Thomas Tobin, bishop of the Diocese of Providence, recently commemorated the 151st anniversary since the creation of the diocese. 

"151 years ago today, on Feb. 16, 1872, the Diocese of Providence was created by Pope Pius IX,” Tobin tweeted Thursday. “We thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed to and through this Local Church, and we pray that God will continue to bless and guide us in the days to come!” 

Initially, the Diocese of Boston covered all of New England. That changed in 1843, when Diocese of Hartford was established to help the Church better address the needs of the growing immigrant community. Rhode Island Catholic says Providence was in the running to be the new diocese at that time, but the Holy See picked Hartford, Connecticut, and that diocese was charged with overseeing Connecticut and Rhode Island. 

The Diocese of Providence was officially created more than 90 years after Catholicism had become established in Rhode Island after many struggles the local Catholics faced. The third bishop of Hartford, Irish-born Pennsylvanian Francis Patrick McFarland, citing a rapid expansion in 1869, suggested splitting the Diocese of Hartford while he was attending the First Vatican Council in Rome, Rhode Island Catholic added. 

Although McFarland's health was declining, he still decided to continue in his role and move to Hartford after a meeting with the bishops of the Province of New York in April 1871. 

McFarland requested the creation of a new diocese with Providence as its center. The Holy See granted permission and on Feb. 16, 1872, Pope Pius IX issued a papal bull creating the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island Catholic said. Father Thomas Francis Hendricken was consecrated as the first bishop of Providence just two months later, on April 28, 1872