Great Britain

Continuing with blogs about the international Church, this blog will discuss the Catholic Church in Great Britain—England, Scotland, and Wales.

England

England has 6.4 million Catholics or 12 percent of the total population.   There are four ecclesiastical provinces in England.  In addition to these four provinces, there are four other dioceses.

·         The Bishopric of the Forces of Great Britain was established in 1953 to serve the armed forces of Great Britain.

·         The Anglican Rite Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham was established in 2011 to serve 4,000 Anglican Rite Catholics in Great Britain and is directly subject to the Pope.

·         The Syro-Malabar Rite Diocese of Great Britain was established in 2016 to serve 38,000 Syro-Malabar Rite Catholics in Great Britain.  It is immediately subject to the Syro-Malabar Major Archbishop.

·         The Ukrainian Rite Diocese of the Holy Family of London was established as an exarchy in 1957 before becoming a diocese in 2013.  It serves 13,000 Ukrainian Rite Catholics in Great Britain.  It is immediately subject to the Ukrainian Major Archbishop.

Christianity came to England in the 1^st or 2^nd Century and there is evidence that there were bishops in London, York, Lincoln, and Caerleon (Wales), before the 4^th Century.  St. Alban, England’s first Christian martyr, lived in the 4^th Century.  In these earlier times, it was not unusual for a bishop to serve a particular tribe, rather than a strict geographic area.  Anglo-Saxon invasions returned much of England to paganism by the 6^th Century.  The hierarchical history is clearer after St. Augustine established his diocese at Canterbury in 597.  Between then and the Reformation in the 1530s, about two dozen Catholic dioceses would be established in England and Wales.  

These Catholic dioceses became Anglican dioceses at the time of the Reformation under King Henry VIII.  The Catholic hierarchy was partially reestablished when King James I allowed Pope Gregory XV to create the Vicariate Apostolic of England in 1622.  This vicariate was subdivided in 1688 into the Vicariate Apostolics of the London District, the Northern District, the Midland District, and the Western District.  In 1840, further subdivision resulted in the Northern District being split in to the Vicariate Apostolic of the Lancashire District and the Vicariate Apostolic of the Yorkshire District; and the Midland District being split in to the Vicariate Apostolic of the Eastern District and the Vicariate Apostolic of the Central District.  In 1850, Pope Pius XI created the Archdiocese of Westminster and 11 dioceses.

Province of Westminster

The province consists of the east central English counties of South London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk, and part of Surrey.  The Catholic Diocese of London was originally created in 314 and was reestablished in 604 with the return of Christianity.  Pope Gregory I intended for Augustine to establish London as the see for his Archdiocese, but because of the lack of Christians in London, Augustine established his see at Canterbury in 597.  [Gregory wanted an Archdiocese of London plus 12 dioceses in southern England and an Archdiocese of York plus 12 dioceses in northern England.]  

The Catholic Diocese of London was suppressed by the Anglican Church in 1569.  It was restored as the Apostolic Vicariate of England in 1622 and was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of the London District in 1688.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Westminster (London) was created in 1850.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, usually known as Westminster Cathedral (not to be confused with the nearby Westminster Abbey), is located in the Westminster section of London.  The Cathedral site was originally a marsh, later a Benedictine abbey, and later a prison, before being acquired by the Archdiocese in 1884.  The Cathedral was designed by John Francis Bentley in an Early Christian Byzantine style.  Construction began on the 54,000 square-foot brick and concrete building in 1895 and it opened in 1903, although the interior was not complete (and remains so).  The Cathedral has extensive mosaics and its Stations of the Cross were done by sculptor Eric Gill.  The Cathedral’s website is westminstercathedral.org.uk.

The source of the first picture is noted, the second is from the Cathedral website, and the others are from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Dunwich was created in 630 and was renamed the Diocese of Thetford in 1070 and as the Diocese of Norwich in 1094.  It was suppressed in 1558 during the Reformation and restored as the Diocese of East Anglia (Norwich) in 1976.

