Roman Catholic Diocese of Le Havre

Diocese of the Catholic Church

Diocese of Le Havre

Dioecesis Portus Gratiae

Diocèse du Havre

Le Havre Cathedral

Location
Country| France
Ecclesiastical province| Rouen
Metropolitan| Archdiocese of Rouen
Statistics
Area| 1,902 km2 (734 sq mi)
Population

* Total

* Catholics

* (as of 2023)

* 395,930

* 326,600 (est.) (82.5%)

Parishes| 21
Information
Denomination| Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church| Latin Church
Rite| Roman Rite
Established| 6 July 1974
Cathedral| Cathedral of Notre Dame in Le Havre
Secular priests| 36 (Diocesan )
6 (Religious Orders)
21 Permanent Deacons
Current leadership
Pope| Leo XIV
Bishop| Jean-Luc Brunin
Metropolitan Archbishop| Dominique Lebrun
Map
Website
Website of the Diocese

The Diocese of Le Havre (Latin: Dioecesis Portus Gratiae; French: Diocèse du Havre [djɔsɛz dy ɑvʁ(ə)]) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected in 1974, the episcopal see is Le Havre Cathedral in the city of Le Havre. The diocese comprises the arrondissement of Le Havre in the department of Seine-Maritime, Normandy.

## History

[edit]

Following the Second Vatican Council, and in accordance with the norms laid out in the council's decree, Christus Dominus chapter 40,[1] changes were authorized and suggested in the ecclesiastical administrative structure of ecclesiastical provinces and dioceses. The situation in the archdiocese of Rouen was brought to the attention of the Congregation of Bishops in the Roman Curia, both by the archbishop and by the papal nuncio in France.[2] The western part of the archdiocese had grown both in population and in the complexity of social interactions (urbanization, commerce, etc.) that a new diocese seemed to be desirable.[3] After consultation with the French Episcopal Conference and others, Pope Paul VI decided to establish a new diocese.

The diocese was created from territory of the Archdiocese of Rouen, by detaching a number of communes.[4] Its cathedral was to be the already existing church of Nôtre-Dame-du-Havre.[5]

The new diocese of Le Havre is a suffragan to the archdiocese of Rouen.[6]

The diocese has authorized two of its priests to conduct exorcisms.

In 2023, in the Diocese of Le Havre there was one priest for every 7,776 Catholics.

The diocese maintains (in French) a web page listing the current and planned diocesan pilgrimages.

## Bishops

[edit]

* Michel Marie Paul Saudreau (1974–2003)[7]
* Michel Jean Guyard (2003–2011)[8]
* Jean-Luc Brunin (since 2011)[9]

## See also

[edit]

* Catholic Church in France

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Christus Dominus 40\. Therefore, in order to accomplish these aims this sacred synod decrees as follows: 1) The boundaries of ecclesiastical provinces are to be submitted to an early review and the rights and privileges of metropolitans are to be defined by new and suitable norms. 2) As a general rule all dioceses and other territorial divisions that are by law equivalent to dioceses should be attached to an ecclesiastical province. Therefore dioceses which are now directly subject to the Apostolic See and which are not united to any other are either to be brought together to form a new ecclesiastical province, if that be possible, or else attached to that province which is nearer or more convenient. They are to be made subject to the metropolitan jurisdiction of the bishop, in keeping with the norms of the common law. 3) Wherever advantageous, ecclesiastical provinces should be grouped into ecclesiastical regions for the structure of which juridical provision is to be made.
2. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis vol. 66 (Città del Vaticano 1974), p. 473: "Libenter igitur votis accedendum esse putavimus tum Venerabilis Fratris Andreae Pailler, Archiepiscopi Rothomagensis, tum Venerabilis Fratris Egani Righi Lambertini, Archiepiscopi titulo Docleensis et in Gallia Apostolici Nuntii, petentium ut ibi locorum novam ecclesiasticam circumscriptionem conderemus, atque,. audita hoc super negotio Conferentia Episcoporum Galliae, sequentia decernimus."
3. ^ "Eius enim occidentalis pars eo crevit ob incolarum numerum, eo ob socialium rerum incrementum progressa est, ut distinctam requireret dioecesim suorumque sacrorum peculiarem Antistitem."
4. ^ "A Sede Rothomagensi territorium separamus civilis districtus vulgo « Le Havre )), exceptis pagis vulgo nuncupatis « Ourville en Caux », « An- courteville sur Héricourt », « Anvéville », « Beuzeville la Guérard », (( Carville Pot de Fer », « Cleuville », « Le Hanouard », (( Hautot PAuvray », (( Héricourt en Caux », « Oherville », « Robertot », « Routes », (( Sommesnil », « Saint Vaast Dieppedalle », « Thiouville », « Veauvilie Lesquelles», « Criquetot le Mauconduit », « Vinnemerville », « Hautot le Vatois » et « Rocquefort ».
5. ^ "Eius sedes in urbe « Le Havre » ponatur, episcopalis vero magisterii cathedra in templo Beatae Mariae Virginis ibidem exstante, quod ad cathedralis dignitatem evehimus, debitis concessis iuribus.
6. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis vol. 66 (Città del Vaticano 1974), pp. 473-474: "Portus Gratiae ex antiquiore quadam appellatione denominandam, atque Sedi Rothomagensi metropolitanae tamquam suffraganeam subiciendam."
7. ^ Bishop Saudreau had been Vicar-General of the archdiocese of Paris. He was appointed bishop of Le Havre on 6 July 1974. He died on 1 June 2007. Acta Apostolicae Sedis vol. 66 (Città del Vaticano 1974), p. 453: "die 6 Iulii. — Cathedrali Ecclesiae Portus Gratiae, noviter erectae, R.P.D. Michaelem Saudreau, Vicarium Generalem archidioecesis Parisiensis." Dioceèse du Havre, "Mgr Michel Saudreau – 1er évêque du Havre;" (in French); retrieved: 14 March 2025.
8. ^ In 1990 Guyard was named Archpriest of Nôtre-Dame-de-Paris. He was then Vicar-General of the archdiocese of Paris. Mgr. Guyard was appointed bishop of Le Havre on 9 July 2003, by Pope John Paul II. He retired on 24 June 2011, and died on 23 July 2021. Acta Apostolicae Sedis vol. 95 (Città del Vaticano 2003), p. 553: "die 9 Iulii....— Cathedrali Ecclesiae Portus Gratiae R.D. Michaelem Guyard, e clero archidioecesis Parisiensis, ibique Vicarium generalem. Diocèse du Havre, "Décès de Mgr Michel Guyard;" (in French); retrieved: 14 March 2025.
9. ^ On 28 May 2000, Brunin was appointed titular bishop of Usinaza (Mauretania Caesariensis) and Auxiliary Bishop of Lille. On 6 May 2004 he was transferred to the diocese of Ajaccio, and on 24 June 2011 he was named bishop of Le Havre. David M. Cheney, Catholic-Hierarchy.org, "Bishop Jean-Luc Brunin;" retrieved: 14 March 2025. Acta Apostolicae Sedis 103 (Città del Vaticano 2011), p. 492: "die 24 Iunii. — Cathedrali Ecclesiae Portus Gratiae, Exc.mum P. D. Ioannem Lucam Brunin, hactenus Episcopum Adiacensem."

## External links

[edit]

* (in French) Centre national des Archives de l'Église de France, L’Épiscopat francais depuis 1919 Archived 2017-05-10 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved: 2016-12-24.
* Catholic Hierarchy page [self-published]

49°29.25′N 0°6.5′E﻿ / ﻿49.48750°N 0.1083°E﻿ / 49.48750; 0.1083

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