Roman Catholic Diocese of Port-Vila

The diocese of Port-Vila (Latin: Portus Dioecesis Vilensis ) is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the island nation of Vanuatu, based in Port Vila. Episcopal Church of the Sacre Coeur Cathedral.

History

The first missionaries of the Marist Fathers arrived in 1848 to the New Hebrides. Later, there were on the islands for almost forty years no more Catholic missionaries, which promoted the missionary work of the Presbyterians and Anglicans. The Catholic mission began back 1887. Pope Leo XIII. founded the Apostolic Prefecture of the New Hebrides on February 19, 1901 from annexations of the Apostolic Vicariate of New Caledonia. On 22 March 1904 she was appointed Apostolic Vicariate and on 21 June 1966, the Apostolic Constitution Prophetarum voces to the diocese of Port-Vila raised.

Ordinaries

Prefect Apostolic of New Hebrides

• Isidore -Marie -Victor Douceré SM (9 February 1901 - March 22, 1904 )

Vicars Apostolic of New Hebrides

• Isidore -Marie -Victor Douceré SM ( March 22, 1904 - May 12 1939 died )
• Jules SM Halbert (11 July 1939 - December 1954, resigned )
• Louis -Jean -Baptiste -Joseph Julliard SM (January 1, 1955 - June 21, 1966 )

Bishops of Port-Vila

• Louis -Jean -Baptiste -Joseph Julliard SM (June 21, 1966 - May 21, 1976 resigned )
• Francis Roland Lambert SM (31 December 1976 - 12 December 1996 emeritus)
• Michel Visi (November 30, 1996 - May 19, 2007, died )
• Jean Bosco Baremes SM ( since 18 November 2009)