Diocese of Shrewsbury

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The Diocese of Shrewsbury is a Roman Catholic Diocese in the North West of England. It varies from the rural areas of Shropshire to the big towns of Birkenhead, Stockport, Ellesmere Port and others. Its current bishop is Brian Noble.

[edit] Geographical Location

It comprises areas of Shropshire, and Cheshire, (as well as parts of Greater Manchester and Merseyside) which were formerly part of Cheshire prior to 1974), who are under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Shrewsbury.

[edit] The Clergy

There are 110 parishes in the diocese served by 141 priests. There is 1,348 Catholic per priest ratio.

Priests (of the diocese)	Priests (from outside England & Wales)	Priests (religious)	Permanent Deacons	Candidates for the Priesthood	House of Religious Women	Houses of Religious Men (not priests)
131	11	34	38	5	30	2

All figures are as of January 2007

[edit] Catholic Education in the Diocese

There are 116 Catholic schools and colleges serving 40,970 pupils.

School Type	Voluntary Aided Primary	Volutary Aided Secondary	Sixth Form Colleges	Independent Schools
Number of schools	90	19	1	6
Number of Students	19,700	17,595	1,800	1,875

The Vicariate for education and formation, is the diocese co-ordinator of schools & colleges, adult education, youth, school's admission & RE and school chaplincay.

All figures are as of January 2006

[edit] Patron Saints of the diocese

1) Our Lady, Help of Christians - 24th May

2) St Winefride - 3rd November

[edit] Deans and Deaneries (With Parishes)

Note: In early 2007 it was announced that parishes would group together to form 'Pastoral Areas', not as a replacement to parishes but strengthening local Catholic communities, ensuring the sharing of services and groups and to avoid unnecessary duplication. Another factor is undoubtedly the declining number of Catholics and priests with some parishes struggling to remain open due to Britain's widespread decline in religious practise. More details to follow.

[edit] 1) Shrewsbury and West Shropshire

St Mary's Deanery

Dean: Canon Stephan Coonan VF

Shrewsbury Cathedral
Church Stretton - St Milburga
Ellesmere - St Michael
Harlescott - Our Lady of Pity
Ludlow - St Peter
Monkmoor - St Winefride
Oswestry - Our Lady & St Oswald
Whitchurch - St George

[edit] 2) Telford & East Shropshire

SS Peter and Paul's Deanery

Dean: Rev Willian Dukes VF

Brignorth - St John the Evangelist
Donnington - Our Lady of the Rosary
Market Drayton - SS Thomas and Stephan
Much Wenlock - St Mary Magdalene
Newport - SS Peter and Paul
Shifnal - St Mary
Wellington - St Patrick
Telford - The Good Shephard
Dawley - St Paul
Madeley - St Mary
Stirchley - All Saints

[edit] 3) Altrincham and Sale

St Ambrose Deanery

Dean: Rev John Rafferty VF

St. Vincent de Paul - Altrincham
Our Lady of Lourdes - Partington
St. John the Baptist- Timperley
St. Hugh of Lincoln - West Timperley
Holy Angels - Hale Barns
St. Margaret Ward - Sale West
All Saints - Ashton-upon-Mersey
St. Joseph's - Sale
Holy Family - Sale Moor

[edit] 4) Birkenhead

St Bede's Deanery

Dean: Rev Micheal Hartley VF

[edit] 5) Chester and Ellesmere Port

St Werburgh's Deanery

Dean: Rev Russell Cooke VF

[edit] 6) Deeside

St Alphonsus Deanery

Dean: Mgr John McManus VG, VF

[edit] 7) East Cheshire

St Alban's Deanery

Dean: Rev John Joyce VF

[edit] 8) Mid Cheshire

St Margaret Ward's Deanery

Dean: Rev Paul P Daly VF

[edit] 9) North East Cheshire

Dean: Rev James Oliver O'Doherty VF

[edit] 10) Stockport

Dean: Canon Vincent Whelan VF

[edit] 11) Wallasey

Dean: Canon Brendan Hoban VF

[edit] 12) Warrington and Runcorn

Dean: Rev Peter Montgomery VF

[edit] 13) Wythenshawe

Dean: Rev Micheal Gannon VF

[edit] Modern History

The first bishop of the diocese was James Brown, president of Sedgeley Park School, who was consecrated 27 July 1851. Out of a total population of 1,082,617, Catholics numbered about 20,000. There were thirty churches and chapels attended by resident priests, and six stations; one convent, that of the Faithful Companions of Jesus, in Birkenhead, to which was attached a boarding school for young ladies, and also a small day-school for poor children. There were Jesuits at Holywell, who also had a college at St. Bruno's, Flintshire, and a Benedictine at Acton Burnell. When Dr. Brown celebrated the jubilee of his consecration, the secular priests had increased to sixty-six, and the regulars to thirty-two. Instead of one religious house of men and one of women, there were now four of men, and nine of women; and many elementary schools had been provided for the needs of Catholic children. In 1852 the bitter feeling caused by-the re-establishment of the hierarchy found vent in serious riots at Stockport. On 29 June a large mob attacked the Church of Sts. Philip and James; they broke the windows and attempted to force in the doors, but before they could effect an entrance, Canon Randolph Frith, the rector, succeeded in removing the Blessed Sacrament, and secreting it with the chalices, etc., in a small cupboard in the side chapel. He was compelled to flee immediately to the belltower, and, whilst the rabble were destroying whatever they could lay their hands upon, he made his escape along the roof, and descended by the spouting at the back of the presbytery. Much of the church furniture, with vestments, etc., was piled up in the street and burned. At St. Michael's, the Host was desecrated, and the pyx and ciborium carried away.

The Catholic population of the diocese was 58,013 (as of the early 20th century), Shropshire contributing under 3,000, partly on account of agricultural depression and the consequent flocking to industrial centres. There were ninety clergy, sixteen convents, representatives of four orders of men, eight secondary schools for girls, an orphanage and industrial school for boys, a home for aged poor, a home for penitents, and an orphanage erected in memory of Bishop Knight. At Oakwood Hall, Romiley, a house of retreats for working-men opened and had done important work; and at New Brighton, the nuns of Our Lady of the Cenacle opened a house of retreats for working-women and ladies. Shropshire is singularly rich in archeological interest, its pre-Reformation parish churches, the noble ruins of monasteries round the Wrekin, the Roman city of Uriconium (Wroxeter), the lordly castle of Ludlow, giving the county a place apart in the heart of the antiquary. In Shrewsbury itself, where once Grey, Black, and Austin Friars and the Black Monks of St. Benedict had foundations, there is now a beautiful little cathedral, built by E. Welby Pugin. Chester, too, with its quaint streets, black and white houses, and venerable cathedral and city walls, claims the visitor's attention. When the body of Daniel O'Connell was brought back from Genoa, it rested in the old chapel in Queen's Street on its way to Ireland.