Roman Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor explained

Jurisdiction:Diocese
Down and Connor
Latin:Dioecesis Dunensis et Connorensis
Local:Deoise An Dúin agus Chonaire
Country:Northern Ireland
Territory:Most of counties Antrim and Down and part of County Londonderry
Province:Province of Armagh
Coordinates:54.924°N -6.102°W
Area Sqmi:934
Population:977,600
Population As Of:2019
Catholics:402,470
Catholics Percent:41.2
Parishes:87
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:St Malachy and St MacNissi
Bishop:Alan McGuckian
Metro Archbishop:Eamon Martin
Vicar General:Fr Eugene O'Hagan (The Priests) and Canon John Murray
Judicial Vicar:Fr Joseph Rooney
Map:Roman Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor map.png

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.

Territorial remit

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).

History

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. The progress thus 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).

Diocesan statistics

(The Down and Connor Directory)

City parishes

Listed are city parishes listed by the Diocese of Down and Connor.

Country parishes

Listed are country parishes listed by the Diocese of Down and Connor.

Ad limina visit 2006

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.[55]

Ad limina visit 2017

Bishop Treanor joined other Irish bishops in February 2017 for the ad limina visit.[56] Unlike previous visits there were no private meetings with diocesan bishops and Pope Francis, rather the Pontiff spoke with the bishops together.[57]

Previous bishops

Ordinaries

See main article: Bishop of Down and Connor. The following is a basic list of the Roman Catholic bishops and vicars apostolic.[58] [59]

Auxiliary bishops

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Creating Pastoral Communities Consultation . 10 January 2015 . Diocese of Down and Connor.
  2. https://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/ccni_ar_attachments/0000103983_20211231_TAR.pdf Report of the Trustee
  3. Web site: St. Peter's Cathedral, Belfast . St. Peter's Cathedral, Belfast . 2 July 2020.
  4. Web site: St. Patrick's Church . St. Patrick's Church . 28 June 2020.
  5. Web site: Christ the Redeemer . Lisburn.com . 29 June 2020.
  6. Web site: St. Patrick's Church . Lisburn.com . 29 June 2020.
  7. Web site: Parish of Drumbo & Carryduff . Local Prayers . 29 June 2020.
  8. Web site: Hannahstown Parish . Hannahstown Parish . 28 June 2020.
  9. Web site: Holy Cross Parish, Ardoyne . Holy Cross Parish, Ardoyne . 28 June 2020.
  10. Web site: Holy Family Parish, Newington . Holy Family Parish, Newington . 28 June 2020.
  11. Web site: Holy Rosary Parish, Belfast . Holy Rosary Parish, Belfast . 28 June 2020.
  12. Web site: Loughshore Parishes . Loughshore Parishes . 28 June 2020.
  13. Web site: Church of the Nativity . Lisburn.com . 29 June 2020.
  14. Web site: St. Agnes' Parish, Belfast . St. Agnes' Parish, Belfast . 28 June 2020.
  15. Web site: Saint Anne's Parish . Saint Anne's Parish . 28 June 2020.
  16. Web site: St Anthony's Catholic Church . St Anthony's Catholic Church . 28 June 2020.
  17. Web site: St. Bernadette's Church . St. Bernadette's Church . 28 June 2020.
  18. Web site: St Brigid's Parish, Belfast . S Brigid's Parish, Belfast . 28 June 2020.
  19. Web site: St. Comcille's . St. Colmcille's . 29 June 2020.
  20. Web site: St Gerard's Parish . St Gerard's Parish . 29 June 2020.
  21. Web site: St. John's, Falls Road . St. John's, Falls Road . 29 June 2020.
  22. Web site: St. Malachy's Parish . St. Malachy's Parish . 28 June 2020.
  23. Web site: St. Mary's Parish, Belfast . St. Mary's Parish, Belfast . 28 June 2020.
  24. Web site: St. Marys-on-the-hill Parish . St. Mary's-on-the-hill Parish . 28 June 2020.
  25. Web site: St Matthew's Parish . Local Prayers . 29 June 2020.
  26. Web site: St. Oliver Plunkett Parish . St. Oliver Plunkett Parish . 28 June 2020.
  27. Web site: St. Teresa's Parish . St. Teresa's Parish . 28 June 2020.
  28. Web site: St Vincent De Paul, Ligoniel . St Vincent De Paul, Ligoniel . 28 June 2020.
  29. Web site: Aghagallon and Ballinderry Parish . Aghagallon & Ballinderry Parish . 30 June 2020.
  30. Web site: Antrim Parish . Antrim Parish . 29 June 2020.
  31. Web site: Ballycastle Parish . Ballycastle Parish . 30 June 2020.
  32. Web site: Ballyclare and Ballygowan Parish . Ballyclare and Ballygowan Parish . 30 June 2020.
  33. Web site: Ballymena Parish . Ballymena Parish. 30 June 2020.
  34. Web site: Ballymoney Parish . Ballymoney Parish . 30 June 2020.
  35. Web site: Parish of Bangor . Parish of Bangor . 30 June 2020.
  36. Web site: Parish of St John the Evangelist, Carnlough . Parish of St John the Evangelist, Carnlough . 30 June 2020.
  37. Web site: Carrickfergus Parish . Carrickfergus Parish . 2 July 2020.
  38. Web site: Parishes of Kilmore & Killyleagh - Home.
  39. Web site: Glenariffe Parish – St Patrick's and St Brigid's, Glenariffe.
  40. Web site: Carnlough and Glenarm Parishes - Down and Connor Diocese.
  41. Web site: Home - Glenavy and Killead Parish.
  42. Web site: St Colmcille's Holywood.
  43. Web site: Parish Of Ardkeen.
  44. Web site: Home larne-parish.
  45. Web site: St Patrick's Church PARISH OF BLARIS - LISBURN.
  46. Web site: Parish of Maghera . Parish of Maghera . 30 June 2020.
  47. Web site: Parish of Newtownards and Comber . Parish of Newtownards and Comber . 30 June 2020.
  48. Web site: Portaferry Parish . Portaferry Parish . 30 June 2020.
  49. Web site: Parish of Portglenone . Parish of Portglenone . 30 June 2020.
  50. Web site: St Patrick's Church . St Patrick's Church . 30 June 2020.
  51. Web site: Portstewart Parish . Portstewart Parish . 30 June 2020.
  52. Web site: St MacNissi's Church . St MacNissi's Church . 30 June 2020.
  53. Web site: St Mary's Parish . St Mary's Parish . 30 June 2020.
  54. Web site: Saul & Ballee Parish . Saul & Ballee Parish . 30 June 2020.
  55. Web site: Bishops' Ad Limina Pilgrimage 2006.
  56. Web site: Audiences.
  57. Web site: 'His style models for us the life of the Church...'. 19 March 2017.
  58. Book: Fryde, E. B. . Greenway, D. E. . Porter, S. . Roy, I. . Handbook of British Chronology . 3rd . Cambridge University Press . Cambridge . 1986 . 0-521-56350-X . 423–424.
  59. http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/ddown.html Diocese of Down and Connor

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