Denomination Roman Catholic Pope Francis Bishop Noel Treanor Emeritus bishop Patrick Walsh | Rite Latin Rite Area 2,419 km² Country Northern Ireland | |
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Territory Most of counties Antrim and Down and part of County Londonderry Population
- Total
- Catholics (as of 2013)
1,017,000
464,429 (45.7%) Established Down and Connor united in the 15th century Cathedral St Peter's Cathedral, Belfast Ecclesiastical province Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh Patron saints Saint Malachy, Mac Nisse of Connor | ||
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor, (Irish: Deoise an Dúin agus Chonaire) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh and is subject to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh. The incumbent is Bishop Noel Treanor.
Contents
Territorial remit
The territorial remit of the diocese includes much of counties Antrim and Down, including the cities of Belfast and Lisburn and the large towns Antrim, Ballymena, Bangor, Carrickfergus, Downpatrick, Holywood, Larne and Newtownards. The population of the diocese is about one million, of which approximately 30% are Roman Catholic. The diocese is Ireland's second largest in terms of population (after the Archdiocese of Dublin).
History
St Fergus (d. 583) is named as first Bishop of Down. The diocese of Connor was founded in 480 by St Macnissi, and St Malachy was bishop there (1124). The dioceses of Down and Connor were permanently joined in 1439.
In 1670, as an effect of the Reformation, wars, and penal laws, in the whole of Down and Connor there were only 2500 Catholic families. When at length the pressure of penal legislation was removed Catholicism revived rapidly.
In the period 1810–1840, due in part to Catholic emancipation in 1829, forty new churches were built. The progress thus made under Dr Crolly (1825–1835) and Dr Denvir (1835–65) was continued, as Belfast expanded as a city, under Dr Dorrian (1865–86) and Dr MacAlister (1886–95) and Dr Henry (1895–1908).
Current Episcopate
There are currently 88 parishes and ministries in the diocese served by 163 priests. The Most Reverend Noel Treanor. is the 32nd Bishop of Down and Connor. He was ordained to the Episcopate and installed as Bishop of Down and Connor on 29 June 2008.
Priests in Down & Connor serve in parish ministry, school chaplaincy, hospital chaplaincy, youth work, prison chaplaincy, teacher training colleges and teaching in post-primary schools.
Diocesan statistics
For the year ending 31 December 2007:
(The Down and Connor Directory 2011)
List of city parishes
Listed are city parishes listed by the Diocese of Down and Connor.
List of country parishes
Listed are country parishes listed by the Diocese of Down and Connor.
Ad Limina Visit 2006
Bishop Patrick Walsh, Bishop Anthony Farquhar and Bishop Donal McKeown met with Pope Benedict XVI on the first morning of their visit. They spoke with the Pope for 20 minutes privately in which they discussed things like Education, child sexual abuse, peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
Bishops
Ordinaries
The following is a basic list of the Roman Catholic bishops and vicars apostolic.
Auxiliary Bishops