Denise Mattson

Catholic Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee

The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, founded in 1975, covers the 18 most northwestern counties of the State of Florida. Although the diocese is young, its roots go back to the first European settlement of this region. A fleet of ships carrying 1,500 colonists sailed into what is now Pensacola Bay on August 15, 1559. On behalf of the Spanish crown, Don Tristan de Luna established the first settlement in what was to become the United States of America. The settlement was abandoned in 1561 due to damage from hurricanes that destroyed the settlers' supplies. Our diocese enjoys the distinction of being a "dual see" diocese. It has two centers from which the bishop governs – Pensacola and Tallahassee. Each see has a cathedral, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pensacola and the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Tallahassee.