The Diocese of London () is a

Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...

ecclesiastical jurisdiction or

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, 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 Roman province, prov ...

of the

Catholic Church in Canada The Catholic Church in Canada is part of the worldwide Catholic Church and has a decentralised structure, meaning each Diocese, diocesan bishop is autonomous but under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and the Canadian Conference of Cathol ...

. It is a

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...

in the

ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian churches, including those of both Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity, that have traditional hierarchical structures. An ecclesiastical province consist ...

of the

metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ar ...

Archdiocese of Toronto The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toronto () is a Roman Catholic archdiocese that includes part of the province of Ontario. Its archbishop is also the ecclesiastical provincial for the dioceses of Hamilton, London, Saint Catharines, and Thunder Bay ...

. The present episcopal see of the diocese, St. Peter's Cathedral in

London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...

, was built in a French Gothic Revival style from 1880 to 1885. It was raised to the status of a

minor basilica Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectura ...

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...

in December, 1961.

Statistics and extent

The Diocese covers the counties of

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

Elgin Elgin may refer to: Places Canada * Elgin County, Ontario * Elgin Settlement, a 19th-century community for freed slaves located in present-day North Buxton and South Buxton, Ontario * Elgin, a village in Rideau Lakes, Ontario * Elgin, Manit ...

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

Huron Huron may refer to: Native American ethnography * Huron people, who have been called Wyandotte, Wyandot, Wendat and Quendat * Huron language, an Iroquoian language * Huron-Wendat Nation, or Huron-Wendat First Nation, or Nation Huronne-Wendat * N ...

, Lambton,

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

and

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

. , it pastorally served 444,310 Catholics (22.8% of 1,944,182 total) on 21,349 km² in 130 parishes and 1 mission with 136 priests (101 diocesan, 35 religious), 73 deacons, 474 lay religious (1 brother, 473 sisters) and 11 seminarians. The diocese also runs St. Peter's Seminary, which is now affiliated with the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thame ...

. In 2019, the Survivor's Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) confirmed that 36 priests were credibly accused of sexually abusing minors. Following media coverage of the list, the Diocese waived confidentiality of their previous settlements. When interviewed about the list compiled by SNAP, Bishop Ronald Fabbro of the Diocese of London indicated that four other priests whose names were not on the list were accused of sexual abuse of minors. Bishop Fabbro refused to disclose the names of the priests. His decision faced considerable backlash from survivors and advocates.

History

* The Diocese of London was created on February 21, 1856, by

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

, on territory carved out of the then Roman Catholic Diocese of Toronto (now a Metropolitan Archdiocese), along with the

Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario The Diocese of Hamilton () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Canada. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese in Toronto. The cathedral is the Cathedr ...

. Pierre-Adolphe Pinsonnault was named the first Bishop of London on May 18 of that year. * On 1859.02.02 it was renamed as Diocese of Sandwich / Sandvicen(sis) (Latin), as its first Bishop Pinsoneault moved the seat of the diocese to

Sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...

, on the

Detroit River The Detroit River is an List of international river borders, international river in North America. The river, which forms part of the border between the U.S. state of Michigan and the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ont ...

* On 1869.11.15 it was renamed back as Diocese of London / Londonen(sis) (Latin), the diocesan see having been returned under second Bishop John Walsh. * On 2020.05.21 an Ontario appeals court dismissed a bid by the Diocese of London to drop a lawsuit filed by Irene Deschenes, who claimed that notorious predator priest Charles Henry Sylvestre sexually abused her when she was a minor between 1970 and 1973. Deschenes first began legal action against the Diocese of London in 1996. Sylvestre pled guilty in August 2006 to sexually abusing 47 females, whose ages ranged between 9 and 14, between 1952 and 1989 Local newspapers documented the lives of many of the women who refused the

publication ban A publication ban is a court order which prohibits the public or media from disseminating certain details of an otherwise public judicial proceeding. In Canada, publication bans are most commonly issued when the safety or reputation of a victim ...

and spoke out about their abuse. He was given a three-year sentence in October 2006 and died January 22, 2007, of

natural causes In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distinc ...

after only three months in prison. The case was documented by the

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...

news programme '' The Fifth Estate''.

