Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Halifax–Yarmouth explained

Jurisdiction:Archdiocese
Halifax–Yarmouth
Latin:Archidioecesis Halifaxiensis–Yarmuthensis
Country: Canada
Metropolitan:Halifax, Nova Scotia
Territory:Central Nova Scotia
Province:Halifax–Yarmouth
Area Km2:34,055
Population:807,605
Population As Of:2022
Catholics:215,880
Catholics Percent:26.7
Parishes:66
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Rite:Roman Rite
Established:4 September 1817
Cathedral:St. Mary's Basilica
Bishop:Brian Joseph Dunn
Bishop Title:Archbishop

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Halifax–Yarmouth (Latin: Archidioecesis Halifaxiensis–Yarmuthensis) is a Latin Church archdiocese that includes part of the civil province of Nova Scotia.

The Archdiocese of Halifax–Yarmouth has both a cathedral, St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica, in Halifax, and a co-cathedral St. Ambrose Co-Cathedral, in Yarmouth. Since 2020, the diocesan ordinary has been Archbishop Brian Dunn.

History

In 1784, catholics in the town of Halifax decided to build a church after the penal statutes against popery were repealed. A small chapel, St. Peter's, was erected on a site at the south end of the town of Halifax in July of that year. The wardens of St. Peter's also petitioned Bishop John Butler of Cork, Ireland to send Father James Jones, who knew many Irish settlers in Halifax and had expressed interest in coming to serve the church in North America.[1]

In 1801, Bishop Pierre Denaut of Quebec, somewhat alarmed at the radical developments at St. Peter's parish in Halifax after Father James Jones' departure, had asked Father Edmund Burke, the Vicar General of Upper Canada, to move to Halifax to tackle the situation.

On territory originally a part of the Diocese of Quebec, including the whole of Nova Scotia, the future Diocese of Halifax was established on 4 September 1817 as the Apostolic Vicariate of Nova Scotia, a pre-diocesan jurisdiction entitled to a titular bishop and exempt (i.e., directly subject to the Holy See and not part of any ecclesiastical province), with Edmund Burke as the Vicar Apostolic of Nova Scotia. He was consecrated on July 5th 1818 as Titular Bishop of Sion by Bishop Joseph-Octave Plessis.

It was elevated to a bishopric on 15 February 1842 and on 22 September 1844 lost territory to establish the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arichat, now (as the Diocese of Antigonish) one of its suffragans.

In 1852, the Diocese of Halifax was elevated to an archdiocese[2] and an ecclesiastical province was also created from dioceses of Arichat, Charlottetown and Fredericton, along with the Archdiocese of Halifax. Bishop William Walsh became the first Archbishop of Halifax.[1]

It lost territory twice more: on 19 February 1953 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Bermuda Islands and on 6 July 1953 to establish the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yarmouth.[3]

The Archdiocese of Halifax enjoyed a papal visit from Pope John Paul II in September 1984; that year was the 200th anniversary of the precedent set by the laity of Halifax of forcing the repeal of the anti-Catholic legislation in Nova Scotia, and the British Empire.[1]

In December 2011, the Diocese of Yarmouth was merged back into the Archdiocese of Halifax, creating the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth,[4] which was renamed by absorbing its title. The former cathedral became the St. Ambrose Co-Cathedral, in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

Extent and province

The Archdiocese of Halifax–Yarmouth covers 34,055 square kilometers. As of 2021, the archdiocese contained 66 parishes, 58 active diocesan priests, 7 religious priests, and 215,880 Catholics. It also had 87 women religious, 7 religious brothers, and 41 permanent deacons.[5]

The metropolitan archbishop heads an ecclesiastical province which includes the suffragan dioceses of Antigonish and Charlottetown.

Bishops

(all Roman Rite)

Apostolic Vicars of Nova Scotia
Suffragan Bishops of Halifax
Metropolitan Archbishops of Halifax
Metropolitan Archbishops of Halifax-Yarmouth
Coadjutor bishops
Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

Sources and external links

44.6444°N -63.5733°W

Notes and References

  1. Book: Hanington . J. Brian . Every Popish Person . 1984 . Archdiocese of Halifax . Hong Kong . 0-9691712-0-X.
  2. Web site: Archdiocese of Halifax. 2009. Kevin Knight. NewAdvent.org. 2011-05-10.
  3. Web site: A History Of Our Church . . Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton in Bermuda . The Diocese of Hamilton in Bermuda . 2021-08-28 . The Diocese of Hamilton in Bermuda was established in 12th June 1967. Bermuda was served by the Diocesan clergy of Halifax until 1953, after which pastoral responsibility transferred to the Congregation of the Resurrection..
  4. Web site: Diocese of Yarmouth joined with Archdiocese of Halifax . https://web.archive.org/web/20180926051922/http://www.cccb.ca/site/eng/media-room/announcements/3230-diocese-of-yarmouth-joined-with-archdiocese-of-halifax . 2018-09-26.
  5. Web site: Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth. CatholicHierarchy.org. David Cheney. 14 March 2011. 2022-08-18.
  6. Web site: Coadjutor Archbishop becomes Archbishop of Halifax-Yarmouth - Vatican News. 27 November 2020.

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