Vasto
The Archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto
Hi everyone! Today I will talk to you about the Archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto, a metropolitan see of the Catholic Church in Italy, located in the ecclesiastical region of Abruzzo-Molise. The archdiocese is led by Bruno Forte as archbishop and is composed of a total of 91 municipalities in Abruzzo, divided into two distinct provinces. In 2021, it had a population of 312,827 inhabitants, of which 284,205 were baptized.
Territory
The territory of the archdiocese covers an area of 2,539 km² and is divided into 144 parishes. The main seat is in Chieti, where the San Giustino Cathedral is located. In Vasto, on the other hand, is the Duomo di Vasto. The archdiocese includes two minor basilicas: the Basilica of the Holy Face in Manoppello and the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Miracles in Casalbordino.
Furthermore, the archdiocese is divided into 10 pastoral zones or "foranes": Atessa, Casoli, Chieti, Chieti Scalo, Fossacesia-Casalbordino, Francavilla al Mare, Gissi, Guardiagrele, Scafa, and Vasto. The ecclesiastical province of Chieti-Vasto includes only one suffragan diocese, the Archdiocese of Lanciano-Ortona.
Religious Institutes
The Archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto hosts various male and female religious institutions. Among the male religious institutes, for example, are the Regular Clerics Ministers of the Sick, the Regular Minor Clerics, the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ, and the Christian Brothers of St. Gabriel.
Among the female religious institutes, on the other hand, there are, for example, the Clarisse Nuns, the Daughters of Love of Jesus and Mary, the Adorers of the Blood of Christ Sisters, the Clarisse Sisters of the Most Holy Annunciation, and the Dominican Sisters of the Holy Mary of Nazareth's Work. These are just some examples. In total, there are many more religious congregations within the archdiocese.
History
Today's Archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto was born in 1986 from the union of two previous episcopal sees: the Diocese of Chieti, which can be historically documented since the first half of the 9th century, and the Diocese of Vasto, established on July 23, 1853.
The cultural and artistic heritage of the archdiocese is very rich and varied. Among the most important works of art, we find the organ of the Vasto Cathedral, built between the 18th and 19th centuries, and the Tabernacle of St. Andrew, a work of the 15th century preserved in the Cathedral of Guardiagrele.
Moreover, the Archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto is characterized by numerous religious traditions and celebrations, including that of the Madonna of Miracles in the sanctuary of Casalbordino, the adoration of the Holy Face in Manoppello, and the festival of St. Panfilo, the patron saint of Chieti.
So, this is a brief summary of the Archdiocese of Chieti-Vasto. I hope you enjoyed it and found it interesting to learn more about the history and religious institutions of the area. Thank you for reading!
