Diocese of Caroline Islands
The Diocese of Caroline Islands (Latin: Diœcesis Carolinensium; Spanish: Diócesis de las Islas Carolinas) is the Catholic Church territory covering the Caroline Islands in Micronesia and Palau. It is part of the Ecclesiastical Province of Agaña and is led by a bishop. The cathedral is the Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral.
History and status
- Established on December 19, 1905, as the Apostolic Prefecture of Caroline Islands, formed from the Eastern and Western Carolines missions (which had split from the Apostolic Prefecture of Micronesia in 1886).
- Became an Apostolic Vicariate in 1911, later named the Vicariate of Marianne, Caroline and Marshall Islands (1923).
- Renamed the Vicariate of Caroline and Marshall Islands (1946).
- Elevated to the Diocese of Carolines-Marshalls in 1979.
- In 1993, Pope John Paul II split it to create the present Diocese of Caroline Islands and the Apostolic Prefecture of the Marshall Islands.
People and parishes
- The diocese covers about 480 square miles (1,200 square kilometers).
- Population: about 115,382 people, with roughly 63,437 Catholics (about 55%).
- There are 30 parishes.
- As of 2022, Catholics are the largest Christian group, with about 55% of the population; Protestants are about 42% and other Christians about 2%.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:02 (CET).