The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff ( la, Archidioecesis Cardiffensis; cy, Archesgobaeth Caerdydd) is an
archdiocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
of the
Latin Rite
Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church ''sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...
of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
which covers the south-east portion of
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
and the county of
Herefordshire
Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthshire ...
in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The
Metropolitan Province
An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian Churches with traditional hierarchical structure, including Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity. In general, an ecclesiastical province consists of severa ...
of ''Cardiff'' therefore covers all of Wales and part of England. Cardiff's
suffragan
A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations.
In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...
dioceses are the
Diocese of Menevia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Wales. It is one of two suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cardiff and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cardiff.
History
On 12 May 1898, the Apos ...
and the
Diocese of Wrexham
The Diocese of Wrexham, is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Wales. The diocese is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Cardiff.
History
The diocese was erecte ...
.
History
The origin of the modern diocese can be traced to 1840 when the ''
Apostolic Vicariate of the Welsh District The Roman Catholic Diocese of Newport (and Menevia) was the Latin Catholic precursor (1840-1916) in Wales and southwest England of the present Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff, with see in Newport, Wales, and was revived as Latin titular see.
...
'' was created out the ''
Western District of England and Wales''. The Welsh District consisted the whole of Wales and the county of Herefordshire. When
Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
judged that the time was right to
re-establish the Catholic hierarchy in Wales and England in 1850. The southern half of the Welsh District became the ''
Diocese of Newport and Menevia The Roman Catholic Diocese of Newport (and Menevia) was the Latin Catholic precursor (1840-1916) in Wales and southwest England of the present Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff, with see in Newport, Wales, and was revived as Latin titular see.
...
'' and was a suffragan of the
Archdiocese of Birmingham
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham is one of the principal Latin-rite Catholic administrative divisions of England and Wales in the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. The archdiocese covers an area of , encompassing Staffordshir ...
. It had its pro-cathedral at
Belmont Abbey. In 1895, boundaries were redrawn, and the territory covering
Glamorgan
, HQ = Cardiff
, Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974)
, Origin=
, Code = GLA
, CodeName = Chapman code
, Replace =
* West Glamorgan
* Mid Glamorgan
* South Glamorgan
, Motto ...
,
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...
and
Herefordshire
Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthshire ...
was named the ''Diocese of Newport''. Finally, in 1916, without further adjustment of boundaries, the territory was raised to the status of an
archdiocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...
, and given the title ''Archdiocese of Cardiff''. The Episcopal Seat is now located in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
, at
St David's Cathedral.
Timeline
As all of the Roman Catholic dioceses in Wales are part of the ecclesiastical province of Cardiff the history of the archdiocese and its suffragan dioceses are intertwined:
* 29 September 1850:
Universalis Ecclesiae
was a papal bull of 29 September 1850 by which Pope Pius IX recreated the Roman Catholic diocesan hierarchy in England, which had been extinguished with the death of the last Marian bishop in the reign of Elizabeth I. New names were given to ...
: The Roman Catholic Church in Wales is split between the
Diocese of Shrewsbury
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Province of Birmingham which encompasses the pre-1974 counties of Shropshire and Cheshire in the North West and West Midlands of England.
The diocese includes rural are ...
in the north and the Diocese of Newport and Menevia in the south.
* 1852:
Francis Richard Wegg-Prosser
Francis Richard Wegg-Prosser (19 June 1824 – 16 August 1911), born Francis Richard Haggitt, was a wealthy Englishman and Roman Catholic convert who established the Benedictine community which became Belmont Abbey and so played a significant ro ...
, a landowner in Hereford, converts to Catholicism.
[Obituary]
from The Tablet
''The Tablet'' is a Catholic international weekly review published in London. Brendan Walsh, previously literary editor and then acting editor, was appointed editor in July 2017.
History
''The Tablet'' was launched in 1840 by a Quaker convert ...
retrieved 5 April 2014
* 15 February 1854: Wegg-Prosser sets about building a church and the foundation stone is laid on his Belmont estate.
