Roman Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor

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Diocese of Down and Connor

Dioecesis Dunensis et Connorensis

Deoise An Dúin agus Chonaire
File:St petersbelfast-2.jpg
Location
Country Northern Ireland
Territory Most of counties Antrim and Down and part of County Londonderry
Ecclesiastical province Province of Armagh
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Statistics
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Population
- Total
- Catholics
(as of 2013)
1,017,000
464,429 (45.7%)
Information
Denomination Roman Catholic
Rite Latin Rite
Established Down and Connor united in the 15th century
Cathedral St Peter's Cathedral, Belfast
Patron saint St Malachy and St MacNissi
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Bishop Noel Treanor
Metropolitan Archbishop Eamon Martin
Auxiliary Bishops Anthony J. Farquhar
and Donal McKeown,
Auxiliary Bishops of Down and Connor
Emeritus Bishops Patrick Joseph Walsh,
Bishop Emeritus of Down and Connor
Map
The Diocese of Down and Connor within the Province of Armagh
The Diocese of Down and Connor within the Province of Armagh
Website
downandconnor.org

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 Dr Noel Treanor.

Geographic remit

The geographic 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 no less than forty new Roman Catholic churches were built. The progress thus made under Dr Crolly (1825–1835) and Dr Denvir (1835–65) was continued under Dr Dorrian (1865–86) and Dr MacAlister (1886–95); but none showed greater energy and zeal than Dr Henry (1895–1908).

Today

There are currently 88 parishes and ministries in the diocese served by 163 priests. The Most Reverend Dr 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. The Bishop is assisted by two Auxiliary Bishops, Dr Anthony Farquhar and Dr Donal McKeown.

Priests in Down & Connor serve in Parish Ministry, School Chaplaincy, Hospital Chaplaincy, Youth Work, Prison Chaplaincy, The Media, Teaching in universities and teacher training colleges and Teaching and Chaplaincy in secondary and grammar schools.

Diocesan statistics

For the year ending 31 December 2007:

  • Number of Catholics = 329,243.
  • Number of Parishes = 88.
  • Number of Churches = 151.
  • Number of Priests in Diocesan Ministry = 159.
  • Number Ordained (2011) = 1.
  • Number of Retired Priests = 31.
  • Seminarians = 10.
  • Deacons = 1
  • Number of Brothers = 30.
  • Number of Sisters = 243.
  • St. Mary's College of Education on Roll = 994.
  • Number of Primary & Nursery Schools = 164 (On Roll = 32,306).
  • Number of Grammar Schools = 12 (0n Roll = 10,795).
  • Number of Secondary School = 31 (On Roll = 15,621).
  • Baptisms = 5,078.
  • First Communions = 4,533.
  • Confirmations = 4,730.
  • Marriages = 1,250.

(The Down and Connor Directory 2011)

List of city parishes

Listed are city parishes listed by the Diocese of Down and Connor.

  • Cathedral (St. Peter's)
  • Christ the Redeemer (Lagmore)
  • Corpus Christi
  • Derryaghy
  • Drumbo & Carryduff
  • Greencastle
  • Hannahstown
  • Holy Cross
  • Holy Family
  • Holy Rosary
  • Holy Trinity
  • Nativity, (Poleglass)
  • Our Lady Queen of Peace (Kilwee)
  • Parish of Antrim (St Comgall's and St Joseph's)
  • Sacred Heart
  • St Agnes'
  • St Anne's
  • St Anthony's
  • St Bernadette's
  • St Brigid's
  • St Colmcille's
  • St Gerard's
  • St James' (Whiteabbey)
  • St John's
  • St Luke's (Twinbrook)
  • St Malachy's
  • St Mary's
  • St Mary's-On-The-Hill
  • St Matthews
  • St Michael The Archangel
  • St Oliver Plunkett
  • St Patrick's
  • St Paul's
  • St Teresa's
  • St Vincent De Paul (Ligoniel)
  • Whitehouse

List of country parishes

Listed are country parishes listed by the Diocese of Down and Connor.

  • Aghagallon & Ballinderry
  • Ahoghill
  • Antrim
  • Armoy
  • Ballintoy
  • Ballycastle
  • Ballyclare & Ballygowan
  • Ballygalet
  • Ballymena
  • Ballymoney & Derrykeighan
  • Bangor
  • Braid
  • Carnlough
  • Carrickfergus
  • Castlewellan
  • Coleraine
  • Crossgar
  • Culfeightrin (Ballyvoy)
  • Cushendall & Cushendun
  • Downpatrick
  • Drumaroad & Clanvaraghen
  • Dundrum & Tyrella
  • Duneane (Moneyglass & Toome)
  • Dunloy & Cloughmills
  • Dunsford & Ardglass
  • Glenariffe
  • Glenarm
  • Glenavy & Killead
  • Glenravel
  • Holywood
  • Kilcoo
  • Killough
  • Killyleagh
  • Kircubbin
  • Larne
  • Lisburn
  • Loughguile
  • Loughinisland
  • Lower Mourne
  • Newcastle
  • Newtownards & Comber
  • Portaferry
  • Portglenone
  • Portrush
  • Portstewart
  • Randalstown
  • Rasharkin
  • Saintfield & Carrickmannon
  • Saul & Ballee
  • Strangford
  • Upper Mourne

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[citation needed].

Bishops

Ordinaries

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The following is a basic list of the Roman Catholic bishops and vicars apostolic.[1][2]

  • John Fossade (1442–1450)
  • Thomas Knight. O.S.B. (1453–1469)
  • Tadhg Ó Muirgheasa (1469–1480)
  • Tiberio Ugolino (1483–1519)
  • Robert Blyth, O.S.B. (1520–1539)
  • Eugene Magennis (1539–1559)
  • Miler Magrath, O.F.M. (1565–1580)
  • Donat O'Gallagher, O.F.M. (1580–1581)
  • Bl. Conor O'Devany, O.F.M. (1582–1612)
  • (Patrick Hanratty, vicar apostolic, 1614–1625)
  • Edmund Dungan (1625–1629)
  • Hugh Magennis, O.F.M. (1630–1640)
  • (See vacant, 1640–1642)
  • Heber MacMahon (1642–1643)
  • Arthur Magennis, O.Cist. (1647–1653)
  • (Michael O'Beirn, vicar apostolic, 1657–1670)
  • Daniel Mackey (1671–1673)
  • (See vacant, 1673–1711)
  • (Terence O'Donnelly, vicar apostolic, 1711–unknown)

Auxiliary Bishops

See also

References

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  2. Diocese of Down and Connor. Catholic Hierarchy. Retrieved on 26 August 2009.

External links