Diocesan Facts & Figures

  • The Diocese of Massachusetts covers the eastern part of Massachusetts; the rest of the state is in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, whose cathedral is in Springfield
  • There are approximately 77,000 church members in the Diocese
  • There are approximately 190 parishes in the Diocese
  • Boston is the see of the Diocese
  • The diocesan offices and the cathedral are located at 138 Tremont St. in Boston
  • The Diocese is overseen by three bishops and a staff of 40
  • Diocesan Bishop M. Thomas Shaw is a member of the Society of St. John the Evangelist, a fraternal order of monks
  • The budget for the Diocese, which includes mission funding, is approximately $7.7 million per year
  • The Diocese is a member of Province I (New England) of the Episcopal Church
  • The Diocese was one of the nine original dioceses in the Episcopal Church
  • The first woman bishop in the Anglican Communion was Barbara C. Harris, retired suffragan bishop of Massachusetts
  • Edward Bass, the first bishop of Massachusetts, was a descendent of John Alden and Priscilla Mullens, made famous by Longfellow's The Courtship of Miles Standish.