| Jurisdiction: | Diocese |
| Wollongong | |
| Latin: | Dioecesis Vollongongensis |
| Country: | Australia |
| Territory: | Illawarra and Southern Highlands regions of New South Wales |
| Province: | Sydney |
| Coordinates: | -34.4228°N 150.8922°W |
| Area Km2: | 6,121 |
| Population: | 647,912 |
| Population As Of: | 2004 |
| Catholics: | 195,669 |
| Catholics Percent: | 30.2 |
| Parishes: | 28 |
| Denomination: | Catholic Church |
| Sui Iuris Church: | Latin Church |
| Rite: | Roman Rite |
| Cathedral: | St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Wollongong |
| Patron: | Immaculate Heart of Mary |
| Bishop: | Brian Mascord |
| Map: | Bistum Wollongong.svg |
| Website: | Catholic Diocese of Wollongong |
The Diocese of Wollongong is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in Australia. Established in 1951, the diocese covers the Illawarra and Southern Highlands regions of New South Wales. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Sydney
St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Wollongong is the cathedra of the Bishop of Wollongong, currently Brian Mascord.
On 15 November 1951, Pope Pius XII announced that a new diocese would be created from the two archdioceses of Sydney and Canberra & Goulburn. To be named Wollongong, the diocese was officially established on 11 February 1952. Bishop Thomas McCabe was transferred from Port Pirie to become its first bishop and the historic Church of St Francis Xavier in Wollongong became the cathedral. At the time of establishment, there was a Catholic population of approximately 22,000 in 18 parishes.
While the Wollongong diocese is relatively recent, the churches of Campbelltown (1835), Appin (1837), Wollongong (1838), Picton (1847), Kiama (1852), Camden (1859), Shellharbour (1861), Nowra (1863), The Oaks (1865), Albion Park (1867), Bulli (1886), Berrima (1889) and Milton-Ulladulla (1890) trace their Catholic legacy back to the early times of European settlement and to the era of Archbishop John Bede Polding, Australia's first bishop.
Initially, the diocese was composed of parishes in the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and Southern Highland regions. In 1954 it was expanded to include Camden and Campbelltown and in 1975 the parishes of Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma reverted to the Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn. The boundaries of the diocese have since remained the same. The most recently established parish is Oran Park (founded on 22 June 2015),[1] which meets the borders of the Archdiocese of Sydney and the Diocese of Parramatta. Created out of Camden Parish, Oran Park was founded to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding population in the region.
In 1959, Pope John XXIII dedicated the diocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Bishops of Wollongong:[2]
| Order | Name | Date enthroned | Reign ended | Term of office | Reason for term end | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 November 1951 | 10 May 1974 | Resigned and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Wollongong | ||||
| 5 June 1975 | 12 April 1996 | Retired and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Wollongong | ||||
| 12 April 1996 | 30 November 2000 | Elevated to Archbishop of Adelaide | ||||
| 6 June 2001 | 30 November 2017 | Retired and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Wollongong | ||||
| 22 February 2018 | present | n/a |
See main article: St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Wollongong.
The diocese is divided into ten deaneries that administer individual parishes, dedicated to particular saints:[3]
The diocese is the eighth largest diocese in Australia in terms of Catholic population (out of 33 total) and the largest non-capital city diocese. The diocese now ministers to 195,000 Catholics in 31 parishes, with 15 migrant chaplaincies. There are 43 Catholic schools, various youth ministries and a range of aged care, disability and welfare services together with special faith movements in the local area.