Roman Catholic Diocese of Willemstad

Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in the Caribbean

Diocese of Willemstad

Dioecesis Gulielmopolitana

Bisdom Willemstad

Basilica of St. Anne in Willemstad, Curaçao

Location
Country| Aruba (NL)
Curaçao (NL)
Sint Maarten (NL)
Caribbean Netherlands
Ecclesiastical province| Port of Spain
Metropolitan| Port of Spain
Statistics
Area| 993 km2 (383 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics| (as of 2008)
295,264
217,851 (73.8%)
Information
Denomination| Roman Catholic
Rite| Latin Rite
Established| 1758 (as Apostolic Prefecture of Curaçao)
1842 Apostolic Vicariate of Curaçao
1958 Diocese of Willemstad
Cathedral| Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Willemstad
Current leadership
Pope| Francis
Bishop| Luigi Antonio Secco
Metropolitan Archbishop| Joseph Everard Harris
Map
Website
Website of the Diocese

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Willemstad (Latin: Dioecesis Gulielmopolitana; Dutch: Bisdom Willemstad; Papiamento: Diosesano (di Obispado) di Willemstad) is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Roman Catholic Church in the Caribbean. The diocese encompasses the territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean: the countries (Dutch: landen) Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten (the southern half of St. Martin) and the islands Bonaire, St. Eustatius, Saba (which are part of the Netherlands). The cathedra is in the city of Curaçao. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, and a member of the Antilles Episcopal Conference.

The Diocese of Willemstad was erected in 1752 as the Prefecture Apostolic of Curaçao. It was elevated to an apostolic vicariate on 20 September 1842 and to the Diocese of Willemstad on 28 April 1958. The language spoken in many of the Catholic churches here is Papiamento and English. The diocese has maintained a website in this language and in English. Some priests are members of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), Order of Preachers (OP), Michaelites (CSMA), and Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB).

## Bishops[edit]

### Ordinaries[edit]

* Martinus Johannes Niewindt (1823-1860)
* Johannes Fredericus Antonius Kistemaker O.P. (1860-1869)
* Petrus Hendricus Josephus van Ewyk, O.P. (1869–1886)
* Ceslaus H. J. Heynen (1886–1887)
* Alphonsus M. H. Joosten (1888–1896)
* Ambrosius Jacobus J. van Baars, O.P. (1897–1910)
* Michael Antonio Maria Vuylsteke, O.P. (1910–1930)
* Pietro Giovanni Umberto Verriet, O.P. (1931–1948)
* Antonio Ludovico van der Veen Zeppenfeldt, O.P. (1948–1956)
* Joannes Maria Michael Holterman, O.P. (1956–1973)
* Wilhelm Michel Ellis (1973–2001)
* Luis Antonio Secco, S.D.B. (Salesians of Don Bosco) (2001– )

### Coadjutor bishops[edit]

* Johannes Fredericus Antonius Kistemaker O.P. (1852-1860) as Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic
* Luis Antonio Secco, S.D.B. (Salesians of Don Bosco) (2000-2001)

## Catholic churches and parishes[edit]

Listed by island (alphabetically), neighborhood (alphabetically), and church name and full address:

### Island of Aruba[edit]

1. Brasil: Cristo Rey, Brasil 39, Brasil, Aruba
2. Dakota: La Birgen di Fatima, Milonstraat 9, Dakota, Oranjestad, Aruba
3. Madiki: Cristo Sufriente Chapel (Madiki Chapel), Belgiestraat Madiki 29, Madiki, Oranjestad, Aruba
4. Noord: Santa Ana, Caya Frans Figaroa Noord 16, Noord, Aruba; La Birgen di Alto Vista Chapel (Pilgrims Chapel), Alto Vista, Noord, Aruba
5. Oranjestad: San Francisco di Asis, J. Irausquinplein 3, Oranjestad, Aruba
6. Paradera: Santa Filomena, Paradera 51, Paradera, Aruba
7. Pos Chikito: Santa Familia Chapel, Pos Chikito, Savaneta, Aruba
8. San Nicolaas: Santa Teresita di Niño Hesus, Theresiaplein 8, Bernhardstraat, San Nicolaas, Aruba; Emanuel Chapel, Rooi Hondu, San Nicolaas, Aruba
9. Santa Cruz: Inmaculada Concepcion, Santa Cruz 41, Santa Cruz, Aruba
10. Savaneta: Sagrado Curazon di Hesus, Savaneta 338-D, Savaneta, Aruba
11. Tanki Leendert: San Papa Juan Pablo II, Rte. 4, Tanki Leendert, Oranjestad, Aruba; Monte Calvario Chapel, Rte. 4, Tanki Leendert, Oranjestad, Aruba

