Springfield, Massachusetts, Diocese of

SPRINGFIELD. - MASSACHUSETTS, DIOCESI di. - City and diocese in the State of Massachusetts (United States). The diocese of S., Mass. (Campifontis), suffragan of Boston, was erected on June 28, 1870 in the central and western part of Massachusetts, with an area of 4,320 square miles.

Some of the early Puritans of central and western Massachusetts became Catholics. There were several Acadians at Worcester in 1755, but the last of them returned to Canada around 1767. In 1830 the Rev. James Fitton celebrated the first Mass at Chicopee; on July 7, 1834 he began the first church of the diocese at Worcester and in 1856 became its first pastor. The first resident pastor in the western part of Massachusetts was the Rev. John D. Brady, in charge at Chicopee in 1841. On June 28, 1870 Msgr. Patrick T. O'Reilly was appointed first bishop of S., and under his guidance the population increased from 80,000 to 200,000, the priests from 43 to 196; the bishop built 45 churches.

Today (after the founding of the diocese of Worcester, by the partition of S.) the diocese covers an area of 2,822 square miles, with a total population (1950 census) of 637,507 inhabitants, of whom 296,286 are Catholics. There are 445 diocesan priests (149 religious of 8 different congregations, 122 parishes, 8 chapels, 18 missions, 19 female congregations, 1,057 sisters), 4 scholasticates, 1 college, 3 orphanages, 4 hospitals.

Gastone Carrière