Roman Catholic Diocese of Casale Monferrato

The Diocese of Casale Monferrato (Latin: Dioecesis Casalensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in northwest Italy, a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Vercelli which forms part of the ecclesiastical region of Piedmont.[1][2] The diocese, which adheres to the Roman Rite, was established on 18 April 1474; in 2013 it had a population of 104,900 of whom 99,000 were baptised. In that year there was one priest for every 1,125 Catholics. Alceste Catella has been bishop of the diocese since 15 May 2008.

Diocese of Casale Monferrato Dioecesis Casalensis
Casale Monferrato Cathedral
Location
Country	Italy
Ecclesiastical province	Vercelli
Statistics
Area	970 km^2 (370 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics (including non-members)	(as of 2013) 104,900 (est.) 99,000 (est.) (94.4%)
Parishes	115
Information
Denomination	Catholic Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	18 April 1474
Cathedral	Cattedrale di S. Evasio e S. Lorenzo
Secular priests	77 (diocesan) 11 (Religious Orders)
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Alceste Catella
Map
Website
www.webdiocesi.chiesacattolica.it

History

Casale Monferrato, the ancient Bodincomagus, is a city in the province of Alessandria, Piedmont (Italy), on the River Po, and has been a stronghold since the time of the Lombards. Liutprand, King of the Lombards enlarged it, and Emperor Otto II made it the chief town of a marquisate, giving it to the sons of Aleran, Duke of Saxony; later it was inherited by Emperor Michael VIII, Palaeologus, who sent thither his son Theodore. In 1533, the dynasty of the Palaeologi being extinct, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor gave Casale to the House of Gonzaga. From 1681 to 1706 it was in the hands of the French, from whom, in 1713, it passed to the House of Savoy.

Casale was created a see in 1474 by Sixtus IV; previously it belonged to the Diocese of Asti. Its first bishop was Bernardino de Tebaldeschi; his successor was Gian Giorgio Paleologo (1517), who also governed the marquisate for his nephew, a minor. Among its noteworthy bishops were: the Dominican Benedetto Erba (1570), most zealous for the Christian instruction of children and the introduction of the Tridentine reforms, in which good work he was associated with St. Charles Borromeo; he was also the founder of the monti di pietà; Giulio Careta (1614), who imitated other contemporary bishops and founded an oratory for priests, and when the plague was ravaging Casale (1630) himself nursed the sick; Scipione Pasquali (1645), author of a history of the campaign of Charles Emmanuel of Savoy against Montferrat. Among the churches of Casale are the cathedral, one of the finest monuments of Lombard architecture, and that of Sant’Ilario (Hilary of Poitiers).[3]

Bishops of the diocese

• Bernardino de Tebaldeschi (21 May 1474 – 1517 Died)
• Gian Giorgio Paleologo (1517 – 12 Jan 1525 Resigned)
• Bernardino Castellari (13 Jan 1525 – 15 Nov 1529 Resigned)
• Ippolito de' Medici (15 Nov 1529 – 6 Mar 1531 Resigned)
• Bernardino Castellari (6 Mar 1531 – 27 Jun 1546 Died)
• Bernardino della Croce, B. (7 Jun 1546 – 27 Apr 1547 Appointed, Bishop of Asti)
• Francesco Micheli (13 Jul 1548 – 1555 Resigned)
• Scipione d'Este (5 Jun 1555 – 12 Jul 1567 Died)
• Ambrogio Aldegati, O.P. (3 Sep 1567 – 18 Apr 1570 Died)
• Benedetto Erba, O.P. (16 Jun 1570 – 28 Dec 1576 Died)
• Alessandro Andreasi (11 Mar 1577 – 14 Nov 1583 Appointed, Bishop of Mantova)
• Lelio Zimbramonti (14 Nov 1583 – 1589 Died)
• Marcantonio Gonzaga (30 Aug 1589 – 7 May 1592 Died)
• Settimio Borsari (12 Jun 1592 – 29 Apr 1594 Died)[4]
• Jullio del Carretto (13 Jul 1594 – 13 Oct 1614 Died)[5]
• Scipione Pasquali (12 Jan 1615 – 1624 Died)[6]
• Scipione Agnelli (12 Feb 1586 – 1 Oct 1653 Died)
• Gerolamo Francesco Miroglio (29 Nov 1655 – 14 Sep 1679 Died)
• Lelio Ardizzone (13 May 1680 – Nov 1699 Died)
• Pier Secondo Radicati de Cocconato (9 May 1701 – 12 Apr 1728 Appointed, Bishop of Osimo e Cingoli)
• Pier Gerolamo Caravadossi, O.P. (10 May 1728 – 25 May 1746 Died)
• Ignazio della Chiesa de Rodi (28 Nov 1746 – 29 Jul 1758 Died)
• Giuseppe Luigi Avogadro, C.R.L. (19 Nov 1759 – 22 May 1792 Died)
• Teresio Maria Carlo Vittorio Ferrero della Marmora (27 Jun 1796 – 18 May 1803 Resigned)
• Jean-Chrysostome de Villaret (23 Dec 1805 – 3 Oct 1814 Retired)
• Francesco Alciati (1 Oct 1817 – 26 Oct 1828 Died)
• Francesco Maria Icheri di Malabaila (5 Jul 1830 Confirmed – Jul 1846 Died)
• Luigi Giuseppe Nazari di Calabiana (12 Apr 1847 – 27 Mar 1867 Appointed, Archbishop of Milan)
• Pietro Maria Ferré (27 Mar 1867 – 13 Apr 1886 Died)
• Filippo Chiesa (7 Jun 1886 – 3 Nov 1886 Died)
• Edoardo Pulciano (14 Mar 1887 – 11 Jul 1892 Appointed, Bishop of Novara)
• Paolo Maria Barone (11 Jul 1892 – 17 Mar 1903 Resigned)
• Ludovico Gavotti (22 Jun 1903 – 22 Jan 1915 Appointed, Archbishop of Genova)
• Albino Pella (12 Apr 1915 – 17 May 1940 Died)
• Giuseppe Angrisani (1 Jul 1940 – 1 Mar 1971 Retired)
• Carlo Cavalla (1 Mar 1971 – 3 Jun 1995 Retired)
• Germano Zaccheo (3 Jun 1995 – 20 Nov 2007 Died)
• Alceste Catella (15 May 2008 – )

