About Our Diocese
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Our Patron Saints
St. Michael the Archangel is the primary patron saint of the diocese. St. Thomas More and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton are additional patron saints.
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DIOCESAN STATISTICS
By the Numbers
14,000 Area of the Diocese (square miles) 51 Parishes 5 Missions 18 Counties in Diocese 63,834 Total Catholic Population Personnel
1 Bishop 2 Retired Bishops 53 Priests: Diocesan Active 5 Priests: Diocesan Active Outside of Diocese 14 Priests: Diocesan Retired 14 Priests: Religious priests serving in the Diocese Religious
64 Permanent Deacons 15 Religious Sisters 8 Brothers 19 Seminarians Education
2 High Schools 1 Special Education (Morning Star) High School 7 Elementary Schools 2 Special Education (Morning Star) Elementary 4 Early Learning Centers 3,518 Total Students
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The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, founded in 1975, covers the 18 most northwestern counties of the State of Florida. Although the diocese is young, its roots go back to the first European settlement of this region. A fleet of ships carrying 1,500 colonists sailed into what is now Pensacola Bay on August 15, 1559. On behalf of the Spanish crown, Don Tristan de Luna established the first settlement in what was to become the United States of America. The settlement was abandoned in 1561 due to damage from hurricanes that destroyed the settlers' supplies.
Our diocese enjoys the distinction of being a "dual see" diocese. It has two centers from which the bishop governs – Pensacola and Tallahassee. Each see has a cathedral, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pensacola and the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Tallahassee.
The Diocesan Coat of Arms
The coat of arms represents both see cities. The upper portion of the crest honors the city of Pensacola and features a gold cross in a red field. In the center of the cross is a white plate and a representation of the Sacred Heart, honoring the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. In the upper-left portion, known as the dexter chief, a white airplane propeller denotes Pensacola as the "Cradle of Naval Aviation," the location of the largest U.S. naval aviation training school in the world.
The lower portion of the coat of arms symbolizes the city of Tallahassee. A red saltire atop a white field mirrors the state flag of Florida, of which Tallahassee is the capital. Three black Morecocks, a symbol of the More family, rest in the compartments formed by the saltire to honor the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More. The black log cabin represents the word “Tallahassee,” a word of Apalachee origin meaning “old town” or “old fields.”
A bishop’s miter appears at the top of the coat of arms to signify that this a diocesan coat of arms. -
Our diocese spans miles of pristine white beaches along the Gulf of Mexico, with rich farmlands and forests of pine and oak farther north.
We INVITE you to come and enjoy the magnificent glory of our Creator with us in The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee.
updated Oct. 11, 2022
