About Diocese of Wilmington
The Diocese of Wilmington (Dioecesis Wilmingtoniensis) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church serving the entire state of Delaware and the nine counties of Maryland's Eastern Shore. Established on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX, it is a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and is led by Bishop William E. Koenig, its tenth ordinary. With its mother church, the Cathedral of St. Peter, perched atop Quaker Hill in downtown Wilmington since 1818, the diocese today comprises 57 parishes and 18 missions across 5,307 square miles, ministering to a Catholic community of about 246,000 faithful.
- Bishop
- William Edward Koenig
- Established
- 1868
- Cathedral
- Cathedral of St. Peter (Wilmington, Delaware)
- Territory
- All of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties) and the nine Eastern Shore counties of Maryland: Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne's, Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester.
- Parishes
- 57 parishes and 18 missions (across 7 deaneries)
- Province
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
History & Heritage
Established March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX, the Diocese of Wilmington grew out of Jesuit missions that had served the Delmarva Peninsula since the 1630s. The first Mass within present diocesan territory was celebrated on Kent Island in 1639, and the earliest surviving Jesuit churches — St. Francis Xavier (Old Bohemia, c. 1704), St. Joseph at Tuckahoe (1765), St. Peter near Queenstown (1765), and St. Mary Star of the Sea (1767) — are still active parishes. From those colonial roots the diocese grew alongside waves of immigration through ten bishops, and in 2018 celebrated its sesquicentennial with the theme 'Rejoicing in the Lord since 1868.'
- Erected March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX
- Suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Baltimore (Province of Baltimore)
- Territory originally included Delaware, 9 Maryland Eastern Shore counties, and 2 Virginia counties (returned to Richmond in 1974)
- Celebrated 150th anniversary in 2018
Bishop William E. Koenig
Bishop William Edward Koenig is the tenth bishop of Wilmington. A native of Queens, New York, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rockville Centre in 1983 and served there as an auxiliary bishop before Pope Francis appointed him to Wilmington on April 30, 2021. He was ordained and installed on July 13, 2021 at St. Elizabeth Church in Wilmington — the first episcopal ordination in the state in over a century, attended by Cardinals Wilton Gregory and Timothy Dolan and roughly 30 bishops. Bishop Koenig leads a diocese of 57 parishes, 18 missions, 7 deaneries, and more than 246,000 Catholics across Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore.
- Tenth Bishop of Wilmington
- Installed July 13, 2021 at St. Elizabeth Church, Wilmington
- Previously Auxiliary Bishop of Rockville Centre
- Succeeded Bishop W. Francis Malooly (2008–2021)
Cathedral of St. Peter
The mother church of the diocese is the Cathedral of St. Peter at the corner of Sixth and West Streets atop Quaker Hill in Wilmington. Father Patrick Kenny laid the cornerstone for the original 30-by-40-foot brick church in 1816 and dedicated it September 12, 1818. After Pope Pius IX erected the diocese in 1868, Bishop Becker began enlarging St. Peter's; frescoes, marble altars, a barrel-domed roof, and a cathedra were added, and Archbishop Diomede Falconio designated it a pro-cathedral in 1905. The school and rectory were finally removed in 1925, allowing the church to be formally consecrated as a cathedral. Major renovations in 1981, 1991, and 2007 addressed structural issues and brought the sanctuary into conformity with Vatican II liturgical norms; in 1991 contractors raised twenty tons of the cathedral hydraulically to install a steel substructure. The cathedral is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Cornerstone laid 1816; dedicated September 12, 1818
- Pro-cathedral 1905; formally consecrated cathedral 1925
- Renovations in 1981, 1991, and 2007
- Weekend Mass: Saturday 4:00 pm; Sunday 9:30 am
- Address: 500 N. West Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 — phone (302) 654-5920
Territory & Deaneries
The diocese covers the entire state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties) and the nine counties of Maryland's Eastern Shore: Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne's, Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester. The territory is organized into 7 deaneries and includes 57 parishes and 18 missions. The Catholic Directory abbreviation is WIL.
- Square miles: 1,932 (Delaware) + 3,375 (Maryland) = 5,307 total
- Seven deaneries
- 57 parishes and 18 missions
Catholic Schools
Catholic education is a core ministry of the Diocese of Wilmington. Under the supervision of the Secretary for Catholic Education and Superintendent of Schools, the diocese operates a network of preschool, elementary, and high schools across Delaware, including the flagship secondary schools Salesianum School (boys, founded 1903 by the Oblate Fathers), Padua Academy (girls), Saint Mark's High School (opened 1970 under Bishop Hyle), and Ursuline Academy (founded 1893 by the Ursuline Sisters). In March 2026 the diocese launched a diocesan-wide Food Pantry Program linking every parish and Catholic school to the central Catholic Charities pantry — integrating service-learning into the curriculum.