Parishes

The diocese, which covers an area of 970 km², is divided into 115 parishes.[7] The majority, like Casale itself, are in the Province of Alessandria, while the rest are divided between the provinces of Asti and Turin. A list of parishes by province and commune follows; locations (villages or neighbourhoods) within a commune are shown in brackets.

Province of Alessandria

Alfiano Natta

S. Antonio Abate (Sanico)

S. Eusebio (Cardona)

S. Marziano.[8]

Altavilla Monferrato

S. Giulio.[9]

S. Defendente (Franchini).[10]

Balzola

Assunzione di Maria Vergine.[11]

Borgo San Martino

Santi Quirico e Giulitta.[12]

Bozzole

Visitazione di Maria Vergine

Cabella Ligure

SS. Nome di Maria (Guazzolo)

Camagna Monferrato

S. Eusebio

Camino

S. Lorenzo

S. Pietro Apostolo (Castel San Pietro)

Casale Monferrato

Addolorata.:[13] Assunzione di Maria Vergine (Oltreponte).[14]

Castello.[15][16]

Cuore Immacolato di Maria

Sacro Cuore di Gesù

S. Clemente (Rolasco)

S. Domenico

Sant’Evasio

S. Germano (San Germano).[15]

S. Giacomo Apostolo (Terranova)

S. Giovanni Battista (Casale Popolo)

Sant’Ilario.[17]

Patrocinio di S. Giuseppe (Roncaglia)

S. Maria degli Angeli (Santa Maria del Tempio)

Natività di Maria Santissima (Grangia di Gazzo).[18]

Santi Maria e Carlo

Santo Stefano.[19]

Spirito Santo

Castelletto Merli

S. Eusebio

Castelletto Monferrato

S. Siro

Cella Monte

Santi Quirico e Giulitta

Cereseto Monferrato

S. Pietro Apostolo

Cerrina Monferrato

Natività di Maria Vergine (Montalero)

S. Candido (Montaldo)

Santi Nazario e Celso

Coniolo

Assunzione di Maria Vergine

Conzano

S. Lucia

S. Maurizio (San Maurizio)

Cuccaro Monferrato

Assunzione di Maria Vergine

Frassinello Monferrato

Assunzione di Maria Vergine

Frassineto Po

S. Ambrogio

Fubine

Assunzione di Maria Vergine

Gabiano

S. Carpoforo (Cantavenna)

S. Pietro Apostolo

Santi Aurelio e Eusebio (Varengo)

Giarole

S. Pietro Apostolo

Lu

S. Valerio

Mirabello Monferrato

S. Vincenzo

Mombello Monferrato

S. Bononio Abate (Pozzengo)

Santi Pietro e Anna

Santo Spirito (Casalino)

Moncestino

Assunzione di Maria Vergine

Morano sul Po

S. Giovanni Battista

Murisengo

Natività di Maria Vergine (Sorina)

S. Antonio Abate

S. Candido (S. Candido)

Occimiano

S. Valerio

Odalengo Grande

S. Quirico

Odalengo Piccolo

Santi Maria e Pietro Apostolo

Olivola

S. Pietro Apostolo

Ottiglio

Santi Eusebio e Germano

Ozzano Monferrato

S. Salvatore

Pomaro Monferrato

S. Sabina

Pontestura

S. Agata

Natività di Maria Vergine (Quarti)