Bishops

Episcopal Ordinaries

;''Suffragan Bishops of London, Ontario'' * Pierre-Adolphe Pinsonnault (May 13, 1856 - 1859.02.02 ''see below'') ;''Suffragan Bishops of Sandwich'' * Pierre-Adolphe Pinsonnault (''see above'' 1859.02.02 - retired December 18, 1866), emeritus as

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of Birtha (1868.12.04 – death 1883.01.30) * John Walsh (November 10, 1867 - 1869.10.03 ''see below'') ;''Suffragan Bishops of London, Ontario'' * John Walsh (''see above'' 1869.10.03 - July 25, 1889), next Metropolitan Archbishop of

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

(Ontario, Canada) (1889.07.25 – death 1898.07.30) * Denis (T.) O'Connor, Congregation of St. Basil (C.S.B.) (19 October 1890 – 7 January 1899), next Metropolitan Archbishop of

(Canada) (1899.01.07 – 1908.05.04), emeritus as

Titular Archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of Laodicea (1908.05.04 – death 1911.06.30) *

Fergus Patrick McEvay Fergus Patrick McEvay (December 8, 1852 – May 10, 1911) was a Canadian prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Diocese of London, Ontario, Bishop of London (1899–1908) and later Archdiocese of Toronto, Archbishop of Toronto (1908–19 ...

(August 6, 1899 - April 13, 1908), next Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto (Canada) (1908.04.13 – death 1911.05.10) * Michael Francis Fallon,

Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816, by Eugène de Mazenod, a French priest later recognized as a Catholic saint. The congregation wa ...

(O.M.I.) (April 25, 1910 - death February 22, 1931) * Thomas Kidd (July 3, 1931 - death June 2, 1950), previously Bishop of

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

(Alberta, Canada) (1925.02.06 – 1931.07.03) * John Christopher Cody (June 2, 1950 – death December 5, 1963), previously Bishop of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

(Canada) (1936.12.09 – 1946.04.06),

of Elatea (1946.04.06 – 1950.06.02) as

Coadjutor Bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) ("co-assister" in Latin) is a bishop in the Latin Catholic, Anglican and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in administering the diocese. The coa ...

of London (1946.04.06 – 1950.06.02) *

Gerald Emmett Carter Gerald Emmett Cardinal Carter (March 1, 1912 – April 6, 2003) was a Canadian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Toronto from 1978 to 1990, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1979. Biography Youth and ordi ...

(February 17, 1964 - April 29, 1978), succeeded as previous Titular Bishop of

Altiburus Althiburos (, ʿ or , ʼ) was an ancient Berbers, Berber, Ancient Carthage, Carthaginian, and Roman Empire, Roman settlement in what is now the Dahmani, Dahmani Delegation of the Kef Governorate of Tunisia. During the reign of emperor Hadrian, it ...

(1961.12.01 – 1964.02.17) and Auxiliary Bishop of London (1961.12.01 – 1964.02.17); also President of Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (1975 – 1977); later Metropolitan Archbishop of

(Canada) (1978.04.27 – retired 1990.03.17), created

Cardinal-Priest A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...

of S. Maria in Traspontina (1979.06.30 – death 2003.04.06) *

John Michael Sherlock John Michael Sherlock (January 20, 1926 – August 12, 2019) was a Canadian bishop. He was the Roman Catholic Bishop of London, Ontario, from July 8, 1978, to April 27, 2002. He was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, and raised in Brantford, Ontario ...

(July 8, 1978 - April 27, 2002), also President of Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (1983 – 1985); succeeded as previous Titular Bishop of Macriana in Mauretania (1974.06.25 – 1978.07.07) and Auxiliary Bishop of London (1974.06.25 – 1978.07.07); Bishop Emeritus when he died **

Auxiliary Bishop An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions. ...

: Marcel André J. Gervais (1980.04.19 – 1985.05.03),

Rosemarkie Rosemarkie (, from meaning "promontory of the horse stream") is a village on the south coast of the Black Isle peninsula in Ross-shire (Ross and Cromarty), northern Scotland. Geography Rosemarkie lies a quarter of a mile east of the town of ...

(1980.04.19 – 1985.05.03); later Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie (Canada) (1985.05.03 – 1989.05.13),

Coadjutor Archbishop The term "coadjutor" (literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence. These include: * Coadjutor bishop ...

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

(Ontario, Canada) (1989.05.13 – 1989.09.27) succeeding as Metropolitan Archbishop of Ottawa (Canada) (1989.09.27 – retired 2007.05.14), President of Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (1991 – 1993) ** Auxiliary Bishop: Frederick Bernard Henry (1986.04.18 – 1995.03.24), Titular Bishop of

Carinola Carinola is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located c. northwest of Naples, c. northwest of Caserta, and c. southeast of Rome. Carinola borders the following municipalities: Falciano del ...

(1986.04.18 – 1995.03.24); later Bishop of

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario. Its population i ...

