Diocese of Limburg, Germany 🇩🇪

Continent: West Europe

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Limburg / Limburgen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Köln

Neighbouring Dioceses: Trier (↙), Köln (↖), Paderborn (↑), Fulda (→), Mainz (↘)

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint George (April 23)

Cathedral Dedication Anniversary: August 11

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1821.08.16: Established as Diocese of Limburg / Limburgen(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Köln, Diocese of Mainz and Diocese of Trier and became suffragan of Freiburg im Breisgau)
1930.08.13: Gained territory from Diocese of Fulda and became suffragan of Köln
1933: Gained territory from Diocese of Trier

Contact Info

Address: Roßmarkt 4, 65549 Limburg, Germany

Phone: (06431) 295-0

Present Prelates

Bishop (2016.07.01 – ...):	Bishop Georg Bätzing (65)
Auxiliary Bishop (2009.06.15 – ...):	Bishop Thomas Löhr (74) Titular Bishop of Diana

Ordinaries

Bishops of Limburg (Roman Rite)

Bishop Georg Bätzing (65)
(2016.07.01 – ...)

Bishop of Limburg (Germany)

Congrega in unum

Born:	1961.04.13 (Kirchen, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1987.07.18
Consecrated Bishop:	2016.09.18

Priest of Trier (Germany) (1987.07.18 – 2016.07.01)

Chaplain of His Holiness (2005.05.03 – 2016.07.01)

Bishop of Limburg (Germany) (2016.07.01 – ...)

President of German Episcopal Conference (2020.03.03 – 2026.02.24)

Bishop Manfred Grothe (87)
(Apostolic Administrator 2014.03.26 – 2016.07.01)

Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst (66)
(2007.11.28 – 2014.03.26)

Delegate for catechesis of Dicastery for Evangelisation
Delegate of International Council for Catechesis
Bishop emeritus of Limburg (Germany)

In Christo baptizati, Christum induistis

Born:	1959.11.20 (Twisteden, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1985.05.26
Consecrated Bishop:	2004.01.18

Priest of Münster (Germany) (1985.05.26 – 2003.11.14)

Titular Bishop of Girus Tarasii (2003.11.14 – 2007.11.28)

Auxiliary Bishop of Münster (Germany) (2003.11.14 – 2007.11.28)

Bishop of Limburg (Germany) (2007.11.28 – 2014.03.26)

Delegate for catechesis of Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation (2014.12.05 – 2022.06.05)

Delegate for catechesis of Dicastery for Evangelisation (2022.06.05 – ...)

Delegate of International Council for Catechesis (2022.06.05 – ...)

Bishop Franz Kamphaus
(1982.05.03 – 2007.02.02)

Evangelizare pauperibus

Born:	1932.02.02 (Lüdinghausen, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1959.02.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1982.06.13
Died:	2024.10.28 (Aulhausen, Germany † 92)

Priest of Münster (Germany) (1959.02.21 – 1982.05.03)

Bishop of Limburg (Germany) (1982.05.03 – 2007.02.02)

Bishop Wilhelm Kempf
(1949.05.28 – 1981.08.10)

Testimonium veritati

Born:	1906.08.10 (Wiesbaden, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1932.12.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1949.07.25
Died:	1982.10.09 († 76)

Priest of Limburg (Germany) (1932.12.08 – 1949.05.28)

Bishop of Limburg (Germany) ([1949.05.03] 1949.05.28 – 1981.08.10)

Undersecretary of Central Commission for the Coordination of the Postconciliar Work and the Interpretation of Conciliar Resolutions (1962 – 1967)

Bishop Ferdinand Dirichs
(1947.09.24 – 1948.12.27)

Ut vitam habeant

Born:	1894.11.24 (Frankfurt am Main, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1922.12.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1947.11.21
Died:	1948.12.27 († 54)

Priest of Limburg (Germany) (1922.12.23 – 1947.09.24)

Bishop of Limburg (Germany) (1947.09.24 – 1948.12.27)

Bishop Antonius Hilfrich
(1930.10.30 – 1947.02.05)

Opera mea regi

Born:	1873.10.03 (Lindenholzhausen, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1898.10.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1930.06.05
Died:	1947.02.05 († 73)