·         The Vicariate Apostolic of the Eastern District was established in 1840 and became the Diocese of Northampton in 1850.

·         The Diocese of Nottingham was established in 1850.

·         The Diocese of Brentwood was established in 1917.

Province of Birmingham

The province consists of the west central English counties of Bristol, Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, and part of Berkshire, Cheshire, and Oxfordshire.  The Apostolic Vicariate of the Midland District was created in 1688 and was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of the Central District in 1840.  The Diocese of Birmingham was created in 1850 and was promoted as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Birmingham in 1911.

The Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of St. Chad in Birmingham was designed by Augustus Welby Pugin, who also designed London’s Houses of Parliament and the Big Ben clock tower.  The Cathedral was built between 1839 and 1841 and was the first Catholic cathedral built in Great Britain since before the Reformation.  The Cathedral is made of brick with Bath stone dressings in a 13^th Century German Gothic Revival style.  Pugin’s son designed the southwest spire in 1856 and Pugin’s grandson designed St. Edward’s Chapel in 1933.  Much of the Cathedral’s stained glass, metalwork, and vestments were designed by Augustus Pugin and made by John Hardman and Company.   St. Chad’s was made a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1941 on the occasion of its centenary.  For more information, see stchadscathedral.org.uk.

The first picture is from the Cathedral website and the others are from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Clifton (Bristol) was established as the Apostolic Vicariate of the Western District in 1688.  It became the Diocese of Clifton in 1850.  
·         The Diocese of Shrewsbury was established in 1850.

Province of Liverpool

The province consists of the northern English counties of Durham, Cumbria, East Riding of Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, North Yorkshire, Northumberland, South Yorkshire, Tyne & Wear, West Yorkshire, and part of Cheshire.  The Apostolic Vicariate of the Lancashire District was created in 1840 and became the Diocese of Liverpool in 1850.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Liverpool was established in 1911.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King in Liverpool was built between 1962 and 1967 in a modern design.  Many attempts had been made to design and build a cathedral since 1850, before Frederick Gibberd won a worldwide design competition.  The Cathedral is made of concrete and Portland stone with an aluminum roof.  It is shaped like a cone and seats 2,000.  The Cathedral’s stained glass windows are in three colors—yellow, blue, and red—representing the Trinity.  Several chapels line the periphery of the Cathedral.  Addition detail can be found at 

liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has six suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Hexham was established in 678 but was merged with the ancient Diocese of Lindisfarne in 854.  It was restored as the Apostolic Vicariate of the Northern District in 1688.  It became the Diocese of Hexham in 1850 and was renamed as the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle in 1861.

·         The Diocese of Salford (Manchester) was created in 1850.

·         The Vicariate Apostolic of the Yorkshire District was established in 1840 and became the Diocese of Beverley (York) in 1850.  This diocese was split into the Diocese of Leeds and the Diocese of Middlesbrough in 1878.

·         The Diocese of Lancaster was created in 1924.

·         The Diocese of Hallam (Sheffield) was established in 1980.

Province of Southwark

The province consists of the southern English counties of South London, Cornwall, Devonshire, Dorset, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, West Sussex, and part of Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.  The Diocese of Southwark was created in 1850 and was promoted as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Southwark in 1965.  Southwark is in Greater London.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of St. George is located in the Southwark neighborhood of London.  The Cathedral was designed by Augustus Pugin in a Gothic Revival style and opened in 1848.  The church, which could seat 3,000 people, became the Cathedral for the new Diocese of Southwark in 1850.  The Cathedral was heavily damaged by German bombers in 1941 and was rebuilt between 1953 and 1958.  The rebuilt Cathedral was designed by Romilly Craze in a style that blended the original Gothic Revival with Arts and Crafts.  St. George became a Metropolitan Cathedral in 1965.  Additional information can be found at stgeorgescathedral.org.uk.

