Roman Catholic Diocese of Bergamo
Encyclopedia
The Diocese of Bergamo is a see
of the Catholic Church in Italy
, and is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Milan. It was founded in the fourth century CE
, and its first bishop was Saint Narno. Narnus was succeeded by Viator of Bergamo
.
, and has a strong fraternal relationship with the city and the archdiocese of Cochabamba
in Bolivia
. As of 2007, the diocese of Bergamo has 389 parish
es, most of them belong to the political entity known as the Province of Bergamo
(Italian: Provincia di Bergamo).
, who is believed to have been a Roman centurion
of the Theban legion
imprisoned for his Christian beliefs. He escaped, was recaptured, and was executed around 297 CE. He is considered a Christian martyr
. A church, San Alessandro da Bergamo, had been dedicated to him since the earliest days of the diocese. The church is presently administered by the Benedictines, priests belonging to the Order of Saint Benedict
.
, a gathering dedicated to problems and opportunities confronting parishes in the twenty-first century.
. Priests of the diocese manage parishes in Cuba
and Cote d'Ivoire
region
. 375 are within the Province of Bergamo
, 14 in the Province of Lecco
,and one in the Province of Brescia
.
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
of the Catholic Church in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Milan. It was founded in the fourth century CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
, and its first bishop was Saint Narno. Narnus was succeeded by Viator of Bergamo
Viator of Bergamo
Saint Viator of Bergamo is venerated as the second bishop of Bergamo. Viator is unanimously and traditionally considered the successor of Saint Narnus in that see. Viator's episcopate is considered to have lasted from 343 to 370....
.
Facts
The diocese is headed by Bishop Francesco BeschiFrancesco Beschi
- Life :Francisco Beschi was born to a railroad worker and his wife in 1951 on the 6th of August in Brescia. He grew up in Brescia and joined the seminary of his diocese in his youth....
, and has a strong fraternal relationship with the city and the archdiocese of Cochabamba
Cochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. As of 2007, the diocese of Bergamo has 389 parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es, most of them belong to the political entity known as the Province of Bergamo
Province of Bergamo
The Province of Bergamo is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. It has a population of 1,098,740 , an area of 2,722.86 square km, and contains 244 comuni...
(Italian: Provincia di Bergamo).
Patron saint
August 26 is the feast day of Bergamo's patron, Saint AlexanderAlexander of Bergamo
Saint Alexander of Bergamo is the patron saint of Bergamo. Alexander may simply have been a Roman soldier or resident of Bergamo who was tortured and killed for not renouncing his Christian faith. Details of his life are uncertain, but subsequent Christian legends consider him a centurion of the...
, who is believed to have been a Roman centurion
Centurion
A centurion was a professional officer of the Roman army .Centurion may also refer to:-Military:* Centurion tank, British battle tank* HMS Centurion, name of several ships and a shore base of the British Royal Navy...
of the Theban legion
Theban Legion
The Theban Legion figures in Christian hagiography as an entire Roman legion — of "six thousand six hundred and sixty-six men" — who had converted en masse to Christianity and were martyred together, in 286, according to the hagiographies of Saint Maurice, the chief among the Legion's...
imprisoned for his Christian beliefs. He escaped, was recaptured, and was executed around 297 CE. He is considered a Christian martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
. A church, San Alessandro da Bergamo, had been dedicated to him since the earliest days of the diocese. The church is presently administered by the Benedictines, priests belonging to the Order of Saint Benedict
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
.
Diocesan synod
In 2007, the diocese opened its 37th Diocesan SynodDiocesan Synod
In the Anglican Communion, the model of government is the 'Bishop in Synod', meaning that a diocese is governed by a bishop acting with the advice and consent of representatives of the clergy and laity of the diocese. In much of the Communion the body by which this representation is achieved is...
, a gathering dedicated to problems and opportunities confronting parishes in the twenty-first century.
Missionary activities
The diocese maintains strong relations with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of CochabambaRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Cochabamba
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cochabamaba is an archdiocese located in the city of Cochabamba in Bolivia.-History:* June 25, 1847: Established as Diocese of Cochabamaba from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of La Plata and Diocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
. Priests of the diocese manage parishes in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and Cote d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
Notable people in the history of the diocese
- Pope John XXIIIPope John XXIII-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
- Giacomo Radini-TedeschiGiacomo Radini-TedeschiGiacomo Radini-Tedeschi was the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bergamo. Today he is famous for his strong involvement in social issues at the beginning of 20th century.-Biography:...
- Adriano BernareggiAdriano Bernareggi-Biography:Born in Oreno, near Milan, was the brother of future bishop Domenico Bernareggi.He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1907. He graduated from Pontifical Gregorian University in canon law, after graduation became a teacher of canon law at the Milan Roman Catholic diocesan seminary...
Parishes
The 390 parishes all fall within the LombardyLombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
region
Regions of Italy
The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the state, constituting its first NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, of which five are constitutionally given a broader amount of autonomy granted by special statutes....
. 375 are within the Province of Bergamo
Province of Bergamo
The Province of Bergamo is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. It has a population of 1,098,740 , an area of 2,722.86 square km, and contains 244 comuni...
, 14 in the Province of Lecco
Province of Lecco
The Province of Lecco is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lecco.On 1 January 2001 the province had a population of 311,452 on a surface of 816 km² divided in 90 communes...
,and one in the Province of Brescia
Province of Brescia
The Province of Brescia is a Province in Lombardy, Italy. It borders with the province of Sondrio in the N and NW, the province of Bergamo in the W, province of Cremona in the SW and S, the province of Mantova to the S, and to the east, the province of Verona and Trentino .Source for statistical...
.