ROSEAU, DIOCESE OF. - Located in the Lesser Antilles, it is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain and comprises almost all of the Leeward Islands: Antigua, Dominica (with Roseau), Saint Christopher (St. Kitts), Nevis, and Anguilla, Montserrat.
Island of Dominica. The first missionary was the French Dominican Raymond Breton, who remained there from 1642 to 1654. He was succeeded by his confrere Philippe de Beaumont and the secular priest Varinghen, a Fleming. Toward the end of the 17th century, the island had 1,000 Caribs, 300 French, and, in their service, an equal number of Negro slaves of African origin. For several decades the island was without priests. Fr. Labat, O.P., visited it in 1700. On 15 Sept. 1730, Fr. William Martel, O.P., arrived and founded the parish of Roseau. After ten years of activity, he was succeeded for a short time by his confrere Silvester Michou, who in turn was followed in 1747 by French Franciscans, who were expelled in 1782 by the English conquerors of the island. The care of souls was entrusted to one or two secular priests, who received assistance in 1842. Worthy of mention is Bishop Charles Poirier of the Eudists, founder of various parishes and diocesan schools. In 1872, with the permission of the Propaganda, the Sons of Mary Immaculate were called to the island; they took charge of 8 parishes, leaving the other 3 to the secular clergy, which were later transferred to the Redemptorists in 1902.
Island of Saint Christopher (St. Kitts). When in 1635 the French government decided to send colonists to the island, two-thirds French and the rest English, two Capuchins accompanied the emigrants by order of Louis XIII. Since Urban VIII, under the influence of Richelieu, had already granted jurisdiction over all French possessions in the Antilles to the Dominicans, difficulties arose, which were resolved in 1642 by uniting the Capuchins of the island with the province of Acadia in Canada (Archivio della S. Congr. de P. Fide, Lett. antiche, vol. 2000, f. 2: Missionari insulari Guadelupe in Canada). The activity of Fr. Pacifico of Provins gave the Capuchins great influence in the French Antilles; however, they were forced to leave Saint Christopher on 25 Jan. 1646 following the revolt of the former governor Lonviliers de Poincey. They were replaced by Jesuits and Carmelites. In the English part there were no Catholics. In 1702, when the entire island fell under English rule, all Catholics were expelled and their churches turned over to Protestants. Toward the middle of the 19th century, some Portuguese from the island of Madeira immigrated, and for them a chapel was built, elevated to a parish in 1861 and entrusted to the Redemptorists in 1902.
In the islands of Nevis and Anguilla, which were always English possessions, Catholicism dates only from very recent times.
In the island of Montserrat, toward the middle of the 18th century, about 400 Irish Catholics, expelled from Saint Christopher and West Virginia (U.S.A.), settled there. They were assisted by Dominicans and a Franciscan until 1777, when the Irish priest O'Brien took over until 1800. Only in 1902 was a parish priest assigned to them, replaced in 1911 by the Redemptorists.
In the island of Antigua, some Irish colonists at the same time (toward the middle of the 18th century) were assisted by an Irish Dominican, who had no successors. In 1859, when a small Portuguese colony was formed, it was periodically assisted by a priest, who was succeeded by the Redemptorists in 1902.
When in 1818 the Apostolic Vicariate of Trinidad was erected, all the islands mentioned were placed under its jurisdiction. On 30 Apr. 1850, it was elevated to the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, from which the Diocese of Roseau, comprising the above-mentioned islands, was detached. It is entrusted to the Belgian Redemptorists, and French Claretian missionaries also work there. The population is 137,000, Catholics 57,133, and priests 32.