of Vocations
- Office of Worship
- Diaconate Office
- Marriage and Family Life
- Life, Justice and Peace
- Safe Environment
- Tribunal & Canonical Affairs
- Archives and Records
- Finance, Human Resources, DDD (annual appeal)
Worship, Faith Formation, and the Permanent Diaconate
The Office of Worship supports the liturgical life of the diocese, including the Cathedral of the Madeleine's acclaimed liturgical music program, and assists parishes in implementing the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council. The Faith Formation Office coordinates religious education, sacramental preparation, and adult faith formation across the parishes, while the Office of Vocations discerns and supports candidates to the priesthood and the Permanent Diaconate. The diocese also publishes The Intermountain Catholic, founded in 1899 by Bishop Scanlan, which continues to serve as the diocese's official news outlet.
- Office of Worship (liturgy, music, sacred art)
- Faith Formation (parish religious education, adult formation)
- Office of Vocations (priestly and diaconate discernment)
- Permanent Diaconate program
- The Intermountain Catholic (newspaper, founded 1899)
