Nicopoli (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Bishop(s)

Strahil Veselinov Kavalenov, Bishop

General Information

Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese
Erected: 1648
Immediately Subject to the Holy See
Depends on: Dicastery for the Eastern Churches
Rite: Latin (or Roman)
Country: Bulgaria
Square Kilometers: 43,241 (16,701 Square Miles)
Official Web Site: https://www.diocesi-nicopoli.bg/
Mailing Address: Évêché Catholique, 26/a Bratya Simeonovi str., 7000 Ruse, Bulgaria
Telephone: (088)463.80.52

Past and Present Ordinaries

Philippus Stanislaus † (6 Jul 1648 Appointed - 1677 Died)
Anton Stefanov (Stephani), O.F.M. Obs. † (10 May 1677 Appointed - 1692 Died)
Marko Andrijašević (Andreassi) † (10 May 1717 Appointed - 20 Dec 1723 Appointed, Archbishop of Sardica (Sredek, Sofia))
Nicola Stanislavich, O.F.M. Obs. † (11 Jun 1725 Appointed - 30 Sep 1740 Confirmed, Bishop of Csanád)
Antun Becić † (23 Sep 1743 Appointed - 1 Mar 1752 Resigned)
Nicola Pugliesi † (18 Dec 1752 Appointed - 6 Apr 1767 Appointed, Archbishop of Dubrovnik (Ragusa))
Sebastiano Canepa † (1 Jun 1767 Appointed - Feb 1769 Died)
Giacomo Antonio Riccardini, O.F.M. Conv. † (4 Mar 1771 Appointed - 18 Sep 1775 Resigned)
Paul Dovanlia † (16 Oct 1776 Appointed - 6 Jul 1804 Died)
Francesco Maria Ferreri, C.P. † (20 Sep 1805 Appointed - Jan 1814 Died)
Fortunato Maria Ercolani, C.P. † (27 May 1815 Appointed - 19 Apr 1822 Appointed, Bishop of Civita Castellana, Orte e Gallese)
Giuseppe-Maria Molajoni, C.P. † (23 Sep 1825 Appointed - 12 Jul 1847 Resigned)
Angelo Parsi, C.P. † (30 Jul 1847 Appointed - 24 Feb 1863 Died)
Antonio Giuseppe Pluym, C.P. † (15 Sep 1863 Appointed - 23 Feb 1870 Resigned)
Ignazio Paoli, C.P. † (19 Aug 1870 Appointed - 24 Apr 1883 Resigned)
Hippolyte-Louis Agosto, C.P. † (27 Apr 1883 Appointed - 3 Dec 1893 Died)
Henri Doulcet, C.P. † (7 Jan 1895 Appointed - 31 Mar 1913 Resigned)
Leonard Ludwig Baumbach, C.P. † (31 Mar 1913 Succeeded - 13 Feb 1915 Resigned)
Damian Johannes Theelen, C.P. † (21 May 1915 Appointed - 6 Aug 1946 Died)
Bl. Vincent Eugène Bossilkov (Bossilkoff), C.P. † (26 Jul 1947 Appointed - 11 Nov 1952 Died)
Vasco Séirécov † (22 Jul 1975 Appointed - 4 Jan 1977 Died)
Samuel Seraphimov Djoundrine, A.A. † (14 Dec 1978 Appointed - 28 Jun 1994 Retired)
Petko Jordanov Christov, O.F.M. Conv. † (18 Oct 1994 Appointed - 14 Sep 2020 Died)
Strahil Veselinov Kavalenov (20 Jan 2021 Appointed - )

Date	Event	From	To
1648	Erected		Diocese of Nicopoli (erected)

Year Catholics Total Population Percent Catholic Diocesan Priests Religious Priests Total Priests Catholics Per Priest Permanent Deacons Male Religious Female Religious Parishes Source

