Roman Catholic Diocese of Haarlem–Amsterdam

Diocese of Haarlem–Amsterdam

*Dioecesis Harlemensis-Amstelodamensis*

Bisdom Haarlem–Amsterdam
Diocese of Haarlem–Amsterdam; Dioecesis Harlemensis-Amstelodamensis; Bisdom Haarlem–Amsterdam
	Cathedral of Saint Bavo in Haarlem
	Coat of arms
Location
Country	Netherlands
Territory	North Holland, Southern Flevoland
Metropolitan	Utrecht
Deaneries	3
Statistics
Area	2,912 km2 (1,124 sq mi)
Population; - Total; - Catholics	(as of 2021); 3,117,170; 455,320 (14.6%)
Parishes	130
Information
Denomination	Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	12 May 1559
Cathedral	Cathedral of Saint Bavo
Patron saint	Saints Nicholas, Bavo, Willibrord
Secular priests	162
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Johannes Hendriks
Metropolitan Archbishop	Willem Jacobus Eijk
Bishops emeritus	Johannes Gerardus Maria van Burgsteden, SSS Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus (2000–2011)
Map
	; Location of the diocese in the Netherlands
Website
	bisdomhaarlem-amsterdam.nl

The Diocese of Haarlem–Amsterdam (Dutch: Bisdom Haarlem–Amsterdam, Latin: Dioecesis Harlemensis–Amstelodamensis) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands. As one of the seven suffragans in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Utrecht, the diocesan territory comprises the north west of the Netherlands, including the cities of Haarlem (capital of North Holland) and Amsterdam (in the same province and Dutch nominal national capital).

Johannes Hendriks has been the Bishop of the Diocese of Haarlem–Amsterdam since 2020.^[2]

History

The diocese was founded on 12 May 1559, on territory (central and North Holland) canonically split off from the Diocese of Utrecht, which was simultaneously promoted to archbishopric and became its Metropolitan. In 1592 (during the Eighty Years War, during which the Spanish crown lost Holland) it was suppressed, and its territory was immediately included in the new Dutch Mission sui iuris 'Batavia', soon promoted an Apostolic vicariate.

In 1833, the diocese was restored as (pre-diocesan) Apostolic Administration of Haarlem, which was on 4 March 1853 promoted as Diocese of Haarlem (in 1827 the Concordat established the foundation of a Diocese of Amsterdam but no bishop was nominated).

On 16 July 1955, it lost territories, to the existing Diocese of Breda, and to establish the Diocese of Groningen and Diocese of Rotterdam.

On 7 October 2008, it was renamed as Diocese of Haarlem–Amsterdam.

Special churches

The cathedral episcopal see of the Diocese of Haarlem–Amsterdam is the Cathedral of Saint Bavo, a minor basilica in Haarlem, which city also has two former cathedrals: Saint Joseph Church and Saint Bavo Church (now a Protestant church). Other minor basilicas in the diocese are Basilica of Saint John the Baptist in Laren and Basilica of Saint Nicholas in Amsterdam, both in the province of North Holland.^[3]

Statistics

In 2013, the diocese pastorally served 462,000 Catholics (15.8% of 2,915,000 total) on 2,912 km² in 145 parishes, with 194 priests (161 diocesan, 33 religious), 54 deacons, 557 lay religious (81 brothers, 476 sisters).^[1]