The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Halifax–Yarmouth () 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 ...

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 associated ...

that includes part of the civil province of

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

. The Archdiocese of Halifax–Yarmouth has both a cathedral, St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica, in Halifax, and a

co-cathedral A co-cathedral is a cathedral church which shares the function of being a bishop's seat, or ''cathedra'', with another cathedral, often in another city (usually a former see, anchor city of the metropolitan area or the civil capital). Instances o ...

St. Ambrose Co-Cathedral, in Yarmouth. Since 2020, the diocesan ordinary has been Archbishop Brian Dunn.

History

In 1784, catholics in the town of Halifax decided to build a church after the penal statutes against popery were repealed. A small chapel, St. Peter's, was erected on a site at the south end of the town of Halifax in July of that year. The wardens of St. Peter's also petitioned Bishop

John Butler John Butler may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John "Picayune" Butler (died 1864), American banjo performer; may have been used by a number of performers * John Butler (artist) (1890–1976), American artist * John Butler (author) (born 1937), ...

of Cork, Ireland to send Father James Jones, who knew many Irish settlers in Halifax and had expressed interest in coming to serve the church in North America. In 1801, Bishop Pierre Denaut of Quebec, somewhat alarmed at the radical developments at St. Peter's parish in Halifax after Father James Jones' departure, had asked Father Edmund Burke, the Vicar General of Upper Canada, to move to Halifax to tackle the situation. On territory originally a part of the Diocese of Quebec, including the whole of

, the future Diocese of Halifax was established on 4 September 1817 as the

Apostolic Vicariate An apostolic vicariate is a territorial jurisdiction of the Catholic Church under a titular bishop centered in missionary regions and countries where dioceses or parishes have not yet been established. The status of apostolic vicariate is often ...

of Nova Scotia, a pre-diocesan jurisdiction entitled to a titular bishop and exempt (i.e., directly subject to the Holy See and not part of any ecclesiastical province), with Edmund Burke as the Vicar Apostolic of Nova Scotia. He was consecrated on July 5th 1818 as Titular Bishop of Sion by Bishop

Joseph-Octave Plessis Joseph-Octave Plessis (March 3, 1763 – December 4, 1825) was a Canadians, Canadian Catholic Church, Roman Catholic clergyman from Quebec. He was the first archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec after the diocese was elevated to ...

. It was elevated to a bishopric on 15 February 1842 and on 22 September 1844 lost territory to establish the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arichat, now (as the Diocese of Antigonish) one of its suffragans. In 1852, the Diocese of Halifax was elevated to an archdiocese and an ecclesiastical province was also created from dioceses of Arichat, Charlottetown and Fredericton, along with the Archdiocese of Halifax. Bishop William Walsh became the first Archbishop of Halifax. It lost territory twice more: on 19 February 1953 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Bermuda Islands and on 6 July 1953 to establish the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Yarmouth The Roman Catholic Diocese of Yarmouth () was a Roman Catholic diocese that includes part of the Province of Nova Scotia. It was erected on July 6, 1953. The Diocese of Yarmouth covered 32,150 square kilometers. In December 2011, it was merged wi ...

. The Archdiocese of Halifax enjoyed a papal visit from

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

in September 1984; that year was the 200th anniversary of the precedent set by the laity of Halifax of forcing the repeal of the anti-Catholic legislation in Nova Scotia, and the British Empire. In December 2011, the Diocese of Yarmouth was merged back into the Archdiocese of Halifax, creating the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth, which was renamed by absorbing its title. Although canonically combined in one archdiocese, the corresponding civil statutory corporations of the former dioceses—the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Halifax (incorporated in 1849) and the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Yarmouth (incorporated in 1954)—continue to be treated as separate entities by Nova Scotia's Government. In a diocesan report circulated in 2004, the Archdiocese of Halifax outlined a parish restructuring process in response to declining attendance, population growth in Halifax, rural population decline, a shortage of priests, and rising operational costs. The work on that restructuring process continued as a part of the 2017-2020 pastoral plan under Archbishop Mancini, with an implementation phase that would begin and be completed during 2020. The decrees of establishment for the reorganized parishes were published on 1 January 2020. The former cathedral became the St. Ambrose

Co-Cathedral A co-cathedral is a cathedral church which shares the function of being a bishop's seat, or ''cathedra'', with another cathedral, often in another city (usually a former see, anchor city of the metropolitan area or the civil capital). Instances o ...

, in

Yarmouth, Nova Scotia Yarmouth is a port town located on the Bay of Fundy in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. Yarmouth is the shire town of Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, Yarmouth County and is the largest population centre in the region. History Originally inhab ...

Extent and province

The Archdiocese of Halifax–Yarmouth covers 34,055 square kilometers. As of 2021, the archdiocese had 58 active diocesan priests, 7 religious priests, and 215,880 Catholics. It also had 87 women religious, 7 religious brothers, and 41 permanent deacons. The metropolitan archbishop heads an

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 ...

which includes the

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 ...

dioceses of

Antigonish Antigonish ( ; ) is a town in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia, Canada. The town is home to St. Francis Xavier University and the oldest continuous Highland games outside Scotland. It is approximately 160 kilometres (100 miles) northeast of Hal ...

and

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 ...

Bishops

(all

Roman Rite The Roman Rite () is the most common ritual family for performing the ecclesiastical services of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The Roman Rite governs Rite (Christianity) ...

) ; ''Apostolic Vicars of Nova Scotia'' * Edmund Burke (1817.07.04 – 1820.11.29),

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 Sion (1817.07.04 – 1820.11.29) * Denis Lyons (1824.08.24 – 1824.10.19 not possessed), Titular Bishop of

Tanis Tanis ( ; ; ) or San al-Hagar (; ; ; or or ; ) is the Greek name for ancient Egyptian ''ḏꜥn.t'', an important archaeological site in the northeastern Nile Delta of ancient Egypt, Egypt, and the location of a city of the same name. Tanis ...