1950 21,892 2,861,326 .8% 1 23 24 912 4 113 19 ap1951

1968 20,000 8,000,000 .3% 11 11 1,818 4 113 12 ap1981

1987 20,000 3,450,000 .6% 11 6 17 1,176 10 11 13 ap1991

1999 30,000 4,000,000 .8% 2 10 12 2,500 11 19 17 ap2000

2000 30,000 4,000,000 .8% 2 7 9 3,333 8 24 18 ap2001

2001 30,000 3,500,000 .9% 2 6 8 3,750 7 24 18 ap2002

2002 30,000 3,000,000 1.0% 2 7 9 3,333 7 23 18 ap2003

2003 30,000 3,000,000 1.0% 2 7 9 3,333 7 22 18 ap2004

2004 30,000 3,000,000 1.0% 2 8 10 3,000 9 25 19 ap2005

2013 30,000 2,971,000 1.0% 5 10 15 2,000 10 21 20 ap2014

2016 30,000 2,936,000 1.0% 5 11 16 1,875 1 13 20 21 ap2017

2019 25,000 2,500,000 1.0% 5 10 15 1,666 1 10 16 21 ap2020

2021 25,000 2,500,000 1.0% 4 9 13 1,923 10 12 21 ap2022

2023 24,650 2,484,900 1.0% 3 11 14 1,760 12 19 21 ap2024

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
1950	21,892	2,861,326	.8%	1	23	24	912		4	113	19	ap1951
1968	20,000	8,000,000	.3%		11	11	1,818		4	113	12	ap1981
1987	20,000	3,450,000	.6%	11	6	17	1,176		10	11	13	ap1991
1999	30,000	4,000,000	.8%	2	10	12	2,500		11	19	17	ap2000
2000	30,000	4,000,000	.8%	2	7	9	3,333		8	24	18	ap2001
2001	30,000	3,500,000	.9%	2	6	8	3,750		7	24	18	ap2002
2002	30,000	3,000,000	1.0%	2	7	9	3,333		7	23	18	ap2003
2003	30,000	3,000,000	1.0%	2	7	9	3,333		7	22	18	ap2004
2004	30,000	3,000,000	1.0%	2	8	10	3,000		9	25	19	ap2005
2013	30,000	2,971,000	1.0%	5	10	15	2,000		10	21	20	ap2014
2016	30,000	2,936,000	1.0%	5	11	16	1,875	1	13	20	21	ap2017
2019	25,000	2,500,000	1.0%	5	10	15	1,666	1	10	16	21	ap2020
2021	25,000	2,500,000	1.0%	4	9	13	1,923		10	12	21	ap2022
2023	24,650	2,484,900	1.0%	3	11	14	1,760		12	19	21	ap2024

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

Hippolyte-Louis Agosto, C.P. † (Bishop: 27 Apr 1883 to 3 Dec 1893)
Marko Andrijašević (Andreassi) † (Bishop: 10 May 1717 to 20 Dec 1723)
Leonard Ludwig Baumbach, C.P. † (Coadjutor Bishop: 1 Mar 1910; Bishop: 31 Mar 1913 to 13 Feb 1915)
Antun Becić † (Bishop: 23 Sep 1743 to 1 Mar 1752)
Bl. Vincent Eugène Bossilkov (Bossilkoff), C.P. † (Bishop: 26 Jul 1947 to 11 Nov 1952)
Sebastiano Canepa † (Bishop: 1 Jun 1767 to Feb 1769)
Petko Jordanov Christov, O.F.M. Conv. † (Deacon: 19 Oct 1985; Priest: 15 Dec 1985 to 1990; Bishop: 18 Oct 1994 to 14 Sep 2020)
Samuel Seraphimov Djoundrine, A.A. † (Bishop: 14 Dec 1978 to 28 Jun 1994)
Henri Doulcet, C.P. † (Bishop: 7 Jan 1895 to 31 Mar 1913)
Paul Dovanlia † (Bishop: 16 Oct 1776 to 6 Jul 1804)
Fortunato Maria Ercolani, C.P. † (Bishop: 27 May 1815 to 19 Apr 1822)
Francesco Maria Ferreri, C.P. † (Bishop: 20 Sep 1805 to Jan 1814)
Giuseppe-Maria Molajoni, C.P. † (Bishop: 23 Sep 1825 to 12 Jul 1847)
Ignazio Paoli, C.P. † (Bishop: 19 Aug 1870 to 24 Apr 1883)
Angelo Parsi, C.P. † (Bishop: 30 Jul 1847 to 24 Feb 1863)
Antonio Giuseppe Pluym, C.P. † (Bishop: 15 Sep 1863 to 23 Feb 1870)
Nicola Pugliesi † (Bishop: 18 Dec 1752 to 6 Apr 1767)
Giacomo Antonio Riccardini, O.F.M. Conv. † (Bishop: 4 Mar 1771 to 18 Sep 1775)
Jacques Roissant † (Auxiliary Bishop: 21 Mar 1901 to Aug 1909)
Vasco Séirécov † (Bishop: 22 Jul 1975 to 4 Jan 1977)
Philippus Stanislaus † (Bishop: 6 Jul 1648 to 1677)
Nicola Stanislavich, O.F.M. Obs. † (Bishop: 11 Jun 1725 to 30 Sep 1740)
Anton Stefanov (Stephani), O.F.M. Obs. † (Bishop: 10 May 1677 to 1692)
Damian Johannes Theelen, C.P. † (Bishop: 21 May 1915 to 6 Aug 1946)

Diocese of Nicopoli

Dioecesis Nicopolitana

Bishop(s)

General Information

Past and Present Ordinaries

Historical Summary

Statistics

Affiliated Bishops, Living

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

Source(s)