The first two pictures are from the Cathedral website and the other three are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Plymouth was established in 1850.

·         The Diocese of Portsmouth was created in 1882.

·         The Diocese of Arundel and Brighton was established in 1965.

Scotland

Scotland has 720,000 Catholics or 14 percent of the total population.   There are two ecclesiastical provinces in Scotland.

There is some evidence that Pope Victor sent missionaries to Scotland in 203 and it is certain that St. Ninian was made a bishop by Pope Siricius and sent back to Ninian’s native Scotland in 402.  Ninian built a church at Whithorn (the first stone church in Scotland) and also established a monastery and perhaps a monastic diocese.  St. Columba came to Scotland in 563 and established a monastery at Iona.  Three Irish brothers, who were Catholic, established a kingdom in the 6^th Century in present-day Argyll and brought Irish missionaries with them.

The early church in Scotland was built around monasteries and the diocesan structure did not happen quickly.  Nevertheless, St. Kentigern (or Mungo) became the first Bishop of Glasgow in 550.  Kenneth Mac Alpine established a kingdom in 844 and established Dunkeld as the primatial diocese in his kingdom.  St. Andrews was established in 906 and became the primatial see in 908.  After the Norman Conquest, Scottish kings began to organize the Church into traditional dioceses.  King Malcolm III (1031-1093) and his Queen, St. Margaret of Scotland (1045-1093), brought the Scottish church in line with the rest of Catholicism.  

In 1188, Pope Clement III put the Scottish dioceses (nine at the time) under direct control of the Holy See, thus removing them from the jurisdiction of the English Archbishop of Canterbury. 

Pope Sixtus IV created the Archdiocese of St. Andrews in 1472 and made the other 12 dioceses suffragan sees of St. Andrew’s. Glasgow was raised to a Metropolitan Archdiocese in 1492 with four suffragan sees.

At the time of the Reformation, most Catholic monasteries and churches were destroyed and the remaining Scottish Catholics were severely restricted in the practice of their Faith.  The Catholic diocesan structure ceased to exist by the end of the 16^th Century.  The Apostolic Prefecture of Scotland was established by Pope Innocent X in 1653 to serve all Scottish Catholics, who were still numerous in the North and West.  They were served by half a dozen diocesan priests and several more priests from religious orders.  Pope Innocent XII upgraded the Prefecture to an Apostolic Vicariate in 1694.  Scotland was split into two apostolic vicariates in 1727—the Lowland District and the Highland District.  Pope Leo XII reorganized the church into three districts in 1827—the Northern District, the Eastern District, and the Western District.  By this time, persecution of Catholics was less severe and the Catholic population had increased to 70,000, served by 50 priests, over 30 churches and 20 schools.  The hierarchy was restored in 1878.

Province of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh

The Diocese of Saint Andrews was established in 906 (or as early as 850) and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Andrews in 1472.  It was suppressed in 1571 and was restored as the Apostolic Prefecture of Scotland in 1653.  Saint Andrews became the Apostolic Vicariate of Scotland in 1694, the Apostolic Vicariate of Lowland District of Scotland in 1727, and the Apostolic Vicariate of Eastern District of Scotland in 1827.  It became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh in 1878.  The province consists of all of Scotland except for the area around Glasgow.

The original Cathedral for the Archdiocese was in St. Andrews.  St. Andrews Cathedral was built between 1158 and 1318 and was the largest church ever built in Scotland.  A Protestant mob incited by John Knox destroyed the Cathedral in 1559.  The ruins remain.  The current Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Edinburgh and known as St. Mary’s, was designed in a Gothic style by James Gillespie Graham and opened in 1814.  The Cathedral has been enlarged and renovated several times in the last 200 years.  The Cathedral contains a chapel to provide repositories for two relics of St Andrew. The Cathedral also has a painting of the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven.  The painting surmounts the Sanctuary Arch and is the work of the Belgian artist, Louis Beyart.  The 4,000-piped Matthew Copley pipe organ was installed in 2008.  The Cathedral is a World Heritage Site and its website is stmaryscathedral.co.uk.

