BELLEVILLE, DIOCESE OF. — In Illinois (United States of America); a suffragan diocese of Chicago. It was created on 7 January 1887 by separation from that of Alton (now Springfield-Illinois). Located in the southern part of the State of Illinois, Belleville comprises within its territory, which extends over an area of more than 30,296 sq. km., some of the oldest missions of the West, such as the present-day parishes of Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Prairie du Rocher, etc., evangelized in the 17th and 18th centuries by missionaries from Canada.
The diocese of Belleville has 136 parishes, 146 diocesan priests, and 32 religious priests.
BIBL.: H. J. Hagen, s. V. in The Cath. Enc., 11, pp. 414-415; J. Coignet, s. V. in DHG, VII, col. 883; The Official Catholic Directory, part 2, New York 1947, pp. 328-332. Corrado Morin.