Diocesan Profile
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According to Canon Law, a diocese is a portion of the people of God which is entrusted for pastoral care to a bishop with the cooperation of the presbyterate so that, adhering to its pastor and gathered by him in the Holy Spirit through the gospel and the Eucharist, it constitutes a particular church in which the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church of Christ is present and operative. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse includes 196,897 Catholics residing in seven counties of Central and South Central New York State. The seven counties are Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga and Oswego.The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse is served by Bishop Douglas J. Lucia
The Diocese of Syracuse has 103 parishes and 130 worship sites. There is one Catholic Hospital in the diocese and six area Catholic Charities. There are 17 Catholic schools, three of which are diocesan Junior/Senior high schools. The diocese employs approximately 3,000 people.Parish: a specific community of the Christian faithful within a diocese under the authority of a pastor, parochial administrator, or parish life director. Most parishes are formed on a geographic basis but may be formed along national or ethnic lines.Worship site is a building designated for religious services.Note: The key difference is that a parish refers to the people or community, whereas a worship site is the physical location where that community gathers for worship. A single parish may have one main worship site (the parish church) or multiple secondary sites, but it is the community aspect of the parish that distinguishes it from a mere building.
For additional information, please visit the Office of Pastoral Planning webpage.The Bishop's Office is located at
240 East Onondaga Street
Syracuse, NY 13202Phone: (315) 422-7203
Fax: (315) 478-4619
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