(1824.08.24 – 1824.10.19 not possessed) *

William Fraser William Fraser may refer to: Military people *William W. Fraser (1844–1915), American Civil War soldier and Medal of Honor recipient *William Archibald Kenneth Fraser (1886–1969), British army officer *William Fraser (British Army officer) ( ...

(1825.06.03 – 1842.02.15 ''see below''), Titular Bishop of Tanis (1825.06.03 – 1842.02.15) ; ''Suffragan Bishops of Halifax'' *William Fraser (1842.02.15 – 1844.09.27), later Bishop of Arichat (Canada) (1844.09.27 – 1851.10.04) * William Walsh (1844.09.21 – 1852.05.04), previously Titular Bishop of Maximianopolis (1842.02.15 – 1844.09.21) &

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 Halifax (Canada) (1842.02.15 – 1844.09.21 ''see below''); promoted the first Metropolitan Archbishop of Halifax (Canada) (1852.05.04 – 1858.08.10) ; ''Metropolitan Archbishops of Halifax'' * William Walsh ('' see above'' 1852.05.04 – death 1858.08.10) * Thomas Louis Connolly,

Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (commonly called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the t ...

(O.F.M.) (1859.04.08 – death 1876.07.27), previously Bishop of Saint John in America (Canada) (1852.05.04 – 1859.04.08) * Michael Hannan (1877.02.16 – death 1882.04.17) * Cornelius O'Brien (1882.12.01 – death 1906.03.09) *

Edward Joseph McCarthy Archbishop Edward Joseph McCarthy (25 January 1850 – 26 January 1931) was a Canadian Roman Catholic priest and archbishop. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories ...

(1906.06.27 – death 1931.01.26) * Thomas O'Donnell (1931.01.26 – death 1936.01.13), 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) (1923.12.23 – 1929.05.27),

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 ...

Methymna Mithymna () (, also sometimes spelled ''Methymna'') is a town and former municipality on the island of Lesbos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2019 local government reform it is part of the municipality of West Lesbos, of which it is a municip ...

(1929.05.27 – 1931.01.26),

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 ...

of Halifax (Canada) (1929.05.27 – 1931.01.26) * John Thomas McNally (1937.02.17 – death 1952.11.18), 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 ...

(Canada) (1913.04.04 – 1924.08.12), Bishop of

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

(Canada) (1924.08.12 – 1937.02.17) * Joseph Gerald Berry (1953.11.28 – 1967.05.12), President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (1960 – 1964); previously Bishop of

Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...

(Canada) (1945.04.07 – 1953.11.28) * James Hayes (1967.06.22 – 1990.11.06), President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (1987 – 1989); previously Titular Bishop of Reperi (1965.02.05 – 1967.06.22) &

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. ...

of Halifax (1965.02.05 – 1967.06.22) * Austin-Emile Burke (1991.07.08 – 1998.01.13), previously Bishop of Yarmouth (Canada) (1968.02.01 – 1991.07.08) *

Terrence Prendergast Terrence Thomas Prendergast (born 19 February 1944) is a Canadian member of the Society of Jesus who is also a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and the Archbishop Emeritus of Ottawa-Cornwall. He was formerly an auxiliary bishop of the A ...

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

(S.J.) (1998.06.30 – 2007.05.14), previously Titular Bishop of Sléibhte (1995.02.22 – 1998.06.30) & Auxiliary Bishop 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 ...

(Canada) (1995.02.22 – 1998.06.30); also

Apostolic Administrator An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

of Yarmouth (Canada) (2002.01.24 – 2007.05.14); later Metropolitan Archbishop of

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 ...

(Canada) (2007.05.14 – ...) *

Claude Champagne,

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.) (2007.07.13 – 2007.10.18) * Anthony Mancini (2007.10.18 – 2009.10.22 ''see below''), also

of Yarmouth (Canada) (2007.10.18 – 2009.10.22), Apostolic Administrator of

(Canada) (2009.09.26 – 2009.11.21); previously Titular Bishop of Natchitoches (1999.02.18 – 2007.10.18) & Auxiliary Bishop of

Montréal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

(Canada) (1999.02.18 – 2007.10.18) ; ''Metropolitan Archbishops of Halifax-Yarmouth'' * Anthony Mancini (''see above'' 2009.10.22 – 2020.11.27) * Brian Joseph Dunn (2020.11.27 – present) ;''Coadjutor bishops'' * Thomas Maguire (1819), as Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: did not take effect * William Walsh (1842 – 1844) * Thomas O'Donnell (1929 – 1931) * Brian Joseph Dunn (2019 – 2020) ; ''Other priests of this diocese who became bishops'' * Colin Campbell, appointed Bishop of Antigonish, Nova Scotia in 1986 * Martin William Currie, Bishop of Grand Falls, Newfoundland (2001 – 2011) and Archbishop of St. John's, Newfoundland (2007 – 2018) *

Richard William Smith Mons. Richard William Smith (born April 28, 1959) is a Canadian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the metropolitan archbishop of Vancouver, having previously served as Bishop of Pembroke and Metropolitan Archbishop of Edmonton. The ...

, appointed Bishop of Pembroke, Ontario in 2002

References

Sources and external links

*
GigaCatholic, with incumbent biography links
* {{coord, 44.6444, N, 63.5733, W, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:CA, display=title Catholic Church in Nova Scotia Colchester County Cumberland County, Nova Scotia Halifax County, Nova Scotia Hants County, Nova Scotia Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia Queens County, Nova Scotia