Archdiocese of Port of Spain

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Bishop(s) Edward Joseph Gilbert, C.SS.R., Archbishop Suffragan Dioceses Bridgetown Georgetown Paramaribo Willemstad

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Archdiocese Erected: 30 April 1850 Metropolitan See Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: Trinidad and Tobago Region: Antilles (West Indies) Square Kilometers: 5,123 (1,978 Square Miles) Official Web Site: http://www.archpos.org/ Mailing Address: 27 Maraval Road, Port of Spain, Trinidad, W.I. Telephone: 622-1103 Fax: 622-1165

Historical Details

• Vicariate Apostolic of Trinidad
  • Erected: 23 February 1818
  • Vicariate
  • Country: Trinidad and Tobago
  • Region: Antilles (West Indies)

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• James Buckley † (6 Mar 1819 Appointed - 26 Mar 1828 Died)
• Daniel McDonnell † (23 Dec 1828 Appointed - 26 Oct 1844 Died)
• Richard Patrick Smith † ( 1844 Appointed - 1852 Died)
• Vincent Spaccapietra, C.M. † (18 Apr 1855 Appointed - 12 Sep 1859 Resigned)
• Ferdinand English † (28 Sep 1860 Appointed - 19 Sep 1862 Died)
• Joachim-Hyacinthe Gonin, O.P. † (21 Dec 1863 Appointed - 13 Mar 1889 Died)
• Patrick Vincent Flood, O.P. † (8 Mar 1889 Succeeded - 17 May 1907 Died)
• John Pius Dowling, O.P. † (9 Mar 1909 Appointed - 6 Jun 1940 Died)
• Patrick Finbar Ryan, O.P. † (6 Jun 1940 Succeeded - 24 May 1966 Retired)
• Gordon Anthony Pantin, C.S.Sp. † (29 Nov 1967 Appointed - 11 Mar 2000 Died)
• Edward Joseph Gilbert, C.SS.R. (21 Mar 2001 Appointed - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Vicariate Apostolic of Trinidad
23 February 1818	Erected		Vicariate Apostolic of Trinidad (erected)
10 January 1837	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Trinidad	Vicariate Apostolic of Giamaica o Jamaica (erected)
30 April 1850	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Trinidad	Diocese of Roseau (erected)
Archdiocese of Port of Spain
30 April 1850	Erected	Prefecture Apostolic of West Indies	Archdiocese of Port of Spain (erected)
20 February 1956	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Port of Spain	Diocese of Saint George’s in Grenada (erected) (Grenada)

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Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Archdiocese of Port of Spain
1950	280,000	750,000	37.3%	8	102	110	2,545		68	212	63	ap1951
1966	299,649	827,957	36.2%	18	118	136	2,203		51	255	59	ap1967
1968	350,000	1,035,000	33.8%	20	116	136	2,573		150	281	59	ap1971
1974	370,000	1,101,824	33.6%	17	112	129	2,868		150	250	61	ap1977
1980	370,000	1,102,000	33.6%	23	92	115	3,217	1	123	194	59	ap1981
1990	400,000	1,235,400	32.4%	35	82	117	3,418		113	176	61	ap1991
1999	395,000	1,250,000	31.6%	43	47	90	4,388		71	182	62	ap2000
2000	395,000	1,250,000	31.6%	39	67	106	3,726		82	149	61	ap2001
2001	383,302	1,277,675	30.0%	44	66	110	3,484		80	175	61	ap2002
2002	383,302	1,277,675	30.0%	42	70	112	3,422		85	149	61	ap2003
2003	383,302	1,277,675	30.0%	44	72	116	3,304		86	149	61	ap2004
2004	383,302	1,277,675	30.0%	45	76	121	3,167		94	147	61	ap2005

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

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Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Edward Joseph Gilbert, C.SS.R. (Archbishop: 21 Mar 2001 - )

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• James Buckley † (Vicar Apostolic: 6 Mar 1819 to 26 Mar 1828)
• John Pius Dowling, O.P. † (Archbishop: 9 Mar 1909 to 6 Jun 1940)
• Ferdinand English † (Archbishop: 28 Sep 1860 to 19 Sep 1862)
• William Michael Fitzgerald, O.P. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 15 Aug 1958; Apostolic Administrator: 18 Jun 1966 to 19 Mar 1968)
• Patrick Vincent Flood, O.P. † (Coadjutor Bishop: 7 Jul 1887; Archbishop: 8 Mar 1889 to 17 May 1907)
• Joachim-Hyacinthe Gonin, O.P. † (Archbishop: 21 Dec 1863 to 13 Mar 1889)
• Thomas Hyland, O.P. † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 1882 to Oct 1884)
• George Vincent King, O.P. † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 11 Sep 1885 to 26 Feb 1886)
• Daniel McDonnell † (Vicar Apostolic: 23 Dec 1828 to 26 Oct 1844)
• John Mendes † (Priest: 1 Nov 1953; Auxiliary Bishop: 25 Oct 1988 to 16 Jan 2002)
• Michael Monaghan † (Apostolic Administrator: 1852 to 14 Jul 1855)
• William O’Carroll, O.P. † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 1871 to Oct 1880)
• Gordon Anthony Pantin, C.S.Sp. † (Archbishop: 29 Nov 1967 to 11 Mar 2000)
• Patrick Finbar Ryan, O.P. † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 13 Apr 1937; Archbishop: 6 Jun 1940 to 24 May 1966)
• Richard Patrick Smith † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 1837; Vicar Apostolic: 1844; Archbishop: 1850 to 1852)
• Vincent Spaccapietra, C.M. † (Archbishop: 18 Apr 1855 to 12 Sep 1859)