The first two pictures are from the Cathedral website, the third is from Flickr, and the last is from Wikipedia.

The Province has four suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Whithorn was established in 402, suppressed by the Church in 600, and restored in 1128.  It was suppressed by the Protestants in 1558 and restored as the Diocese of Galloway in 1878.

·         The Diocese of Dunkeld was initially established in the 9^th Century and was reestablished in 1114.  The Diocese was suppressed during the Reformation in 1547 and restored in 1878.

·         The Diocese of Aberdeen was established in 1125 and suppressed in 1577.  It became the Apostolic Vicariate of the Highland District of Scotland in 1727 and as the Apostolic Vicariate of the Northern District of Scotland in 1827.  The Diocese of Aberdeen was restored in 1878.

·         The Diocese of Argyll was established in 1183 and suppressed in 1560.  It became the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles in 1878.

Province of Glasgow

The Diocese of Glasgow was established in 550, suppressed by the Church in 700, and restored in 1114.  It became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Glasgow in 1492, but was suppressed in 1603 during the Reformation.  Glasgow was restored as the Apostolic Vicariate of the Western District of Scotland in 1827 and promoted as the Archdiocese of Glasgow in 1878.  It became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Glasgow in 1947.  The Province consists of metropolitan Glasgow.

St. Andrew’s Metropolitan Cathedral in Glasgow was designed by James Gillespie Graham and was built between 1814 and 1816.  Construction was sometimes delayed by anti-Catholic vandals, but was offset by donations from Anglicans and Presbyterians.  The Cathedral features paintings of St. Andrew and St. Mungo (or Kentigern) done in 2010 by Brendan Berry.  Stained glass windows dating to 1859 depict saints, especially Scottish saints.  The Blessed Sacrament Chapel has a painting done by Peter Howson in 2010 that depicts St. John Ogilvie.  Ogilvie was a Jesuit priest who ministered in secret to the few remaining Glasgow Catholics and was hanged in Glasgow in 1615.  The Cathedral’s website is cathedralg1.org.

The first picture is from the Cathedral website, the second is from Flickr, and the last two are from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.  The Dioceses of Motherwell and Paisley were both established in 1947.

Wales

Wales has 211,000 million Catholics or less than one percent of the total population.  There is one ecclesiastical province in Wales.

Celtic missionaries came to Wales in the 6^th Century.  The Diocese of Llandaff was founded possibly as early as 522, likely by St. Oudoceus; the Diocese of St. Davids was founded by St. David in 545 (or possibly 530) and included the region known as Dyfed or Demetia; the Diocese of Bangor was established in 546 by St. Deiniol for the Welsh Kingdom of Gwynedd; and the Diocese of St. Asaph was founded in 560 by St. Kentigern, when he built the Llanelwy monastery where the Elwy River joins the Clwyd River.  These dioceses were founded as monastic dioceses and were initially non-territorial.  Diocesan boundaries were not defined until after the Norman Conquest of 1066.  These dioceses became Church of England at the time of the Reformation and became Church of Wales in 1920.  The Catholic hierarchy was restored in 1850.

Province of Cardiff

The province consists of Wales and the English county of Hereford.  The Archdiocese of Cardiff was established in the 6^th Century and suppressed in 1530.  It was restored as the Wales District in 1840 and as the Diocese of Newport and Menevia in 1850.  It became the Diocese of Newport in 1895 and the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cardiff in 1916.

The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St. David in Cardiff was built between 1884 and 1887 to replace an earlier building.  This second church became the Cathedral for the Archbishop of Cardiff in 1916.  The Cathedral was destroyed by German bombs in 1941 and did not reopen until 1959.  See cardiffcathedral.org.uk.