- Holy Angels School (Newark, PreK-8)
- Immaculate Heart of Mary School (Wilmington, PreK-8)
- Nativity Preparatory School of Wilmington (5-8)
- Padua Academy (Wilmington, 9-12)
- Saint Ann School (Wilmington, PreK-8)
- Saint Anthony of Padua School (Wilmington, PreK-8)
- Saint Edmond's Academy (Wilmington, PreK-8)
- Saint Elizabeth Elementary School & Saint Elizabeth High School (Wilmington)
- Saint John the Beloved School (Wilmington, PreK-8)
- Saint Mark's High School (Wilmington, 9-12)
- Saint Mary Magdalen School (Wilmington, PreK-8)
- Saint Peter Cathedral School (Wilmington, PreK-8)
- Salesianum School (Wilmington, 9-12)
- Serviam Girls Academy (Wilmington)
- Ursuline Academy (Wilmington, PreK-12)
- Holy Cross Elementary School (Dover, PreK-8)
- Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Preschool (Bear)
- Saint Mary's Preschool (Hockessin)
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Wilmington
Catholic Charities is the social-services arm of the diocese, serving all people in need regardless of faith across Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore. Through more than 40 ministries and programs the agency serves over 45,000 people a year, providing 1.2 million meals, housing 3,500+ families, educating 8,200+ children, and investing $15 million in the community. Programs include food assistance, low-income senior housing, behavioral services, shelter services, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the Seton Center (Hispanic and immigrant services), senior and disability housing, and companionship programs for the elderly.
- Food Assistance Program
- Housing for Low-Income Seniors
- Behavioral Services
- Shelter Services
- Child & Adult Care Food Program
- Seton Center (Hispanic/immigrant services)
- Housing for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities
- Diocesan-wide Food Pantry Program (launched March 2026)
- Executive Director: Deacon Patrick Stokely
Worship & Liturgy
The diocese celebrates the sacraments in 57 parishes and 18 missions across 7 deaneries. The Cathedral of St. Peter publishes a regular weekend Mass schedule — Saturday at 4:00 pm and Sunday at 9:30 am — and live-streams Mass on the diocesan YouTube channel. The Office of Worship supports parishes in liturgical formation, music, and the implementation of post-Vatican II reforms, a tradition begun under Bishop Michael Hyle in the 1960s.
- Cathedral Mass times: Sat 4:00 pm; Sun 9:30 am
- Diocesan live-stream via YouTube channel
- Office of Worship supports parish liturgical life
Communications & Media
The diocese publishes The Dialog, the award-winning newspaper of the Diocese of Wilmington, which covers diocesan news, columns, and event coverage (including extensive reporting on the 150th anniversary). The Office of Communications maintains the diocesan website (cdow.org), a YouTube channel for live-streamed liturgy, and active social media accounts.
- The Dialog — diocesan newspaper
- YouTube: youtube.com/@dioceseofwilmington
- Official website: cdow.org
- Find a Parish / Find a School directories online
Bishops in Succession
Ten bishops have led the diocese since 1868. Highlights include first bishop Thomas A. Becker (who tripled the clergy in 18 years before being sent to Savannah), Alfred Curtis (who brought the Josephites and established St. Joseph parish for African-American Catholics), John Monaghan (under whom Salesianum School and St. Francis Hospital were founded), Edmond Fitzmaurice (the longest-serving ordinary, who presided over growth from 34,000 to 85,000 Catholics), and Bishop Koenig, the tenth and current ordinary.
- Thomas A. Becker (1868–1886) — 1st Bishop
- Alfred Allen Paul Curtis (1886–1896) — 2nd Bishop
- John James Joseph Monaghan (1897–1925) — 3rd Bishop
- Edmond John Fitzmaurice (1925–1960) — 4th Bishop
- Michael William Hyle (1960–1967) — 5th Bishop
- Thomas Joseph Mardaga (1968–1984) — 6th Bishop
- Robert Edward Mulvee (1985–1995) — 7th Bishop
- Michael Angelo Saltarelli (1996–2008) — 8th Bishop
- William Francis Malooly (2008–2021) — 9th Bishop
- William Edward Koenig (2021–present) — 10th Bishop
