| Jurisdiction: | Archdiocese |
| Canberra and Goulburn | |
| Latin: | Archidioecesis Camberrensis et Gulburnensis |
| Local: | Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn |
| Country: |  Australia |
| Metropolitan: | Immediately subject to the Holy See |
| Territory: | The Australian Capital Territory, and the South West Slopes, Southern Tablelands, Monaro and the South Coast regions of New South Wales |
| Coordinates: | -35.2947°N 149.1267°W |
| Area Km2: | 88,000 |
| Population: | 633,000 |
| Population As Of: | 2016 |
| Catholics: | 170,900 |
| Catholics Percent: | 27 |
| Parishes: | 55 |
| Denomination: | Catholic Church |
| Sui Iuris Church: | Latin Church |
| Rite: | Roman Rite |
| Established: | 17 November 1862 as the Diocese of Goulburn; 5 February 1948 as the Archdiocese of Canberra (and Goulburn); 19 June 2006 as the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn |
| Cathedral: | St Christopher's Cathedral |
| Patron: | St Mary |
| Bishop Title: | Archbishop |
| Emeritus Bishops: | Pat Power (auxiliary) |
| Map: | Erzbistum Canberra-Goulburn.svg |
| Website: | Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn |
The Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in the Australian Capital Territory, and the South West Slopes, Southern Tablelands, Monaro and the South Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia. Erected in 1948, the archdiocese is directly subject to the Holy See.
St Christopher's Cathedral at Manuka is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn. On 12 September 2013 it was announced that the Bishop of Sale, Christopher Prowse, had been appointed as the next Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn. Archbishop Prowse was installed on 19 November 2013.
The diocese of Goulburn was established in 1864 to serve the needs of the scattered rural, overwhelmingly Irish, Catholics of the south coast, southern highlands and south-west slopes of New South Wales.[1]
On 5 February 1948 the diocese was redesignated an archdiocese.
| Order | Name | Date enthroned | Reign ended | Term of office | Reason for term end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Geoghegan, O.F.M. † | 10 March 1864 | 9 May 1864 | days | Died in office | |
| William Lanigan † | 18 December 1866 | 13 June 1900 | Died in office | ||
| John Gallagher † | 13 June 1900 | 26 November 1923 | Died in office | ||
| John Barry † | 1 March 1924 | 22 March 1938 | Died in office | ||
| Terence McGuire † | 14 June 1938 | 5 February 1948 | Elevated to Archbishop of Canberra (and Goulburn) | ||
James Hanley was Administrator starting in May 1863, and was Bishop-elect of this diocese, 1865–1866, but that appointment did not take effect.
| Order | Name | Date enthroned | Reign ended | Term of office | Reason for term end | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terence McGuire † | 5 February 1948 | 16 November 1953 | Resigned and appointed Archbishop Emeritus of Canberra (and Goulburn) | |||
| Eris O'Brien † | 16 November 1953 | 20 November 1966 | Resigned and appointed Archbishop Emeritus of Canberra (and Goulburn) | |||
| Thomas Cahill † | 13 April 1967 | 16 April 1978 | Died in office | |||
| Edward Bede Clancy † | 24 November 1978 | 12 February 1983 | Translated as Archbishop of Sydney | |||
| Francis Carroll † | 25 June 1983 | 19 June 2006 | Retired and appointed Archbishop Emeritus of Canberra and Goulburn | |||
| 19 June 2006 | 2 April 2012 | Translated as archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane | ||||
| 19 November 2013 | present | incumbent |
Edward Bede Clancy became Cardinal in 1988.
