| Jurisdiction: | Diocese |
| Wilcannia–Forbes | |
| Latin: | Dioecesis Vilcanniensis–Forbesinus |
| Country: | Australia |
| Territory: | Far West region of New South Wales |
| Province: | Sydney |
| Coordinates: | -31.9533°N 141.4592°W |
| Area Km2: | 414,398 |
| Population: | 118,257 |
| Population As Of: | 2004 |
| Catholics: | 35,904 |
| Catholics Percent: | 30.4 |
| Parishes: | 20 |
| Denomination: | Catholic Church |
| Sui Iuris Church: | Latin Church |
| Rite: | Roman Rite |
| Established: | 10 May 1887 as the Diocese of Wilcannia; 28 July 1917 as the Diocese of Wilcannia–Forbes |
| Cathedral: | Sacred Heart, Broken Hill |
| Bishop: | Columba Macbeth-Green, OSPPE |
| Bishop Title: | Bishop |
| Vicar General: | Arthur Givney |
| Emeritus Bishops: | Christopher Henry Toohey |
| Map: | Bistum Wilcannia-Forbes.svg |
The Diocese of Wilcannia–Forbes is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in Australia. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Sydney. The Diocese of Wilcannia–Forbes was established in 1887, initially as the Diocese of Wilcannia (this town on the Darling River was then important due to the dominance of river transport). The diocese adopted its current name in 1917 when six parochial districts of Diocese of Bathurst, including those of Parkes and Forbes, were added to its western neighbour.[1] The diocese covers the Far West region of New South Wales in Australia. The Bishop's office is in Forbes but his seat is in Sacred Heart Cathedral, Broken Hill.
In 1887, the Diocese of Wilcannia was erected by Pope Leo XIII, on territories taken from the three now-neighbouring dioceses: Armidale, Bathurst (see below) and Goulburn (later absorbed in the present Canberra-Goulburn Archdiocese), making it one of the oldest dioceses in Australia. In 1917, the area of the diocese was enlarged (at the expense of the neighbouring Diocese of Bathurst) and its name changed to the Diocese of Wilcannia–Forbes to take account of the added parishes.
On 9 June 2009, Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Bishop Christopher Toohey due to reasons of personal health. In April 2011, Bishop Toohey released a personal statement admitting that his behaviour during the early years of his ministry with young adults in his pastoral care was "not consistent with that required of a good person". Although the specific behaviours were not mentioned, the church stated that any acts were not criminal in nature. To date, Bishop Toohey is the most senior member of the Church to admit to inappropriate behaviour with young adults.[2] The Pope appointed Sydney auxiliary bishop Terence Brady as apostolic administrator from 2009 until 2011. In 2011 the Bishop Emeritus of Parramatta, Kevin Michael Manning, was appointed to succeed Brady.[3]
The following men have been Bishop of Wilcannia:[4]
The following individuals have been elected as Bishop of Wilcannia–Forbes:[4]
| Order | Name | Date installed | Term ended | Term of office | Reason for term end | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 March 1918 | 11 February 1930 | Elevated as Archbishop of Hobart | ||||
| 9 June 1931 | 10 July 1967 | Died in office | ||||
| 26 September 1967 | 30 March 1994 | Retired | ||||
| 30 March 1994 | 15 November 2000 | Died in office | ||||
| 9 July 2001 | 9 June 2009 | Resigned | ||||
| Columba Macbeth-Green, OSPPE | 12 April 2014 | present | Currently bishop |
In absence of an appointed Bishop, the following bishops have been appointed as Apostolic Administrator of Wilcannia–Forbes:
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Broken Hill has been the cathedral of the diocese since 1905, though the bishops of Wilcannia had their residence in Broken Hill since 1889. The cathedral parish has some 5,500 parishioners, most of whom live in Broken Hill.
Churches are located in the following parishes and locations (dedicated to saints as indicated):[5]
| Image | Location | Coordinates | Name | Built | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -34.6378°N 143.5644°W | St Dymphna | ||||
| Sacred Heart | |||||
| All Saints | |||||
| St Michael | |||||
| Holy Spirit and St Ignatius | |||||
| St Patrick | |||||
| Sacred Heart Cathedral | 1905 | ||||
| St Micheal | |||||
| St Laurence O'Toole | |||||
| -33.0842°N 147.1461°W | St Joseph | ||||
| St Maria Goretti | |||||
| St Michael | |||||
| St Dymphna | |||||
| -32.38°N 148.0081°W | St Laurence O'Toole | ||||
| St John Vianney | |||||
| St Fergal | |||||
| Our Lady of Good Counsel | |||||
| St Laurence O'Toole | |||||
| St Brigid | |||||
| St Patrick | |||||
| St Aloysius | |||||
| St Mary | |||||
| Blessed Sacrament and St Augustine | |||||
| St Brigid | |||||
| North Broken Hill | Ss Peter and Paul | ||||
| St Mary | |||||
| -31.5633°N 147.1914°W | St Patrick | ||||
| -33.1381°N 148.1765°W | Holy Family | ||||
| St James | |||||
| -35.0286°N 143.3397°W | St Mary | ||||
| St Anthony | |||||
| St Carthage | |||||
| St Michael | |||||
| St Mary | |||||
| St Joseph | |||||
| St Mary | |||||
| St Francis Xavier | |||||
| St John | |||||
| St Paul |
With in its territory, the Diocese of Wilcannia–Forbes is the largest diocese in New South Wales. More than half of the State is part of its territory. The Diocese comprises the territory in New South Wales west of a line from the Murray River west of Tocumwal, to the Murrumbidgee River near Darlington Point, to the Lachlan River down from Euabalong but excluding the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area; thence to the eastern boundary by the Lachlan River including the whole of the Forbes Shire. The eastern boundary is the Eurow-Nyrang Mountains, the Harvey Range, a line from the junction of the Brummagen Creek and the Macquarie River to a point on the Macquarie River north of Warren, thence north in a straight line crossing the Barwon River, west of Walgett, to the Queensland border, including Carinda, Lightning Ridge and Goodooga. The boundaries were enlarged in 1917 to include six new parochial areas taken from Bathurst Diocese, including the parishes of Forbes and Parkes.[1]