[
* 1857: Construction of the Belmont monastic buildings starts.][
* 21 November 1859: Most of it is built and it becomes a Benedictine priory.][History]
from Belmont Abbey, Herefordshire
Belmont Abbey, in Herefordshire, England, is a Catholic Benedictine monastery that forms part of the English Benedictine Congregation. It stands on a small hill overlooking the city of Hereford to the east, with views across to the Black Mountai ...
retrieved 5 April 2014 The abbey continues to be enlarged (chancel extended in 1865).
* 4 September 1860: The cathedral priory is consecrated.[
* 4 July 1895: The Diocese of Newport and Menevia splits. Glamorgan, Monmouth and Herefordshire become the Diocese of Newport. The rest of Wales, including North Wales from the Diocese of Shrewsbury, becomes the ]Apostolic Vicariate of Wales
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Wales. It is one of two suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cardiff and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cardiff.
History
On 12 May 1898, the Apost ...
.[History]
from Cardiff Cathedral
The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St David, also known as St David's Cathedral, Cardiff, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales, and is the centre of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff. Located in Charles S ...
retrieved 5 April 2014
* 12 May 1898: The Apostolic Vicariate of Wales become the Diocese of Menevia with its pro-cathedral in Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
.[
* 7 February 1916: The Diocese of Newport becomes the Archdiocese of Cardiff and it is decided that St David's Church in Cardiff would become the cathedral.][
* 12 March 1920: St David's Cathedral, Cardiff is officially made the metropolitan cathedral.][
* 12 February 1987: The Diocese of Menevia is split. The north becomes the ]Diocese of Wrexham
The Diocese of Wrexham, is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Wales. The diocese is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Cardiff.
History
The diocese was erecte ...
with its cathedral remaining in Wrexham. The south remains the Diocese of Menevia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Wales. It is one of two suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cardiff and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cardiff.
History
On 12 May 1898, the Apos ...
and sets up Swansea Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saint Joseph – also known as St Joseph's Cathedral, Menevia Cathedral or Swansea Cathedral – is a Grade II-listed Roman Catholic cathedral in Swansea, Wales. It is the seat of the Bishop of Menevia and mother church o ...
.[
]
Overview
The current ecclesiastical territory of the diocese comprises the local government areas of Cardiff, Bridgend
Bridgend (; cy, Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge ...
, Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg ), often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol C ...
, Newport, Torfaen
Torfaen (; cy, Torfaen ) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. Torfaen is bordered by the county of Monmouthshire to the east, the city of Newport to the south, and the county boroughs of Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent to the south ...
, Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire, Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...
, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Herefordshire. Altogether there are 61 parishes. On 19 April 2011, George Stack
George Stack KC*HS CStJ (born 9 May 1946) is a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was installed as the seventh Archbishop of Cardiff on 20 June 2011 and retired on 20 June 2022.
Biography
George Stack was born in Cork, Ireland, on 9 M ...
was appointed to succeed Peter Smith, who was translated to Southwark
Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...
in 2010. He was installed as Archbishop on 20 June 2011.
Bishops
Ordinaries
;Vicars Apostolic of the Welsh District
* , O.S.B. (Appointed on 5 June 1840 – Became Bishop of Newport and Menevia on 29 September 1850)
;Bishops of Newport and Menevia
* , O.S.B. (Appointed on 29 September 1850 – Died on 12 April 1880)
* John Cuthbert Hedley
John Cuthbert Hedley (15 April 1837 – 11 November 1915) was a British Benedictine and writer who held high offices in the Roman Catholic Church.
Born in Morpeth, Northumberland, he was the son of Dr. Edward Astley Hedley and Mary Ann ( Davison ...
