DOMINICA

ROSEAU
Though there may have been some Catholic presence on Dominica before, it was only
in the middle of the 17th century - when French missionaries said the first mass (in 
1646) and built the first church (in 1653) - that this presence became permanent.
The island first was under the direct care of the Spanish jurisdictions of Puerto
Rico (until 1790) and Santo Tomás de Guayana (from 1790 onwards). In 1820 it was
transferred to the Apostolic Vicariate of Trinidad and at the reorganisation of this
jurisdiction in 1850 it became the separate diocese of Roseau, suffragan of Port-
of-Spain and also encompassing other Antillian islands like Anguilla, Antigua, the
British and Danish Virgin Islands, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis.
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Bishops

1851 - 1855   Michael Monaghan                               18.. - 1855
1856 - 1858   Michel Désiré Vesque                           1817 - 1858
1859 - 1878   René Marie Charles Poirier                     1... - 1878
1879 - 1900   Michael Naughten                               1835 - 1900
1900 - 1902   vacant
1902 - 1921   Philip Schelfhaut                              1850 - 1921        
1922 - 1957   Jacob Moris                                    1873 - 1957


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