Ponzano Monferrato

S. Antonio Abate (Salabue)

S. Giovanni Battista

Rosignano Monferrato

S. Giacomo Apostolo (Stevani)

S. Martino (San Martino)

S. Vittore Martire

Sala Monferrato

Natività di Maria Vergine

San Giorgio Monferrato

S. Giorgio

San Salvatore Monferrato

S. Anna (Fosseto)

Santi Martino e Siro

Serralunga di Crea

Madonna di Crea

Solonghello

Santi Andrea e Eusebio

Terruggia

S. Martino

Ticineto

Assunzione di Maria Vergine

Treville

S. Ambrogio

Valenza

S. Agata (Villabella)

Valmacca

Natività di Maria Vergine

Vignale Monferrato

S. Bartolomeo

Villadeati

S. Giorgio (Zanco)

Santi Remigio e Grato

Villamiroglio

S. Stefano (Vallegioliti)

Santi Filippo e Michele

Villanova Monferrato

S. Emiliano

Province of Asti

Calliano

S. Desiderio (S. Desiderio)

SS. Nome di Maria

Casorzo

S. Vincenzo

Cocconato

S. Maria della Consolazione

Cortiglione

S. Eusebio

Grana

Assunzione di Maria Vergine

Grazzano Badoglio

Santi Vittore e Corona

Moncalvo

S. Antonio di Padova

Montemagno

Santi Martino e Stefano

Montiglio Monferrato

S. Anna (Sant’Anna)

Santi Antonio e Giacomo (Carboneri)

S. Lorenzo

S. Maria (Scandeluzza)

S. Vittore (Colcavagno)

Moransengo

Santi Agata e Vitale

Penango

S. Grato

S. Vittore (Cioccaro)

Robella

S. Giacomo

Tonco

Santi Maria e Giuseppe

Tonengo

Concezione Immacolata di Maria Vergine

Province of Turin

Brozolo

S. Giorgio

Brusasco

S. Pietro Apostolo

S. Pietro Apostolo (Marcorengo)

Cavagnolo

Santi Eusebio e Secondo

Monteu da Po

S. Giovanni Battista

Rivalba

S. Rocco

Verrua Savoia

S. Giovanni Battista

Santi Sebastiano e Giacomo (Sulpiano)

Map of the Diocese

Statistics

At the end of 2006 the diocese had a population of 103,900 of whom 97.7% had been baptised as Catholics.[20]

Year	Population			Priests				Deacons	Religious		Parishes
	baptised	total	%	number	secular	regular	baptised per priest		men	women
1949	138,268	138,358	99.9	385	256	129	359		140	670	146
1959	133,482			349	241	108	382		180	635	146
1970	128,750	129,000	99.8	266	188	78	484		108	505	147
1980	118,300	119,000	99.4	191	148	43	619	1	55	332	148
1990	107,000	109,217	98.0	165	124	41	648	8	49	230	115
1999	102,500	104,900	97.7	135	106	29	759	8	33	165	115
2000	102,500	105,100	97.5	132	103	29	776	9	35	159	115
2001	102,450	105,080	97.5	128	100	28	800	12	34	163	115
2002	101,700	104,058	97.7	126	96	30	807	13	34	160	115
2003	101,700	104,000	97.8	127	98	29	800	13	33	150	115
2004	101,200	103,500	97.8	129	100	29	784	12	33	145	115
2006	101,500	103,900	97.7	125	97	28	812	13	32	149	115

