Diocese of Shrewsbury
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| Diocese of Shrewsbury | |
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| Crest of the Diocese of Shrewsbury | |
| Country: | Great Britain |
| Catholic Province: | Archdiocese of Birmingham |
| Parishes: | 110 + 12 (2006), 76 (1950) |
| Area: | 6,136 km² |
| Population: | 1,832,900 (2002), 1,331,706 (1950) |
| Catholics: | 223,132 (2007), 102,250 (1950) |
| Percentage Catholics: | 10.7% (2006), 7.7% (1950) |
| Diocesan Priests: | 127 (2007), 140 (1950) |
| Deacons: | 41 (2007) |
| Religous Priests: | 26 (2007), 69 (1950) |
| Other Religious: | 32 |
The Diocese of Shrewsbury is a Roman Catholic Diocese in the North West of England and parts of the West Midlands. The diocese comprises the pre-1974 counties of Shropshire and Cheshire, varying from the rural areas of Shropshire to the large urban areas of Birkenhead, Stockport and Ellesmere Port amongst others. It is unusual amongst dioceses in England & Wales in that the population does not have one central concentration, but is fragmented across the area. Its current bishop is Brian Noble, who resides on the Wirral. [1]
It is divided into 6 regions, which in turn contain 26 pastoral areas and within these, the 110 Parishes.
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[edit] Geographical location
The diocese comprises the areas of Shropshire, Cheshire, as well as parts of Greater Manchester and Merseyside that were formerly part of Cheshire. Before 1895, it also included North Wales. Since October 2007, new pastoral areas and regions have been created, replacing the former deaneries.[2]
| Region | Name | Regional Dean[3] |
|---|---|---|
| A | Shropshire & Wrekin | Cannon Stephan Coonan |
| B | Central Cheshire | Fr John Daly |
| C | North Cheshire | Fr Russel Cooke |
| D | South Trafford & Wythenshawe | Fr John Rafferty |
| E | Stockport & Tameside | Canon Vincent Whelan |
| F | Wirral | Fr Nick Kern |
[edit] Previous Bishops
- James Brown †(1851-1881)
- Edmund Knight †(1882-1895)
- John Carroll †(1895-1897)
- Samuel Webster Allen †(1897-1908)
- Hugh Singleton †(1908-1934)
- Ambrose James Moriarty †(1934-1949)
- John Aloysius Murphy †(1949-1961) (Later Archbishop of Cardiff)
- William Eric Grasar †(1962-1980)
- Joseph Gray †(1980-1995)
- Brian Michael Noble (1995-present)
[edit] Catholic education in the diocese
There are 116 Catholic schools and colleges serving 40,585 pupils. [4]
| School Type | Voluntary Aided Primary | Voluntary Aided Secondary | Sixth Form Colleges | Independent Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of schools | 90 | 19 | 1 | 6 |
| Number of Students | 19,034 | 18,222 | 1,710 | 1,619 |
- All figures are as of January 2007
[edit] Patron saints of the diocese
1) Our Lady, Help of Christians - 24th May
2) Saint Winefride - 3rd November
[edit] Parish Pastoral Areas and Regions
On 1st October 2007, local deaneries were abolished and parishes grouped 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.
Each LPT (local pastoral team [see below]) has two co-leaders (one priest; one lay) and each region is headed by a Regional Dean. [5]
[edit] Region A - Shropshire & Wrekin Catholic Region
Regional Dean: Cannon Stephan Coonan
| Region | Pastoral Area | Parishes/Mass Centres | Primary Schools | Secondary Schools | Hospitals & Other Chaplaincies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | LPA 1 | Shrewsbury Cathedral (http://www.shrewsburycathedral.org/) Monkmoor, St Winefride |
St Mary’s St Winefride’s |
BRJ | Royal Shrewsbury Shropshire Nuffield |
| A | LPA 2 | Ellesmere, St Michael Farndon |
Our Lady & St Oswald | BRJ | Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt H + Forces |
| A | LPA 3 | Church Stretton, St Milburga Cleobury Mortimer, St Elizabeth |
Moor Park | BRJ | |
| A | LPA 4 | Bridgnorth, St John Broseley |
St John’s St Luke’s |
BRJ | Princess Royal |
| A | LPA 5 | Albrighton, St Joseph Market Drayton, Ss Thomas & |
Ss Peter & Paul’s St Mary’s, Madeley |
BRJ | (+Cosford) + Stoke Heath |
[edit] Region B - Central Cheshire
Regional Dean: Fr John Daly
| Region | Pastoral Area | Parishes/Mass Centres | Primary Schools | Secondary Schools | Hospitals & Other Chaplaincies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | LPA 6 | Alderley Edge, St Pius X Handforth, St Benedict |
St Benedict’s St Vincent’s |
All Hallows CH St Nicholas CH |
Styal Prison |
| B | LPA 7 | Bollington, St Gregory Congleton, St Mary |
St Alban’s St Edward’s |
All Hallows CH | Macclesfield District Gen East Cheshire Hospice |
| B | LPA 8 | Barnton, Our Lady of Fatima Holmes Chapel, St Margaret |
