Diocese of Aachen, Germany

Continent: West Europe

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Aachen (Deutsch) / Aix-la-Chappelle (français) / Aquisgrana (Italiano) / Aquisgranen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Köln

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Aufnahme Mariens in den Himmel (August 15)

Cathedral Dedication Anniversary: July 17

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1801.11.29: Established as Diocese of Aachen (Deutsch) / Aix-la-Chappelle (français) / Aquisgrana (Italiano) / Aquisgranen(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Köln, Diocese of Liège, Diocese of Münster and Mission sui juris of Batavia, from the suppressed Diocese of Roermond and became suffragan of Mechelen)
1808: Gained territory from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Köln
1821.07.16: Suppressed (to Metropolitan Archdiocese of Köln, Diocese of Münster and Diocese of Trier)
1930.08.13: Restored as Diocese of Aachen (Deutsch) / Aix-la-Chappelle (français) / Aquisgrana (Italiano) / Aquisgranen(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Köln and Diocese of Münster and became suffragan of Köln)

Contact Info

Address: Klosterplatz 7, 52062 Aachen, Germany

Phone: (0241) 452-0

Present Prelates

Bishop (2016.09.23 – ...):	Bishop Helmut Karl Dieser (62)
Auxiliary Bishop (2003.11.21 – ...):	Bishop Karl Borsch (65) Titular Bishop of Crepedula

Ordinaries

Bishops of Aachen (Roman Rite)

Bishop Helmut Karl Dieser (62)
(2016.09.23 – ...)

Bishop of Aachen (Germany)

Pax Dei omnem sensum exsuperat

Born:	1962.05.15 (Neuwied, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1989.07.08
Consecrated Bishop:	2011.06.05

Priest of Trier (Germany) (1989.07.08 – 2011.02.24)

Titular Bishop of Narona (2011.02.24 – 2016.09.23)

Auxiliary Bishop of Trier (Germany) (2011.02.24 – 2016.09.23)

Bishop of Aachen (Germany) (2016.09.23 – ...)

Bishop Karl Borsch (65)
(Apostolic Administrator 2015.12.08 – 2016.09.23)

Bishop Heinrich Mussinghoff (84)
(1994.12.12 – 2015.12.08)

Bishop emeritus of Aachen (Germany)

Parate viam Domini

Born:	1940.10.29 (Osterwick, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1968.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1995.02.11

Priest of Münster (Germany) (1968.06.29 – 1994.12.12)

Bishop of Aachen (Germany) (1994.12.12 – 2015.12.08)

Vice-President of German Episcopal Conference (1999.09.21 – 2011.10.05)

Bishop Klaus Hemmerle
(1975.09.09 – 1994.01.23)

Omnes unum ut mundus credat

Born:	1929.04.03 (Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1952.05.25
Consecrated Bishop:	1975.11.08
Died:	1994.01.23 († 64)

Bishop of Aachen (Germany) (1975.09.09 – 1994.01.23)

Bishop Johannes Pohlschneider
(1954.08.30 – 1974.12.13)

Christus pax nostra

Born:	1899.04.18 (Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1924.04.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1954.11.18
Died:	1981.03.07 († 81)

Bishop of Aachen (Germany) (1954.08.30 – 1974.12.13)

Bishop Johannes Joseph van der Velden
(1943.09.07 – 1954.05.19)

In cruce salus

Born:	1891.08.07 (Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1915.06.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1943.10.10
Died:	1954.05.19 († 62)

Bishop of Aachen (Germany) (1943.09.07 – 1954.05.19)

Bishop Hermann Joseph Sträter
(Apostolic Administrator 1938.05.15 – 1943.03.16)

Bishop Joseph Vogt
(1931.01.30 – 1937.10.05)

Caritas urget

Born:	1865.09.08 (Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1888.08.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1931.03.19
Died:	1937.10.05 († 72)

Bishop of Aachen (Germany) ([1930.12.10] 1931.01.30 – 1937.10.05)

Bishop Marc-Antoine Berdolet
(1802 – 1809.08.13)

Born:	1740.09.13 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1767.04.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1796.08.15
Died:	1809.08.13 († 68)

Bishop of Aachen (Germany) (1802 – 1809.08.13)

Former Prelates

Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Johannes Bündgens (68) (2006.03.15 – 2022.11.08)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Karl Reger (1986.12.23 – 2006.03.15)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Augustus Peters (1981.04.06 – 1986.05.03)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Maximilian Goffart (1977.12.02 – 1980.07.17)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Ernst Franz Gerd Werner Dicke (96) (1970.02.16 – 2003.11.21)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Joseph Ludwig Buchkremer (1961.10.28 – 1979.10.04)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Friedrich Hünermann (1938.12.03 – 1969.02.15)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Hermann Joseph Sträter (1931.10.16 – 1943.03.16)

Special Churches

Cathedral, World Heritage Site: Kaiserdom Unserer Lieben Frau, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen
Minor Basilica: Basilika SS. Potentinus, Felicius und Simplicius, Kall-Steinfeld, Nordrhein-Westfalen
Minor Basilica: Münster-Basilika St. Vitus, Mönchengladbach, Nordrhein-Westfalen
Jubilee Churches in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016)
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Liège (←), Roermond (↖), Münster (↑), Essen (↗), Köln (→), Trier (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 4,020 km²

Population: 1,032,000 Catholics (50.7% of 2,034,474 total)

Pastoral Centres: 326 parishes, 8 missions

Personnel: 349 priests (307 diocesan, 42 religious), 77 deacons, 532 religious (54 brothers, 478 sisters), 9 seminarians