Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle

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The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle (Dioecesis Hagulstadensis et Novacastrensis) is a Roman Catholic Diocese in the United Kingdom. The diocese is one of the six suffragan sees in the ecclesiastical Province of Liverpool and covers much of North-East England.

1 History and Formation
2 The Diocese Today
3 Current Pastors
4 Present Bishop and Bishops Emeriti
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History and Formation

The Diocese of Hexham was revived in 1850 by decree of Pope Pius IX, restoring the Catholic hierarchy to England and Wales. Although the ancient See of Hexham was founded in 678 it had later lapsed. Together with the See of Lindisfarne, founded by Saint Aidan, Hexham formed the main part of the Northumbrian kingdom's ecclesiastical structure. Among the early bishops elected to the see in 684 was Saint Cuthbert, the present-day patron of the modern diocese. However, Cuthbert almost immediately swapped his new diocese with that of Eata of Lindisfarne. Later bishops in Hexham included Acca of Hexham.

The modern diocese was expanded to include the title of Newcastle in 1861. The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, originally under the metropolitan See of Westminster, became part of the new Province of Liverpool (often referred to as the 'Northern Province') in 1911.

On the restoration of the diocese in 1850, Pius IX appointed Bishop William Hogarth, Vicar Apostolic of the Northern District, to be the first bishop of the diocese. The Parish Church of Saint Mary, Newcastle upon Tyne, designed by Augustus Welby Pugin was selected as the seat for the new bishop, gaining cathedral status.

In 1924, Pope Pius XI withdrew the old counties of Cumberland and Westmorland, in order to incorporate them into a newly-created Diocese of Lancaster. For this reason, Lancaster Diocese still considers St Cuthbert as one of its principal patrons. Other territory was taken from the Archdiocese of Liverpool to form the new see.

[edit] The Diocese Today

The modern Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle comprises the counties of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and that part of Cleveland north of the River Tees. In this respect, it comprises three cities: Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham, and Sunderland.

The Diocesan Curia and Chancery are officially based at Bishop's House, East Denton Hall, in the west-end of Newcastle. However, the Tribunal and other commissions are actually based at the nearby Curial Offices at St Vincent's in St Cuthbert's House.

The Diocese is also home to the regional seminary for the north of England, Ushaw College, near Durham. The seminary has strong links with the University of Durham which validates the degree courses offered there. The seminary is governed by the bishops of the Northern Province under the chairmanship of the Archbishop of Liverpool. However, as the local ordinary, the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle always holds the position of Vice-Chairman of Governors.

The Diocesan patrons are Our Blessed Lady Immaculate (8 December) and Saint Cuthbert, Bishop and Confessor (20 March).

[edit] Current Pastors

The current Bishop is Kevin Dunn who succeeded Bishop Ambrose Griffiths on 25 May 2004.

There are presently 214 diocesan priests (57 of whom are retired), 6 permanent deacons, and 3 bishops, serving 183 parishes. A number of religious orders are also present in the diocese, including the Dominicans, the Passionists, the Redemporists, the Carmelites, the Poor Clares and the Sisters of Mercy.

In 2005 Bishop Dunn reorganised the structure of the Diocese and Curia. He introduced five pastoral vicariates, each with an Episcopal Vicar. These vicariates are arranged geographically and are known as Northumberland, Newcastle and North Tyneside, Sunderland and East Durham, South Tyneside, Gateshead and North West Durham, and Cleveland and South Durham. At the same time he appointed Canon Seamus Cunningham as Vicar General. He also appointed a new Chancellor for the Curia and a new Episcopal Vicar for Religious.