(Canada) (1995.03.24 – 1998.01.19), Bishop of

(Canada) (1998.01.19 – retired 2017.01.04) ** Auxiliary Bishop:

Richard John Grecco Richard John Grecco (born 4 March 1946) is a Canadian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the 13th Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlottetown, Bishop of Charlottetown from 2009 to 2021. Biography Born in Thorold, Ontario to Anthony and Lil ...

(1997.12.05 – 2002.04.27), Titular Bishop of Uccula (1997.12.05 – 2009.07.11); later Bishop of

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlott ...

(Canada) (2009.07.11 – ...) * Ronald Peter Fabbro, C.S.B. (August 15, 2002 - ...), previously

Superior General A superior general or general superior is the leader or head of an 'order' of religious persons (nuns, priests, friars, etc) or, in other words, of a 'religious institute' in the Catholic Church, and in some other Christian denominations. The super ...

of Congregation of St. Basil (Basilians) (1997 – 2002.04.27). **

Robert Anthony Daniels Robert Anthony Daniels (born June 18, 1957), sometimes styled R. Anthony Daniels or Anthony Daniels, is a Canadian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the 9th bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Falls, Newfoundland, Canada, suc ...

(2004.09.21 – 2011.03.01), Titular Bishop of Scebatiana (2004.09.21 – 2011.03.01); next Bishop of Grand Falls (Canada) (2011.03.01 – ...) **

: Józef Andrzej Dąbrowski, Michaelites (C.S.M.A.) (2015.01.31 – ...), Titular Bishop of Casæ in Numidia (2015.01.31 – ...).

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

Eugène Philippe LaRocque Eugène Philippe LaRocque (27 March 1927 – 16 December 2018) was a Canadian Catholic priest, and Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall from 1974 to 2002. LaRocque served as State Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus in Ontario from 1977 to 1987, a ...

, appointed Bishop of Alexandria in Ontario in 1974 * James Leonard Doyle, appointed Bishop of Peterborough, Ontario in 1976 *

William Terrence McGrattan William Terrence McGrattan (born 19 September 1956) is the eighth and current bishop of the Diocese of Calgary. He was an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Toronto and titular bishop of Furnos Minor before being appointed Bishop of the ...

, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto, Ontario in 2009

Education

Conseil scolaire catholique Providence The ''Conseil scolaire catholique Providence'' (Csc Providence) is the French-language Catholic school board for southwestern Ontario, Canada. The Providence Catholic School Board includes 10,000 students in its 31 schools: 23 elementary schools ...

Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB, known as English-language Separate District School Board No. 51 prior to 1999) is a separate school board in Ontario, Canada. The school board is the school district administrat ...

* Huron Perth Catholic District School Board *

London District Catholic School Board The London District Catholic School Board (LDCSB), known as English-language Separate District School Board No. 38 prior to 1999) is a separate school board offering Catholic education in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It serves students from the ...

* St. Clair Catholic District School Board *

Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board The Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board (WECDSB, known as English-language Separate District School Board of Education No. 37 prior to 1999) is the separate school board that oversees Catholic education in Windsor and the surrounding Cou ...

Churches

Religious Communities

The following are communities of consecrated life in the Diocese of London:https://dol.ca/communities-of-consecrated-life-in-the-diocese-of-london *Religious Communities of Women #Sisters Adorers of the Precious Blood (R.P.B.) #Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (S.N.J.M.) #Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (S.F.B.Z.) #The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada (C.S.J.) #Ursuline Sisters of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus (U.S.A.H.J.) #Ursuline Sisters of Chatham, Ontario (O.S.U.) #Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood (CPS) #Sisters of Service (S.O.S.) #Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate (S.S.M.I.) *Religious Communities of Men #Brothers of St. Louis (C.S.A.) #Congregation of St. Basil (C.S.B.) #Congregation of St. Michael the Archangel (C.S.M.A.) #Congregation of the Holy Redeemer (C.Ss.R.) #Congregation of the Rosarians (C.R.) #Order of Discalced Carmelite Friars (O.C.D.) #Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (O.F.M.Cap.) #Society of Christ (S.Chr.)

Cemeteries

* Heavenly Rest Catholic Cemetery (Windsor) * Resurrection Catholic Cemetery (Sarnia) * St. Peter's Catholic Cemetery (London)

References

Sources and external links

Roman Catholic Diocese of London site

* ; Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:London, Ontario, Roman Catholic Diocese Roman Catholic bishops of London, Ontario Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Toronto Organizations based in London 1856 establishments in Canada West