The top picture is from Snipview and the other two are from Wikipedia.

The Province has two suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Menevia was established originally as the Diocese of St. David’s (by St. David) in the 6^th Century.  It was suppressed in 1558, but restored as the Apostolic Vicariate of Wales in 1895.  It was promoted as the Diocese of Menevia in 1898.

·         The Diocese of Wrexham was established in 1987.

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also archdioceses that are not part of a province that are directly under the jurisdiction of the Pope.  There are also jurisdictions below the level of a diocese.  These include apostolic vicariates and apostolic prefectures.  Both are missionary territories below the level of a diocese.  The difference is that a vicar apostolic holds the rank of a bishop and the prefect apostolic is a priest, but not a bishop.

Most Catholics in the world belong to the Latin or Roman rite.  Rite refers to liturgical practices, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual heritage.  Many Catholics belong to one of two dozen Eastern rite churches.  Eastern rite churches trace their heritage to Eastern Europe and the Middle East.  Eastern rite churches sometimes use different terminologies.  For example, a diocese might be called an eparchy and is led by an eparch.  A vicariate apostolic is called an exarchy and is led by an exarch. 

A basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship.  Some cathedrals are also basilicas.  Each basilica has a ceremonial umbrella in the papal colors of white and yellow and a ceremonial bell (although some basilicas do not display them).  Both of these are symbolic of the Pope’s special relationship to the basilica.

Ireland 

The Republic of Ireland has 4.1 million Catholics or 85 percent of the total population.  Northern Ireland has 754,000 Catholics or 41 percent of the total population.  There are four ecclesiastical provinces in the two Irelands.

There likely were Catholics in Ireland in 432 when Pope Celestine sent Bishop Patrick to Ireland, but the majority of Irish were pagan.  St. Patrick reversed this demographic during the next 60 years.  Legend has it that Patrick established 365 churches and consecrated a bishop for each church.  Whether true or not, early Irish bishops and priests were usually associated with a specific clan.  Over time, and under the guidance of the great Irish saints, such as Brendan, Columba, and Kevin, many of these priestly groups became monasteries.

Most of today’s Irish dioceses trace their heritage back to these monasteries, specifically to territorial abbeys or abbacy nullius (meaning abbot of no diocese).  These territorial abbeys comprised a defined territory which is not part of a diocese but surrounded an abbey or monastery whose abbot or superior functioned as a bishop for all Catholics and parishes in the territory. A territorial abbot is equivalent to a bishop in Catholic canon law.

From 800 to the 11^th Century, Ireland suffered from Viking raids and internal civil discord.  As a result, the monastic and diocesan system became disorganized.  This was brought under control by the Synod of Rath-Breasail in 1111 and the Synod of Kells in 1152, which reorganized the diocesan system.  These synods established the four ecclesiastic provinces that exist today and that correspond closely to Ireland’s historic four kingdoms.

The Church of Ireland was established in 1536 at the time of the Reformation.  Associated with the Anglican Church, the Church of Ireland was given all property belonging to the Catholic Church, including churches.  English persecution of Irish Catholics will not be discussed in depth, but was harsh and meant to encourage Catholics to convert to Anglicanism.  It failed at that.  Treatment varied depending on the English monarch, but among many other restrictions, Catholics were not allowed to openly practice their Faith.  Catholic bishops and many priests were driven out of the country, although the hierarchy was never suppressed—bishops may not have been resident in their dioceses, but their dioceses continued to exist.  By 1800, there were few Catholic churches and no Catholic cathedrals—the former Catholic cathedrals having been converted to Church of Ireland cathedrals.

Restrictions were reduced over time, starting in the 18^th Century and continuing through the 19^th Century.  Catholic emancipation was granted in 1829, but some restrictions remained until Irish independence in 1922.  Despite centuries of persecution or perhaps because of it, many Irish have abandoned the Faith their ancestors cherished so much.