Priest of Limburg (Germany) (1898.10.28 – 1930.03.31)

Titular Bishop of Sebastopolis (1930.03.31 – 1930.10.30)

Coadjutor Bishop of Limburg (Germany) (1930.03.31 – 1930.10.30)

Bishop of Limburg (Germany) (1930.10.30 – 1947.02.05)

Bishop Augustinus Kilian
(1913.06.04 – 1930.10.30)

Deus fortitudo mea

Born:	1856.11.01 (Eltville, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1881.06.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1913.09.08
Died:	1930.10.30 († 73)

Priest of Limburg (Germany) (1881.06.29 – 1913.06.04)

Bishop of Limburg (Germany) ([1913.01.22] 1913.06.04 – 1930.10.30)

Bishop Dominikus Willi, O. Cist.
(1898.07.22 – 1913.01.06)

Patienter et constanter

Born:	1844.04.20 (Ems, Switzerland)
Ordained Priest:	1867.05.12
Consecrated Bishop:	1898.09.08
Died:	1913.01.06 († 68)

Bishop of Limburg (Germany) ([1898.06.15] 1898.07.22 – 1913.01.06)

Bishop Karl Klein
(1886.09.25 – 1898.02.06)

Born:	1819.01.11 (Frankfurt, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1841.11.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1886.11.04
Died:	1898.02.06 († 79)

Priest of Limburg (Germany) (1841.11.04 – 1886.09.25)

Bishop of Limburg (Germany) (1886.09.25 – 1898.02.06)

Archbishop Johannes Christian Roos
(1885.03.27 – 1886.07.27)

Born:	1826.04.28 (Kamp, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1853.08.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1885.05.17
Died:	1896.10.22 († 70)

Priest of Limburg (Germany) (1853.08.22 – 1885.03.27)

Bishop of Limburg (Germany) ([1885.02.19] 1885.03.27 – 1886.07.27)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany) ([1886.06.02] 1886.07.27 – 1896.10.22)

Bishop Peter Joseph Blum
(1842.05.23 – 1884.12.30)

Born:	1808.04.18 (Geisenheim, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1832.03.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1842.10.02
Died:	1884.12.30 († 76)

Priest of Limburg (Germany) (1832.03.28 – 1842.05.23)

Bishop of Limburg (Germany) ([1842.01.20] 1842.05.23 – 1884.12.30)

Bishop Johann Wilhelm Bausch
(1834.09.30 – 1840.04.09)

Born:	1774.03.17 (Steinbach, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1797.04.15
Consecrated Bishop:	1835.01.25
Died:	1840.04.09 († 66)

Priest of Trier (Germany) (1797.04.15 – 1827)

Priest of Limburg (Germany) (1827 – 1834.09.30)

Bishop of Limburg (Germany) ([1834.01.08] 1834.09.30 – 1840.04.09)

Bishop Jakob Brand
(1827.05.21 – 1833.10.26)

Born:	1776.06.28 (Mespelbrunn, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1802.07.06
Consecrated Bishop:	1827.10.21
Died:	1833.10.26 († 57)

Priest of Mainz (Germany) (1802.07.06 – 1827.05.21)

Bishop of Limburg (Germany) (1827.05.21 – 1833.10.26)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Antonius Hilfrich (1930.03.31 – 1930.10.30)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Gerhard Pieschl (92) (1977.08.24 – 2009.06.15)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Walter Kampe (1952.07.20 – 1984.05.31)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Dom Ss. Georg und Nikolaus, Limburg an der Lahn, Hessen
Minor Basilica: Basilika Mariä Himmelfahrt, Streithausen-Marienstatt, Rheinland-Pfalz
Minor Basilica: Basilika Ss. Dionysius und Valentinus, Kiedrich im Rheingau, Hessen
Jubilee Churches in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016)
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Churches by City (90)

Trier (↙), Köln (↖), Paderborn (↑), Fulda (→), Mainz (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 6,184 km²

Population: 639,000 Catholics (25.2% of 2,537,900 total)

Pastoral Centres: 81 parishes

Personnel: 369 priests (210 diocesan, 159 religious), 38 deacons, 640 religious (208 brothers, 432 sisters), 2 seminarians