, O.S.B. (Appointed on 18 February 1881 - from 1895, Bishop of Newport only – Died on 11 November 1915)
;Archbishops of Cardiff
* James Romanus Bilsborrow
James Romanus Bilsborrow, O.S.B. (27 August 1862 – 19 June 1931) was an English Roman Catholic prelate and Benedictine priest. He served as the first Archbishop of Cardiff (1916–1920), having previously been Bishop of Port-Louis (1916–1 ...
, O.S.B. (Appointed on 7 February 1916 – Resigned on 16 December 1920)
* Francis Edward Joseph Mostyn (Appointed on 7 March 1921 – Died on 25 October 1939)
* Michael Joseph McGrath
Michael Joseph McGrath (24 March 1882 – 28 February 1961) was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served first as the bishop of Menevia from 1935 to 1940, then the archbishop of Cardiff from 1940 to 1961.
Personal history ...
(Appointed on 20 June 1940 – Died on 28 February 1961)
* John Aloysius Murphy
John Aloysius Murphy (21 December 1905 – 18 November 1995) was a Roman Catholic Church prelate who served firstly as the Bishop of Shrewsbury from 1949 to 1961, then as the Archbishop of Cardiff from 1961 to 1983.
He was born in Birkenhead ...
(Appointed on 22 August 1961 – Retired on 25 March 1983)
* John Aloysius Ward, O.F.M. Cap. (Appointed on 25 March 1983 – Resigned on 26 October 2001)
* Peter David Smith (Appointed on 26 October 2001 – Translated to Southwark
Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...
on 30 April 2010)
* George Stack
George Stack KC*HS CStJ (born 9 May 1946) is a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was installed as the seventh Archbishop of Cardiff on 20 June 2011 and retired on 20 June 2022.
Biography
George Stack was born in Cork, Ireland, on 9 M ...
(Appointed on 19 April 2011 – 20 June 2022)
* Mark O'Toole (Appointed 27 April 2022. Installed on 20 June 2022)
Auxiliary Bishops
* John Edward Cuthbert Hedley, O.S.B. (1873-1881), appointed Bishop here
* Daniel Joseph Mullins (1970-1987), appointed Bishop of Menevia, Wales
Other priests of this diocese who became bishops
*Daniel Joseph Hannon
Daniel Joseph Hannon (12 June 1884 – 26 April 1946) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Menevia from 1941 to 1946.
Born in Rotherham, Yorkshire on 12 June 1884, he was ordained to the priesthood on 22 September 1907. He wa ...
, appointed Bishop of Menevia, Wales in 1941
* David James Mathew, appointed auxiliary bishop of Westminster, England in 1938
*Edwin Regan
Edwin Regan (born 31 December 1935) is a Welsh prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the second Bishop of Wrexham from 1994 to 2012.
Biography
Edwin Regan was born in Port Talbot, and studied at St. John's Seminary, Waterford, I ...
, appointed Bishop of Wrexham, Wales in 1994
*Francis John Vaughan
Francis John Vaughan (5 May 1877 – 13 March 1935) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Menevia from 1926 to 1935.
Vaughan was born in Courtfield, Welsh Bicknor, Herefordshire. An uncle was Cardinal Herbert Vaughan, Archbisho ...
, appointed Bishop of Menevia, Wales in 1926
Deaneries
There are a total of six deaneries in the Archdiocese of Cardiff, each of which cover several churches in that area, overseen by a dean.
The deaneries include:Deaneries
from RCADC.co.uk, retrieved 25 March 2015
* Bridgend Deanery
* Cardiff Deanery
* Hereford Deanery
The Herefordshire Deanery is a Roman Catholic deanery in the Archdiocese of Cardiff that covers several churches in Hereford and the surrounding area.
The dean of Hereford is centred at Belmont Abbey.
Churches
* Belmont Abbey, Hereford
* Ou ...
* Newport Deanery
* North Gwent Deanery
* Pontypridd Deanery
References
External links
Archdiocese of Cardiff website
Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral
Wales and the Marches Catholic History Society
Cardiff Catholic Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
Pope Pius IX
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
1840 establishments in the United Kingdom
Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Cardiff