See main article: St. Christopher's Cathedral, Manuka. St Christopher's was built as the first parish church in Canberra by the first priest, Father Patrick Haydon, although the beginnings of Catholic life in the district go back to 1862 when the Diocese of Goulburn was erected.[3] The parish was originally part of St Gregory's Parish, Queanbeyan, until 1912. Following the erection of the Diocese of Wagga Wagga in 1918, the parish was transferred to the Diocese of Goulburn. A foundation stone was laid by Archbishop Kelly in 1927 for a church and school. The following year St Christopher's became an independent parish with the first classes taught in the adjacent school, and the open day attended by the Prime Minister, Bruce. In 1930 a large cathedral was proposed for the site behind Regatta Point, but economic circumstances and World War II made this impractical.[4] A foundation stone for the cathedral was laid in 1938 by Archbishop of Sydney Gilroy in a ceremony which included Joseph Lyons and James Scullin. The choice of St Christopher as patron saint was selected on the basis that Canberra would be a place to which many travellers would come. In the presence of Robert Menzies, the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Panico, opened the parish church in 1939.[3]
The first ordination in St Christopher's Church took place in 1947 when Vivian Morrison, the son of the pioneering Morrison family (who donated the tower and bells of the extended cathedral) of Tralee Queanbeyan, was ordained to the priesthood.[3] The following year, the Archdiocese of Canberra (and Goulburn) was created and St Christopher's became a pro-cathedral. When Archbishop Eris O'Brien took up residence in Canberra it became a co-cathedral with St Peter and St Paul, Goulburn. St Christopher's was extended to twice its size, holding 1000 worshippers. This work, which retained the stained glass windows of the original church, was completed in 1973 according to plans developed by Clement Glancy, son of the original architect. The plans for the enlarged church included the bell tower, Blessed Sacrament Chapel, large sacristies and a crypt. The extensions were consecrated by Archbishop Cahill and the extended St Christopher's became the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, superseding St Peter and St Paul, Goulburn.[3] [5] In June 2008, under the direction of Archbishop Mark Coleridge, the cathedral was refurbished to mark the diamond jubilee of the archdiocese. The cathedral has had three Catholic prime ministers as regular parishioners; Scullin, Lyons and Frank Forde.[3] [6]
The present pipe organ was built by Hill, Norman & Beard from Melbourne and was used by St James' Anglican Church, King Street, Sydney, while their organ was being rebuilt. Its size was doubled when installed on the gallery in 1972. There are 1100 wood and metal pipes contained in two cases on either side of the rose window.[7]
In 2010 it was reported that the archdiocese planned to commence a A$35 million redevelopment of the precinct surrounding St Christopher's Cathedral, to include church offices and aged care units.[8] [9] In subsequent media reports, the diocese entered into an agreement with the ACT Government to exchange land held by the church in Braddon to partially fund the redevelopment of the cathedral site. However, a proposed listing of St Patrick's Church in Braddon on the register of the Heritage Council may mean that the redevelopment may not proceed.[10]
Archbishops Eris O'Brien and Thomas Cahill are buried in the crypt of the cathedral.[11] [12]
The official residence of the Archbishop is in Canberra, at Regatta Point, Parkes, ACT. It was officially opened on 8 April 1930, during the time of Bishop John Barry. The foundation stone at the front is inscribed in Latin.
At the time of its erection, it would have overlooked the valley of the Molonglo River with views to Parliament House to the south.
The house is on a hill at the south-eastern side of the road fly-over of Commonwealth Avenue and Parkes Way. When Lake Burley Griffin was built in the 1960s (the current Commonwealth Bridge was opened in the 1963) road access became more difficult, as the driveway is at an off-ramp of Parkes Way to Commonwealth Avenue.
The archdiocese is divided into five separate deaneries which administer individual parishes:[13]
See main article: Sexual abuse scandal in Canberra and Goulburn archdiocese. The Canberra and Goulburn archdiocese has been the scene of a series of sexual abuse cases[14] [15] which have come to light in recent years and have also extended to many regional Catholic jurisdictions, both in Australia and around the world.
The Dominican Friars have been part of the parish of Holy Rosary, (Blackfriars) Watson, but as of November 2023 have been forced to hand over stewardship of the parish due to dwindling numbers of friars, and the remaining friars will leave Canberra.[16]