Founded 1678 | Denomination Roman Catholic Area 4,165 km² | |
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Population- Total- Catholics (as of 2006)220,427205,185 (93.1%) Established United 29 November 1694 Ecclesiastical province Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin | ||
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin (/ˈlɔːxlᵻn/; Irish: Deoise Chill Dara agus Leithghlinn) is a Roman Catholic diocese in eastern Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin and is subject to the Archdiocese of Dublin. On 7 May 2013, the Most Reverend Denis Nulty was appointed bishop-elect of the diocese.
Contents
Geographic remit
The united diocese includes virtually all of County Carlow, most of County Kildare and parts of counties Offaly, Laois, Kilkenny, Wexford and Wicklow. The largest towns in the diocese are Athy, Carlow, Edenderry, Kildare, Naas, Newbridge, Portarlington and Portlaoise.
History
These two dioceses continued to be separate from their foundation until 1678, when, owing to the extreme tenuity of the episcopal revenues, the bishopric of Leighlin was given in commendam by the Holy See to the Bishop of Kildare. The Cathedral Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located in the town of Carlow.
The see is currently Fr Denis Nulty. The previous Ordinary was the Most Reverend James Moriarty who is now bishop emeritus, was appointed by the Holy See on 4 June 2002 and installed in the cathedral on 31 August 2 002. He resigned the see on 22 April 2010.
Today with the help of an enthusiastic lay people the Diocese is always busy in promoting faith of the youth in the local area. a Key example of this is by its active involvement in the John Paul II Awards. *The Pope John Paul II Award was created to commemorate the late Pope John Paul II who was so committed to young people and who had such belief and confidence in them. The Award was launched by the Papal Nuncio to Ireland, His Excellency Most Rev Dr Giuseppe Lazzarotto on 7th November 2006 in the Diocese of Derry, Ireland. it is dedicated to Pope John Paul II due to the strong beliefs he had in the youth of the world today.
Deaneries and Parishes
The united Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin is divided into seven deaneries, each divided into a number of parishes or group parishes.
Ordinaries
The following is a basic list of the Bishops of Kildare and Leighlin.