Fort Wayne, Diocese of (FORT WAYNE, DIOCESI DI) - Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. V, p. 918

Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.

FORT WAYNE, DIOCESE of. - A city in the State of Indiana in the United States of America, seat of a diocese suffragan to Indianapolis, comprising the northern part of that State, with an area of approximately 15,350 sq. km.

In 1948, out of a population of 1,031,978 inhabitants, there were 187,259 Catholics, divided among 149 parishes under the direction of 220 diocesan and 245 regular clergy, with a diocesan seminary, a university, Nostra Signora del Lago, founded in 1842 by the Fathers of the Holy Cross, 2 colleges, 10 High Schools, and 89 parochial schools. There are also 11 male and 4 female religious communities. In 1946 there were 1,245 conversions.

The diocese, composed chiefly of German, Polish, Lithuanian, and Croatian immigrants, was erected on 22 Sept. 1857, by dismemberment from that of Vincennes (now Indianapolis), which at that time embraced the whole State of Indiana.

BIBL.: H. J. Alerding, The diocese of F. W., Fort Wayne 1907; B. Hammer, s. V. in Cati, Ent., VI, pp. 150-51; anon., in Supplement, p. 317; J. H. O'Donnell, The Catholic Church in Northern Indiana, 1830-37, in Catholic historical reviews, 25 (1939), pp. 135-45; T. T. McAvoy, The Catholic Church in Indiana, 1789-1834, New York 1941, see index: The official catholic directory for 1947, ibid. 1947, part 2, pp. 453-59. Corrado Morin