Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson

The Diocese of Paterson comprises New Jersey’s three northwest counties of Morris, Passaic, and Sussex, with an area of 1,214 square miles and a population of 1,134,000. The diocese counts some 430,000 Catholics across a rich tapestry of 106 parishes, where Mass is offered in 14 languages, and it is a good neighbor to five Eastern-rite Churches.

Pope Pius XI created the diocese in 1937 by separating the three counties from the then Diocese of Newark. It includes 22 Catholic Schools, 70 Catholic Charities programs, and various ministries in the three counties of Passaic, Morris, and Sussex in northern New Jersey.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney is the leader of the Diocese of Paterson and was appointed by Pope Francis. He was ordained bishop and installed as the eighth bishop of the diocese on July 1, 2020.

The diocese also includes some 280 diocesan priests, 60 religious priests, 20 religious order brothers, and 381 consecrated religious women. Together with many lay parishioners and employees within the parishes, schools, ministries, and offices of the Diocese of Paterson, they support the evangelizing faith mission of the bishop and the diocese. 

The see city, Paterson, located on the eastern edge of the diocese, is New Jersey’s third-largest city. St. John the Baptist Parish in Paterson, established in 1820, was designated Cathedral in 1937. Just 1,214 square miles in territory, the diocese has an interesting composition of urban, suburban, and rural communities. 

Learn more about the Diocese of Paterson and Bishop Sweeney by visiting patersondiocese.org, beaconnj.org, or our social media channels.