The present Diocese of Portland includes all of the State of Maine and is part of the Province of Boston. Established by Pius IX, July 29, 1853, the Diocese of Portland then included the territorial limits of the present states of Maine and New Hampshire. Previous to that time, it was under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Baltimore and later of the Bishop of Boston. In 1884, the diocese was divided and New Hampshire was established as a separate diocese with the Episcopal see located at Manchester. Bishop Richard. J. Malone, Th.D., who was installed March 31, 2004, serves as the present bishop of the Diocese of Portland.

The diocese presently has an area of 33,215 square miles and a population of 198,296 registered Catholics, or one-sixth of the total population of the State of Maine. It is organized in the form of a corporation sole, the title of which is "Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland." In addition to its 66 parishes, it has 12 elementary schools, 1 private elementary school, 1 diocesan high school and 2 private high schools serving 4394 students. It also includes one Catholic college, Saint Joseph's College of Maine in Standish.

Within the Diocese there are also 8 homes for the aged, four day care and extended day care centers and one health care center. There are three Catholic hospitals operating independently of the diocese as well as Catholic Charities Maine, the state's largest social service agency, which operates as its own corporation sole.

The Seal of the Diocese of Portland is composed of a blue field on which is displayed a "scattering" of gold (yellow) pine cones. These arms are based on the ancient French royal family arms to reflect the fact that the first attempts to settle what is now the State of Maine were made by the French under de Monts, who received a royal patent from the King of France, and planted a small colony on Montral (St. Croix) Island in the St. Croix River in 1604. In this design, the gold fleur-de-lis, of the French royal family arms, have been replaced by gold (yellow) pine cone, to reflect that Maine is "The Pine Tree State", and that the Diocese of Portland covers the entire State of Maine. The arms of the Diocese of Portland have been in use since the diocese was erected in 1853 by The Holy See.

Offices of the Diocese of Portland are based at:

The Chancery
510 Ocean Avenue
Portland, ME 04103

Mailing Address:

Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
P.O. Box 11559
Portland, ME 04104

Telephone: (207) 772-1384

Our regular office hours are 9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M, Monday through Friday.

Summer office hours (June-August) are 8:30AM to 4:30PM, Monday through Thursday and 8:30AM to 12:00PM, Friday.