Roman Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst

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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst (Latin: Dioecesis Sandhurstensis) is located in Victoria, Australia. Its Cathedral is located in Bendigo. The diocese was erected on March 30 1874 and is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Its first two bishops were Augustinians, namely Martin Crane O.S.A., first Bishop of Sandhurst (1874-1901), and Stephen Reville O.S.A., second Bishop of Sandhurst (1901- 1916). Under Martin Crane, the construction of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo began in 1885, under Stephen Reville the organ was installed, and under Bernard Stewart the Cathedral was completed in 1977.

Sacred Heart Cathedral is one of the largest Neo-Gothic Cathedrals in Australia, and its construction was largely made possible by the estate of the Paderborn born German pioneer priest Henry Backhaus, first priest on the Bendigo goldfields. The Cathedral's large pipe organ, built by Bishop and Son of London, was installed late in 1905.

The current bishop is Joseph Angelo Grech, who was installed in 2004, and leads a diocese which includes some 86,000 Catholics as of 2006.

[edit] History

The diocese was created on March 30th 1874, and its Bishops have been:

Martin Crane OSA 1874-1901
Stephen Reville OSA, 1901-1916
John McCarthy 1917-1950
Bernard Denis Stewart 1950-1979
Noel Desmond D Daly 1979-2004
Joseph Grech 2004-

[edit] References

Ebsworth, Rev. Walter (1973). Pioneer Catholic Victoria. Polding Press. ISBN 0-85884-096-0.
O'Farrell, Patrick (1977). The Catholic Church and Community in Australia. Thomas Nelson (Australia), West Melbourne.
(1977) The Official Directory of the Catholic Church in Australia 2005/2006. published with the authority of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, by the National Council of priests of Australia, McPherson's Printing Group, Maryborough, Victoria, ISSN 1 321-4764.
Arneil, Stan (1992). Out Where the Dead Men Lie (The Augustinians in Australia 1838 -1992). Augustinian Press Brookvale.