### Island of Bonaire[edit]

1. Antriol: La Birgen di Coromoto, Pastorie Antriol, Kaya Korona 126, Bonaire
2. Bonaire: St. Louis Bertrand Church
3. Kralendijk: San Bernardo, Pastorie Kralendijk, Plaza Reina Juliana 2, Bonaire
4. Rincon: San Ludovico Beltran, Pastorie Rincon, Bonaire NA

### Island of Curaçao[edit]

1. Barber: San José
2. Brievengat: La Birgen di Lourdes, Willemstad
3. Buena Vista: La Birgen Milagrosa
4. Groot Kwartier: La Birgen del Carmen
5. Jandoret: Mama di Bon Conseho, Station: Boca San Michiel: San Miguel Archangel; Souax: La Birgen di Guadalupe
6. Janwe: Sagrado Curazon di Hesus
7. Koraal Specht: Bon Wardador
8. Montagne: San Dominico. Station: Fuik: San Francisco
9. Otrabanda: Santa Ana Minor Basilica, Willemstad
10. Pietermaai Cathedral: Reina di Santisimo Rosario (Queen of the Most Holy Rosary) Cathedral, Willemstad
11. San Mateo: Santa Familia, Willemstad
12. Sint Willibrordus: San Willibrordo
13. Santa Maria: Maria Auxiliadora, Willemstad
14. Santa Rosa: Santa Rosa de Lima
15. Seru Fortuna: San Martin de Porres
16. Soto: San Antonio de Padua, Soto
17. Steenrijk: La Birgen di Altagracia, Willemstad
18. Suffisant: La Birgen di Fatima
19. Tera Korà: Spiritu Santo, Kaya Andesit 66, Tera Korà,
20. Westpunt: San Pedro. Lagoen: Station: San Juan Apostle, Pastorie Westpunt,
21. Wishi: Hesús Misericordioso y Santa Teresita, Schottegatweg West. 33, Wishi
22. Zuid-Bonam: San Hudas Tadeo, Ronde Klipweg 61, P.O. Box 3909, Zuid-Bona
23.

### Island of Saba[edit]

1. The Bottom: Sacred Heart Church
2. Windwardside: St Paul's Conversion
3. Zion's Hill: Queen of the Holy Rosary Church

### Island of Sint Eustatius[edit]

1. Oranjestad: St Eustatius Catholic Church

### Island of Sint Maarten (the southern half of St. Martin)[edit]

1. Philipsburg: St Martin of Tours
2. Simpson Bay: Mary Star of the Sea
3. South Reward: The Risen Christ

## References[edit]

* Antilles Episcopal Conference,=Roman Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Antilles
* "Diocese of Willemstad". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2007-02-27.
* List of Roman Catholic Dioceses in the Caribbean
* Roman Catholicism in the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Willemstad official site in English

## External links[edit]

* Saba Tourism Office church page
* Paloma Pictures webpage for Catholic services in Aruba

* v
* t
* e

Catholic Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Bishops' Conference of the Netherlands

Dioceses|

* Archdiocese of Utrecht
* Diocese of Breda
* Diocese of Groningen-Leeuwarden
* Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam
* Diocese of 's-Hertogenbosch
* Diocese of Roermond
* Diocese of Rotterdam
* Caribbean:
* Diocese of Willemstad

Others|

* Military Ordinariate of the Netherlands
* Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Vladimir the Great of Paris

Former dioceses|

* Diocese of Deventer
* Diocese of Leeuwarden
* Diocese of Maastricht
* Diocese of Middelburg
* Apostolic Vicariate of Batavia
* Apostolic Vicariate of Grave-Nijmegen
* Apostolic Vicariate of Limburg
* Apostolic Vicariate of Ravenstein-Megen

Churches|

* St Catherine's Cathedral, Utrecht
* St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral, Breda
* St. Joseph Cathedral, Groningen
* Cathedral of St Bavo, Haarlem
* St. John's Cathedral ('s-Hertogenbosch)
* St. Christopher's Cathedral, Roermond
* List of Catholic churches in the Netherlands
* Caribbean:
* Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral, Willemstad
* Basilica of St. Anne, Willemstad
* Pro-Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Oranjestad
* List of Catholic churches in the Dutch Caribbean

Monasteries|

* Egmond Abbey
* St. Benedictusberg Abbey
* St. Willibrord's Abbey
* Carmelite Monastery, Echt
* Berne Abbey
* Achel Abbey
* Koningshoeven Abbey
* Lilbosch Abbey

See also|

* Catholic Church in the Dutch Caribbean
* List of Catholic schools in the Netherlands
* List of Dutch saints
* List of Catholic seminaries
* Reestablishment of the episcopal hierarchy in the Netherlands
* Jong Nederland
* Tilburg University

* Catholicism portal
* Netherlands portal

12°06′29″N 68°56′13″W﻿ / ﻿12.1081°N 68.9369°W﻿ / 12.1081; -68.9369

Authority control databases |

* VIAF

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