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Latin Catholic diocese in Northern Ireland From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Diocese of Down and Connor, (Latin: Dioecesis Dunensis et Connorensis; Irish: Deoise an Dúin agus Chonaire) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Northern Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Armagh. Bishop Alan McGuckian is Bishop.
Diocese of Down and Connor Dioecesis Dunensis et Connorensis Deoise An Dúin agus Chonaire | |
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Location | |
Country | Northern Ireland |
Territory | Most of counties Antrim and Down and part of County Londonderry |
Ecclesiastical province | Province of Armagh |
Coordinates | 54.924°N 6.102°W |
Statistics | |
Area | 934 sq mi (2,420 km2) |
Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2019) 977,600 402,470 (41.2%) |
Parishes | 87 |
Information | |
Denomination | Catholic Church |
Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Established | 1453 (Union of the dioceses of Down and Connor) |
Cathedral | St Peter's Cathedral, Belfast |
Patron saint | St Malachy and St MacNissi |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | Alan McGuckian |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Eamon Martin |
Vicar General | Fr Eugene O'Hagan (The Priests) and Canon John Murray |
Judicial Vicar | Fr Joseph Rooney |
Map | |
Website | |
www |
The territorial remit of the diocese includes much of counties Antrim and Down, including the cities of Belfast, Lisburn and Bangor, and the large towns Antrim, Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Downpatrick, Holywood, Larne and Newtownards. The population of the diocese is about one million, of which approximately 30% are Roman Catholic with Sunday mass attendance estimated at 20%.[1] There are currently 88 parishes and ministries in the diocese served by fewer than 100 priests, though the significance of individual parishes has been overtaken by the development of 'pastoral communities'. The diocese is Ireland's second largest in terms of population (after the Archdiocese of Dublin).[1]
St Fergus (died 583) is named as first Bishop of Down. The Diocese of Connor was founded in 480 by St Macnissi, and St Malachy was bishop there (1124). The dioceses of Down and Connor were permanently joined in 1439.
In 1670, as an effect of the Reformation, wars, and penal laws, in the whole of Down and Connor there were only 2,500 Catholic families. When at length the pressure of penal legislation was removed Catholicism revived rapidly.
In the period 1810–1840, a period of relaxation of the penal laws culminating in Catholic Emancipation, an estimated forty new churches were built, mostly in the rural parts of the diocese. This progress made under William Crolly (1825–1835) and Cornelius Denvir (1835–65) was continued as Belfast expanded as a city, under Patrick Dorrian (1865–86) and Patrick MacAlister (1886–95) and Henry Henry (1895–1908).
A diocesan chapter was erected in December 1920 in line with the 1917 Code of Canon Law. At the time of Partition it was one of only two Catholic dioceses to be wholly inside the new jurisdiction of Northern Ireland, the Catholic population at the time being estimated at 180,000 souls, served by 160 diocesan priests. [2]
(The Down and Connor Directory)
Listed are city parishes listed by the Diocese of Down and Connor.
Listed are country parishes listed by the Diocese of Down and Connor.
Bishop Patrick Walsh, Bishop Anthony Farquhar and Bishop Donal McKeown met with Pope Benedict XVI on the first morning of their visit. They spoke with the Pope for 20 minutes privately in which they discussed things like education, child sexual abuse, peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.[56]
Bishop Treanor joined other Irish bishops in February 2017 for the ad limina visit.[57] Unlike previous visits there were no private meetings with diocesan bishops and Pope Francis, rather the Pontiff spoke with the bishops together.[58]
Ordinaries
The following is a basic list of the Roman Catholic bishops and vicars apostolic.[59][60]
Auxiliary bishops
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