The Diocese of Blackburn is a Church of England diocese, covering much of Lancashire, created on 12 November 1926 from part of the Diocese of Manchester. The Diocese includes the towns of Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, and the cities of Lancaster, and Preston, as well as a large part of the Ribble Valley. The cathedral is Blackburn Cathedral and the current Bishop of Blackburn is Julian Henderson.
The Diocesan retreat and conference centre is located at Whalley Abbey in the Ribble Valley, alongside the ruins of the 14th century Cistercian monastery, dissolved in 1537. The Abbey was in private possession until 1923 and has been in the possession of the Diocese of Blackburn since 1926.
Alongside the diocesan Bishop of Blackburn, the Diocese has two suffragan bishops, Geoff Pearson, Bishop suffragan of Lancaster, appointed in 2007 and Philip North, Bishop suffragan of Burnley, appointed in 2015.
Since 1994, Michael Vickers, retired area Bishop of Colchester, has been licensed to serve as an honorary assistant bishop in the diocese. He lives in Scotforth, Lancaster.Cyril Ashton, a retired former Bishop suffragan of Doncaster has been licensed since his 2011 retirement to Lancaster.Retired former Archbishop of York David Hope lives in Hellifield, N. Yorks (in the neighbouring Diocese of Leeds) and is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop in Blackburn diocese.Alternative episcopal oversight (for parishes in the diocese which reject the ministry of priests who are women) is provided by Philip North, Bishop suffragan of Burnley.
Bispham Parish ChurchBlackburn CathedralHoly Trinity Church, BlackburnSt Mark's Church, BlackburnSt Silas' Church, BlackburnHoly Trinity Church, BlackpoolSt John's Church, BlackpoolSt Peter and St Paul's Church, Bolton-by-BowlandSt John the Baptist's Church, BrethertonSt James' Church, BriercliffeSt Peter's Church, BurnleyChrist Church, ChatburnSt Laurence's Church, ChorleySt Helen's Church, ChurchtownSt Bartholomew's Church, ColneSt Saviour's Church, CuerdenSt Mark's Church, DolphinholmeEuxton Parish ChurchSt Paul's Church, FaringtonSt Nicholas' Church, FleetwoodSt Peter's Church, FleetwoodSt Mary the Virgin's Church, GisburnChrist Church, GlassonSt Mary's Church, GoosnarghSt Bartholomew's with St John's, Great HarwoodAll Hallows Church, Great MittonSt John the Evangelist's Church, GressinghamSt Ambrose's Church, GrindletonSt Peter's Church, HeyshamSt Margaret's Church, HornbySt John the Evangelist's Church, Hurst GreenSt Michael's Church, KirkhamChrist Church, LancasterSt. Mary the Virgin, Lancaster (Lancaster Priory)St Thomas' Church, LancasterSt Cuthbert's Church, LythamSt Peter's Church, MawdesleySt Wilfrid's Church, MellingHoly Trinity Church, MorecambeSt Mary's Church, Newchurch in PendleImmanuel Church, OswaldtwistleChrist Church, Over WyresdaleSt John the Baptist's Church, PillingSt Chad's Church, Poulton-le-FyldeSt Oswald's Church, PreesallSt John's Minster, PrestonSt Wilfrid's Church, RibchesterSt Anne's Church, St Anne's-on-the-SeaSt Michael's Church, St Michael's on WyreChurch of St Leonard the Less, SamlesburySt Paul's Church, ScotforthSt Anne's Church, SingletonSt Saviour's Church, StyddSt Helen's Church, WaddingtonSt Leonard's Church, Walton-le-DaleSt Oswald's Church, WartonSt Michael's Church, WeetonSt Catherine's Church, West BradfordSt. Mary and All Saints, WhalleySt Michael's Church, WhittingtonSt Anne's Church, WoodplumptonSt Nicholas' Church, Wrea Green