Province of Armagh

The province consists of Northern Ireland and the northern counties of the Republic of Ireland.  It mostly consists of the civil province of Ulster.  The Diocese of Armagh was established in 445 by St. Patrick and became the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Armagh in 1152.  The Archbishop of Armagh also has the title of Primate of All Ireland.

There are two St. Patrick’s Cathedrals in Armagh—one Catholic and one Church of Ireland.  The Church of Ireland Cathedral is located on the site where St. Patrick built his original cathedral in 445.  Many succeeding cathedrals have occupied this site over the centuries and the one occupying the site in 1539 was taken from the Catholic Church and given to the Church of Ireland.  The current Church of Ireland Cathedral was built between 1834 and 1837.

The Catholic St. Patrick’s Cathedral was built between 1840 and 1904.  The Gothic church has one central tower and two smaller towers in front.  The Cathedral interior has extensive mosaics.  The pipe organ was originally made by William Telford in 1875, but it has been extensively renovated.  The pipe organ today has four manuals and 58 stops.  See armaghparish.net.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has eight suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Clogher began as an abbacy nullius in 454 and became a Diocese in 1111.

·         The Diocese of Raphoe was established as an abbacy nullius in the 5^th Century—perhaps by St. Columba—and became a Diocese in 1111.

·         The Diocese of Ardagh was created as an abbacy nullius in the 5^th Century and became a Diocese in 1152.

·         The Diocese of Kilmore was created as an abbacy nullius in 5^th Century and became a Diocese in 1152.

·         The Diocese of Dromore was created as an abbacy nullius in 514 by St. Colman before becoming a Diocese in 1180.

·         The Diocese of Down and Connor was established as the Abbacy nullius of Down in the 6^th Century and became the Diocese of Down in 1111.  It became the Diocese of Down and Connor in 1439.

·         The Diocese of Derry was created as an abbacy nullius in the 6^th Century (founded by St. Columba) and became a Diocese in 1152.

·         The Diocese of Meath was created in 1212 as a merger of several ancient dioceses.

Province of Cashel and Emly

The province mostly consists of the civil province of Munster in the south of Ireland.  The Diocese of Emly was established in 400—according to Ptolemy, Emly was one of the three major towns in what is now Ireland in the 2nd Century.  The Diocese of Cashel was established in the 10^th Century and Emly was raised to a Metropolitan Archdiocese in around 900.  In 1152, Cashel was raised to a Metropolitan Archdiocese and Emly was demoted to a Diocese.  The dioceses merged in 1718 and attained the current name in 2015. 

The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the kings of Munster until 1101 when the king gave it to the Catholic Church.  A cathedral was built there between 1235 and 1270 for the Archbishop.  This church was taken from the Catholic Church by the English in the 1530s and given to the Church of Ireland.  Oliver Cromwell’s troops heavily damaged the church in 1647 and a Church of Ireland archbishop removed the roof in 1749 causing even more damage.  Today’s Church of Ireland Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and St. Patrick’s Rock was built between 1750 and 1783.

The Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption is in Thurles and it was built between 1865 and 1872 and replaced a cathedral built in 1807-8.  There are parish churches in Cashel and Emly today.  The Cathedral of the Assumption is built in an Italianate Romanesque style.  Its most notable feature is the marble tabernacle designed by a student of Michelangelo and which was once the tabernacle for the Gesu Church in Rome.  The Cathedral also has a separate Baptistery building.  See thurlesparish.ie.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has six suffragan dioceses.

