| Jurisdiction: | Diocese |
| Salford | |
| Latin: | Dioecesis Salfordensis |
| Country: | England |
| Territory: | Most of Greater Manchester and neighbouring parts of Lancashire. |
| Province: | Liverpool |
| Metropolitan: | Archdiocese of Liverpool |
| Area Km2: | 1,600 |
| Population: | 2,800,000 |
| Population As Of: | 2017 |
| Catholics: | 294,000 |
| Catholics Percent: | 10.5 |
| Parishes: | 145 |
| Denomination: | Roman Catholic |
| Sui Iuris Church: | Latin Church |
| Rite: | Roman Rite |
| Cathedral: | Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist |
| Priests: | 251 |
| Bishop: | John Arnold |
| Metro Archbishop: | Malcolm McMahon |
| Judicial Vicar: | Christopher Dawson |
| Emeritus Bishops: | Terence Brain |
| Map: | Province of Liverpool.png |
The Diocese of Salford (Latin: Dioecesis Salfordensis) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church centred on the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England. The diocese was founded in 1852 as one of the first post-Reformation Catholic dioceses in Great Britain. Since 1911 it has formed part of the Province of Liverpool.
Its current boundaries encompass Manchester as well as a large part of North West England between the River Mersey and the River Ribble, some parishes north of the Ribble, and Todmorden in West Yorkshire. In 2005, the diocese included 207 churches and chapels.
See also: Catholic Church in England and Wales. The first post-Reformation Catholic chapel in Blackburn was opened in 1773, and that in Manchester in 1774 (in Rook Street, dedicated to St Chad). In 1843 James Sharples, rector of St. Alban's, Blackburn, was consecrated Titular Bishop of Samaria and appointed coadjutor to Bishop Brown, the first Vicar Apostolic of the Lancashire District. He built at Salford St. John's Church, which was opened in 1848 and which subsequently became the cathedral for the diocese.
Dr. Sharples died on 16 August 1850 and the first Bishop of Salford in the restored hierarchy was William Turner (1790–1872). He was succeeded in 1872 by Herbert Vaughan (1832–1903). On his translation to Westminster in 1892, John Bilsborrow (1836–1903) was consecrated as the third bishop. Louis Charles Casartelli, the fourth bishop, was born in 1852, and ordained priest in 1876. He was closely associated with Cardinal Vaughan in the foundation of St. Bede's College, Manchester, in 1876, and was rector of it when he was nominated bishop in 1903. Bishop Casartelli was also a professor at the Catholic University of Leuven, and known as a writer on Oriental subjects.[1]
See main article: Bishop of Salford.
See main article: Salford Cathedral. The Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist, usually known as Salford Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Salford and mother church of the Diocese of Salford. The cathedral is a Grade II listed building on Chapel Street, Salford. The foundation stone was laid in 1844 and the church opened in 1848. It was elevated to cathedral status in 1852 after the 1850 creation of the Diocese of Salford. The cathedral was consecrated in 1890 by the second Bishop of Salford, Herbert Vaughan, following the final repayment of debts from its construction.
As of 2024, 165 voluntary aided state Roman Catholic primary schools (often denoted in their names by VA, RC or RCPS) are in the Diocese of Salford, located across the local authorities of Blackburn, Bolton, Bury, Calderdale, Lancashire, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan.[3]
There are 26 voluntary aided local authority maintained Roman Catholic high schools (RCHS) and sixth-form colleges:[3]
A further seven secondary schools are run as academies:[3]
St John Vianney Special School in Firswood, Manchester, teaches pupils aged 5 to 19.
The following private Catholic schools also exist in the Diocese of Salford as of 2024:[3]