Diocese of Kielce

(Russian KIELTZY; Latin KIELCENSIS)

Diocese in the sourthern part of Russian Poland, comprises the government (province) of Kielce and a part of the government of Piotrkow. Kielce, the episcopal see, contains four Catholic churches, one Orthodox and one Protestant church, and a Jewish synagogue. The church of the Assumption, now the cathedral, was founded in 1173 by Gedeon, Bishop of Cracow. The beautiful church of the Holy Trinity was founded in 1646. The church of St. Adalbert (twelfth century) is built where, according to tradition, the saint suffered martyrdom. The church of St. Michael the Archangel was founded in 1221 by Ivan Odrowazi, Bishop of Cracow. The diocesan seminary was founded by Bishop Szaniawski in 1727, and now (1910) has ten professors and seventy-nine seminarians. Kielce has also a hospital, in charge of the Sisters of Charity, and two high schools. The Diocese of Kielce, first erected in 1807 by Pius VII, was separated from and made subject to the Archdiocese of Cracow. At present it is a suffragan of Warsaw. The first bishop, Adalbert de Boza Gorski (1753-1817), of Cracow, incurred the enmity of the Russians, and on his death the diocese was suppressed and again added to Cracow. Afterwards, owing to strong Russian supervision, it was detached from Cracow and placed under Warsaw. Pope Leo XIII re-established the diocese 26 December, 1882. The second bishop was Thomas Theophilus Kulinski (1823-1907), who was on fairly harmonious terms with the Russian Government, but since his death the see has been vacant. The diocese, divided into eight deaneries, has (1910) 944,604 Catholics; 5325 Orthodox; 3560 Protestants; and 103,759 Jews; 242 parish churches; 21 other churches; 141 chapels; 339 secular clergy, and 8 Franciscans, the only regular clergy permitted by the Government; 1 convent of Norbertines with 12 nuns; and 10 establishments of the Sisters of Charity with 47 sisters.

Elenchus omnium ecclesiarum diæcesis Kielcensis (Kielce, 1910); PUCHALSKI, Seminaryum Kieleckie: rys historyczny (Kielce, 1901); BATTANDIER, Ann. Pontifical (Paris, 1910).

ANDREW J. SHIPMAN