•         The Diocese of Limerick was established in the 7^th Century.  
•          The Diocese of Killaloe was established as an abbacy nullius in the 5^th Century and became a Diocese in 1111.
•          The Diocese of Kerry was established as an abbacy nullius in the 6^th Century and became a Diocese in 1111.  Its current name dates to 1952.
•          The Diocese of Waterford and Lismore was established as the Diocese of Waterford in 1096 and acquired its current name in 1363 with the suppression of the Diocese of Lismore.
•          The Diocese of Cloyne was established in 580 as an abbacy nullius.  It became the Diocese of Cloyne in 1111, but was suppressed in 1429.  The Diocese was restored in 1747 as Cloyne and Ross and renamed the Diocese of Cloyne in 1850.
•          The Diocese of Cork and Ross was established as an abbacy nullius in the 7^th Century and became the Diocese of Cork in 1747.  It acquired its current name in 1958.

Province of Tuam

The province mostly consists of the civil province of Connacht in west central Ireland.  The abbacy nullius of Tuam was created in 550 and became the Diocese of Tuam in 1111.  The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam was established in 1150.

The original Cathedral for the Archdiocese was dedicated to St. Mary.  The Church of Ireland’s 19^th Century St. Mary’s Cathedral incorporates portions of earlier 12^th and 14^th Century Catholic cathedrals.  The current Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin was built between 1827 and 1837.  The Cathedral of the Assumption is made of limestone in a Decorated Gothic style.  For additional information see tuamparish.com.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

The Province has five suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Elphin began as an abbacy nullius in 450 and became a Diocese in 1111.

·         The Diocese of Killala began as an abbacy nullius in the 6^th Century and became a Diocese in 1111.

·         The Diocese of Clonfert began as an abbacy nullius in 550 founded by St. Brennan and became a Diocese in 1111.

·         The Diocese of Achonry began as an abbacy nullius in 560 and became a Diocese in 1152.

·         The Diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh began as a collegiate nullius in 1484 and became the Diocese of Galway in 1831.  It gained its current name in 1883 with the suppression of the Diocese of Kilmacduagh (which dated to the 7^th Century).

Province of Dublin

The province mostly consists of the civil province of Leinster in east central Ireland.  The Diocese of Dublin was established in 1028 and the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dublin was created in 1152.

Dublin is home to three cathedrals.  St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral is the current Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral.  Christ Church Cathedral and St. Patrick’s Cathedral are former Catholic cathedrals that now belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland.

Christ Church Cathedral dates to the 11th Century and the current Cathedral was built between the late 12th Century and early 13th Century.  Christ Church was the original Cathedral for the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin.  St. Patrick’s was built between 1191 and 1270 and in 1300 an agreement was made that gave cathedral status to both Christ Church and St. Patrick’s.  In 1539, both Cathedrals (and all Catholic properties in Ireland) were given by King Henry VIII of England to the newly established Anglican Church of Ireland.  They continue to be Church of Ireland churches today, although the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin still claims Christ Church Cathedral as his official Cathedral—perhaps someday it will be in fact and not just in theory.

St. Mary’s history dates to a 12^th Century abbey church, which was confiscated by the English in 1539.  Catholics were able to open a “Mass house” dedicated to Mary in 1729, but it would take until 1825 to complete the present Pro-Cathedral.  St. Mary’s has a Greek-revival exterior and a Roman interior.  Additional information can be found at procathedral.ie.

The first picture is from panarmio and the others are from Wikipedia.

The Province has three suffragan dioceses.

·         The Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin began as an abbacy nullius in 519 and became the Diocese of Kildare in 1111.  The Diocese attained its current name in 1678.

·         The Diocese of Ossory was created as an abbacy nullius in around 549 and became a Diocese in 1111.

·         The Diocese of Ferns was established as an abbacy nullius in the 7^th Century and became a Diocese in 1111.

Definitions

The Catholic Church is mostly divided into ecclesiastical provinces—a province consists of a metropolitan archdiocese and one or more dioceses.  The province and the archdiocese are led by an archbishop.  Each of the dioceses is called a suffragan diocese and is led by a bishop.  Archbishops have some responsibilities for the province, but all bishops answer directly to the Pope.  There are also archdioceses that are not part of a province that are directly under the jurisdiction of the Pope.