References

1. "Diocese of Casale Monferrato" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved January 30, 2016
2. "Diocese of Casale Monferrato" GCatholic.org. Gabriel Chow. Retrieved February 14, 2016
3. History section taken originally from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia article on Casale Monferrato which is unfortunately strewn with errors.
4. "Bishop Settimio Borsari" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved March 21, 2016
5. "Bishop Jullio del Carretto" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved March 21, 2016
6. "Bishop Scipione Pasquali" Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved November 24, 2016
7. "Diocesi di Casale Monferrato: Parrocchie". Diocesi di Casale Monferrato.
8. The antiquity of the parish is uncertain, but it became a pieve of the Diocese of Asti between 836 and 886. It passed to Casale between 1474 and 1577, returned to Asti in 1805 and passed again finally to Casale in 1817. ‘Alfiano Natta’, MonferratoArte. A databank established by the Associazione Casalese Arte e Storia as an amplified version of C. Aletto, Chiese extraurbane della Diocesi di Casale Monferrato: repertorio storico-biografico degli edifici di culto (San Salvatore Monferrato: 2006).
9. The parish existed under this dedication from time immemorial. Later dedications were to S. Michele and to S. Maria degli Angeli, returning to S. Giulio (albeit in a new parish church) in 1630. Until the creation of the Diocese of Casale this formed part of the Diocese of Vercelli. ‘Altavilla Monferrato’, MonferratoArte. A databank established by the Associazione Casalese Arte e Storia as an amplified version of C. Aletto, Chiese extraurbane della Diocesi di Casale Monferrato: repertorio storico-biografico degli edifici di culto (San Salvatore Monferrato: 2006).
10. The parish of S. Defendente was created 20 October 1821. ‘Franchini’, MonferratoArte. A databank established by the Associazione Casalese Arte e Storia as an amplified version of C. Aletto, Chiese extraurbane della Diocesi di Casale Monferrato: repertorio storico-biografico degli edifici di culto (San Salvatore Monferrato: 2006).
11. This appears on a mid-tenth-century list of the pievi of the Diocese of Vercelli, and may well date back to times of Saint Eusebius. It was among the original parishes of the Diocese of Casale, although it returned to Vercelli’s jurisdiction for the years 1805–1817. ‘Balzola’, MonferratoArte. A databank established by the Associazione Casalese Arte e Storia as an amplified version of C. Aletto, Chiese extraurbane della Diocesi di Casale Monferrato: repertorio storico-biografico degli edifici di culto (San Salvatore Monferrato: 2006).
12. Ss. Quirico e Giulitta is thought to have been part of the Diocese of Pavia from the Early Middle Ages until 1805 when it passed to the Diocese of Alessandria; the following year it passed to that of Casale. ‘Borgo San Martino’, MonferratoArte. A databank established by the Associazione Casalese Arte e Storia as an amplified version of C. Aletto, Chiese extraurbane della Diocesi di Casale Monferrato: repertorio storico-biografico degli edifici di culto (San Salvatore Monferrato: 2006).
13. A parish, located in the Borgo Ala quarter to the east of the old city walls, founded in 1802 as SS. Crocifisso e B.V. Addolorata. The church had been built in the previous century for the lay confraternity of SS. Crocifisso e B.V. Addolorata, founded in 1614 and the custodians of the ‘Entierro’, a Good Friday devotional tradition. Designed by Francesco Ottavio Magnocavalli, the church contains wooden statues of the crucifixion and of the Addolorata (Our Lady of Sorrows) by the sculptor Felice Cassini. The parish’s name was changed to Addolorata in 1987.
14. The parish church, located in a suburb of Casale to the north of the Po which developed after the Second World War, was built in 1959. Grignolio, Idro (1983), Casale Monferrato, Casale Monferrato: Media Editrice / Pro Loco Casale, p. 343.
15. The collegiate church of San Germano was parished in 1578. It was rebuilt in 1780 on a new site, and on a larger scale, to a design by Magnocavalli. Casalis, Goffredo, ed. (1836), "Casale", Dizionario geografico storico-statistico-commerciale degli stati di s. m. il re di Sardegna, III, Torino, p. 673.
16. A former parish (still extant in the 1830s) served by Nostra Donna della Concezione: a small church founded in 1623 and used by the castle’s garrison
17. The parish of Sant'Ilario was erected in 1520. Casalis, Goffredo, ed. (1836), "Casale", Dizionario geografico storico-statistico-commerciale degli stati di s. m. il re di Sardegna, III, Torino, p. 672.
18. Of unknown antiquity, but certainly created before it passed from the diocese of Vercelli to that of Casale in 1574, the parish was united with that of Terranova in 1872. ‘Terranova’, MonferratoArte. A databank established by the Associazione Casalese Arte e Storia as an amplified version of C. Aletto, Chiese extraurbane della Diocesi di Casale Monferrato: repertorio storico-biografico degli edifici di culto (San Salvatore Monferrato: 2006).
19. The parish was erected a little before 1500. Casalis, Goffredo, ed. (1836), "Casale", Dizionario geografico storico-statistico-commerciale degli stati di s. m. il re di Sardegna, III, Torino, p. 671.
20. • Annuario pontificio for the years up to 2007 as reported by www.catholic-hierarchy.org on the page

External links

• "Diocesi di CASALE MONFERRATO - Chiesa Cattolica Italiana" (in Italian). Official site of the Diocese of Casale Monferrato
• La Vita Casalese (in Italian) Weekly newspaper with web supplement offering news and comment on the Diocese of Casale Monferrato, published by Editrice Fondazione Sant'Evasio - Casale Monf. (AL)
• MonferratoArte (in Italian) A historical and bibliographical directory of artists active in the extra-urban churches of the Diocese of Casale Monferrato.

acknowledgments

• This article was based in part on its it:Diocesi di Casale Monferrato counterpart in the Italian Wikipedia as retrieved on 3 October 2007.
• U. Benigni (1913). "Casale Monferatto" . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.