Diocese of Wilmington

The Catholic faith was first brought to the peninsula that lies between

the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays in the seventeenth century by Jesuit

priests who rode circuit from the Maryland colony, offering Mass and bringing

the sacraments to private homes. As the country grew, so too did the Catholic

community on Delmarva, and many new churches and missions were founded.

From the earliest established church--St. Francis Xavier Mission in Cecil

County, Maryland, founded in 1704--to Salesianum School, the first high

school in Delaware to be racially integrated, from the involvement in the diocese

of American saints John Neumann and Elizabeth Ann Seton to a variety of

religious orders and organizations, these honored institutions and remarkable

individuals helped to shape the minds and spirits of young and old alike

The story of the Diocese of Wilmington, which split off from the Diocese of

Philadelphia in 1868, is not just one of church construction dates--it is the story

of its people. From the colorful settlement of French exiled after a slave rebellion

in Haiti to the New World immigrants of Irish, German, Italian, Polish, and

later, Hispanic descent, the Catholic community in the region has been diverse,

vibrant, and steadfast in a shared faith. From its humble beginnings, the diocese

has grown to serve a population of more than 190,000 members with 56 parishes,

20 missions, and 37 schools and has fostered a strong civic tradition in athletics,

theater, and community festivals.