St Bede’s St Joseph’s |
St Nicholas CH | St Luke’s Hospice |
| B | LPA 9 | Alsager, St Gabriel |
St Anne’s St Gabriel’s |
St Thomas More CH | Leighton Hosp + M’chester Metropolitan Univ |
[edit] Region C - North Cheshire
Regional Dean: Fr Russel Cooke
| Region | Pastoral Area | Parishes/Mass Centres | Primary Schools | Secondary Schools | Hospitals & Other Chaplaincies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | LPA 10 | Ellesmere Port, Our Lady Ellesmere Port, St Bernard |
Our Lady star of the Sea St Bernard’s |
Ellesmere Port Catholic High | Ellesmere Port Hospice Good Shepherd Hospice |
| C | LPA 11 | Blacon, St Theresa Chester, St Francis |
St Clare’s St Theresa’s |
Chester Catholic High St Nicholas Catholic High |
Countess of Chester Grosvenor Nuffield |
| C | LPA 12 | Castlefields, St Augustine Frodsham, St Luke |
Holy Spirit Our Lady’s |
Chester Catholic High St Chad’s Catholic High |
Halton General Hospital Halton Haven Hospice |
| C | LPA 13 | Appleton, St Monica |
Our Lady’s St Augustine’s |
Cardinal Newman Catholic High | North Cheshire Hospital + Thorn Cross YOI |
[edit] Region D - South Trafford & Wythenshawe
Regional Dean: Fr John Rafferty
| Region | Pastoral Area | Parishes/Mass Centres | Primary Schools | Secondary Schools | Hospitals & Other Chaplaincies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | LPA 14 | Baguley, Sacred Heart & St Peter Benchill, Ss John & St Thomas |
Sacred Heart St Aidan’s |
St Paul’s CH | Wythenshawe General |
| D | LPA 15 | Altrincham, St Vincent Hale Barns, Holy Angels |
St Hugh’s St Vincent’s Infants |
Bl Thomas Holford St Ambrose College |
St Ann’s Hospice |
| D | LPA 16 | Ashton-on-Mersey, All Saints Partington, Our Lady |
All Saints Holy Family |
Bl Thomas Holford St Ambrose College |
[edit] Region E - Stockport & Tameside
Regional Dean: Canon Vincent Whelan
| Region | Pastoral Area | Parishes/Mass Centres | Primary Schools | Secondary Schools | Hospitals & Other Chaplaincies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E | LPA 17 | Brinnington, St Bernadette Marple, Holy Spirit |
St Joseph’s St Bernadette’s |
Harrytown CH Aquinas College |
Stepping Hill Hospital Cherry Tree Hospital |
| E | LPA 18 | Dukinfield, St Mary Hattersley, St James |
St James’ St Mary’s |
All Saints CC |
|
| E | LPA 19 | Cheadle, St Chad Cheadle Hulme, St Ann |
Cheadle Infants Cheadle Juniors |
St James CH Aquinas College |
Cheadle Royal Hospital Stepping Hill Hospital |
| E | LPA 20 | Adswood, St Ambrose Bramhall, St Vincent |
Cheadle Infant Cheadle Primary |
Harrytown CH St James CH |
Stepping Hill Hospital |
[edit] Region F - Wirral
Regional Dean: Fr Nick Kern
| Region | Pastoral Area | Parishes/Mass Centres | Primary Schools | Secondary Schools | Hospitals & Other Chaplaincies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | LPA 21 | Leasowe, Our Lady of Lourdes Liscard, St Alban |
Our Lady of Lourdes St Alban’s |
St Mary’s St Anselm’s |
|
| F | LPA 22 | Moreton, Sacred Heart Greasby, Our Lady of Pity |
Our Lady of Lourdes St Alban’s |
St Mary’s St Anselm’s |
|
| F | LPA 23 | Heswall, Our Lady & St John |
Our Lady of Lourdes St Alban’s |
St Mary’s Chester CH |
Murrayfield Hospital |
| F | LPA 24 | Bebington, St Luke Bromborough, Christ the King |
St Anne’s Christ the King |
St John Plessington St Anselm’s |
Clatterbridge Hospital
St John’s Hospice |
| F | LPA 25 | Birkenhead, St Joseph Noctorum, St Peter |
St Joseph’s, B’head St Joseph’s, Upton |
St John Plessington St Mary’s |
Arrowe Park Hospital |
| F | LPA 26 | Birkenhead, Holy Cross & St Paul Birkenhead, Our Lady |
Holy Cross Our Lady’s |
Plessington St Mary’s |
[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.
Although the Catholic population of the diocese was 58,013 (as of the early 20th century), Shropshire contributed 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 Edward 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. [6]
[edit] References
- ^ The Diocese of Shrewsbury - Pastoral, Spiritual & Practical Care to the Local Communities
- ^ The Diocese of Shrewsbury - Pastoral, Spiritual & Practical Care to the Local Communities
- ^ The Shrewsbury Voice - Oct 2007
- ^ Shrewsbury Diocese Handbook 2008
- ^ The Diocese of Shrewsbury - Pastoral, Spiritual & Practical Care to the Local Communities
- ^ CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Shrewsbury
[edit] External links
- Diocese Website
- Catholic Hierarchy - Diocese Information
- Diocese Vocation Office
- Giga-Catholic Information
This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.
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