| Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle Dioecesis Hagulstadensis et Novacastrensis |
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| Location | |
| Country | England |
| Territory | The counties of Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Durham and the part of Cleveland north of the River Tees. |
| Ecclesiastical province | Liverpool |
| Metropolitan | Liverpool |
| Deaneries | 18 |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 8,438 km2 (3,258 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2006) 2,233,720 217,084 (9.7%) |
| Parishes | 182 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Established | 29 September 1850 (As Hexham) 23 May 1861 (As Hexham and Newcastle) |
| Cathedral | St Mary's Cathedral |
| Secular priests | 194 |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Benedict XVI |
| Bishop | Seamus Cunningham |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Patrick Altham Kelly |
| Vicars General | Gerard Lavender |
| Episcopal Vicars |
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| Emeritus Bishops | Michael Ambrose Griffiths |
| Map | |
The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle within the Province of Liverpool |
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| Website | |
| rcdhn.org.uk | |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is a Roman Catholic diocese of the Latin Rite centred around St Mary's Cathedral in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in England. The diocese is one of the six suffragan sees in the ecclesiastical Province of Liverpool and covers much of North-East England.
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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.
The modern Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle comprises the counties of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham. 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).
The See of Hexham and Newcastle is held by His Excellency, the Most Reverend Bishop Seamus Cunningham, who succeeded His Excellency, the Most Reverend Bishop Kevin Dunn, who died on 1 March 2008. Bishop Dunn had succeeded His Excellency, the Most Reverend Bishop Ambrose Griffiths, who himself died as Bishop Emeritus on Tuesday, 14 June 2011, on 25 May 2004.[1]
There are presently 214 diocesan priests (57 of whom are retired), 6 permanent deacons, and 1 bishop emeritus, 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 Episcopal Areas. These areas 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 the man who would ultimately be his successor, Canon Seamus Cunningham, as Vicar General. He also appointed a new Chancellor for the Curia and a new Episcopal Vicar for Religious.
Following the death of Bishop Dunn on 1 March 2008, and in accordance with Canons 165 – 178 and Canons 421 – 425 of the Code of Canon Law, the Diocesan College of Consultors met on 2 March 2008. At their meeting, the Consultors elected Canon Seamus Cunningham as the Diocesan Administrator.
On Friday, 9 January 2009 a press release by Vatican Information Service, confirmed that Pope Benedict XVI had named Seamus Cunningham as the new bishop-elect of the diocese. He received his episcopal ordination on Friday, 20 March 2009 - the feast day of St. Cuthbert - the diocesan patron.[2]
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