Diocese of Nashville

Past and Present Ordinaries

• Richard Pius Miles, O.P. † (28 Jul 1837 Appointed - 21 Feb 1860 Died)
• James Whelan, O.P. † (21 Feb 1860 Succeeded - 23 Sep 1863 Resigned)
• Patrick Augustine Feehan † (7 Jul 1865 Appointed - 10 Sep 1880 Appointed, Archbishop of Chicago, Illinois)
• Joseph (James) Rademacher † (3 Apr 1883 Appointed - 14 Jul 1893 Appointed, Bishop of Fort Wayne, Indiana)
• Thomas Sebastian Byrne † (10 May 1894 Appointed - 4 Sep 1923 Died)
• Alphonse John Smith † (23 Dec 1923 Appointed - 16 Dec 1935 Died)
• William Lawrence Adrian † (6 Feb 1936 Appointed - 4 Sep 1969 Retired)
• Joseph Aloysius Durick † (4 Sep 1969 Succeeded - 2 Apr 1975 Resigned)
• James Daniel Niedergeses † (8 Apr 1975 Appointed - 13 Oct 1992 Retired)
• Edward Urban Kmiec † (13 Oct 1992 Appointed - 12 Aug 2004 Appointed, Bishop of Buffalo, New York)
• David Raymond Choby † (20 Dec 2005 Appointed - 3 Jun 2017 Died)
• Joseph Mark Spalding (21 Nov 2017 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
1950	37,501	3,250,000	1.2%	89	30	119	315		68	455	55	ap1951
1966	85,710	3,883,000	2.2%	124	36	160	535		98	494	75	ap1967
1970	90,595	4,015,760	2.3%	122	45	167	542		123	498	81	ap1971
1976	57,609	2,840,000	2.0%	79	23	102	564	25	44	248	56	ap1977
1980	65,981	2,879,000	2.3%	74	39	113	583	26	61	163	61	ap1981
1990	47,395	1,493,281	3.2%	51	19	70	677	34	20	191	50	ap1991
1999	63,363	1,824,375	3.5%	53	21	74	856	27	4	153	50	ap2000
2000	70,587	1,959,257	3.6%	48	21	69	1,023	53	25	151	50	ap2001
2001	73,652	1,985,023	3.7%	44	24	68	1,083	54	26	149	50	ap2002
2002	69,480	2,106,868	3.3%	48	25	73	951	55	27	176	51	ap2003
2003	70,623	2,097,905	3.4%	49	25	74	954	53	26	191	51	ap2004
2004	71,188	2,105,161	3.4%	47	28	75	949	52	29	183	51	ap2005
2013	78,700	2,444,050	3.2%	62	27	89	884	69	30	265	53	ap2014
2016	79,521	2,563,058	3.1%	64	22	86	924	97	24	250	52	ap2017
2019	85,600	2,693,600	3.2%	76	19	95	901	93	19	303	52	ap2020

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

Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Joseph Mark Spalding (Bishop: 21 Nov 2017 - )

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• William Lawrence Adrian † (Bishop: 6 Feb 1936 to 4 Sep 1969)
• Thomas Sebastian Byrne † (Bishop: 10 May 1894 to 4 Sep 1923)
• David Raymond Choby † (Priest: 6 Sep 1974; Bishop: 20 Dec 2005 to 3 Jun 2017)
• Joseph Aloysius Durick † (Coadjutor Bishop: 2 Dec 1963; Bishop: 4 Sep 1969 to 2 Apr 1975)
• John Patrick Farrelly † (Priest: 22 Mar 1880 to 18 Mar 1909)
• Patrick Augustine Feehan † (Bishop: 7 Jul 1865 to 10 Sep 1880)
• Edward Urban Kmiec † (Bishop: 13 Oct 1992 to 12 Aug 2004)
• Richard Pius Miles, O.P. † (Bishop: 28 Jul 1837 to 21 Feb 1860)
• John Baptist Morris † (Priest: 11 Jun 1892 to 16 Apr 1906)
• James Daniel Niedergeses † (Priest: 20 May 1944; Bishop: 8 Apr 1975 to 13 Oct 1992)
• Joseph (James) Rademacher † (Bishop: 3 Apr 1883 to 14 Jul 1893)
• Richard Scannell † (Priest: 26 Feb 1871 to 9 Aug 1887)
• Francis Raymond Shea † (Priest: 19 Mar 1939 to 1 Dec 1969)
• Alphonse John Smith † (Bishop: 23 Dec 1923 to 16 Dec 1935)
• Samuel Alphonsus Stritch † (Priest: 21 May 1910 to 10 Aug 1921)
• James Whelan, O.P. † (Coadjutor Bishop: 28 Jan 1859; Bishop: 21 Feb 1860 to 23 Sep 1863)