Anglican Diocese of Worcester
Encyclopedia
The Diocese of Worcester forms part of the Province of Canterbury
in England
.
The diocese was founded in around 679 by St Theodore of Canterbury
at Worcester to minister to the kingdom of the Hwicce
, one of the many Anglo Saxon petty-kingdoms of that time. The original borders of the diocese are believed to be based on those of that ancient kingdom.
Covering an area of 671 square miles (1,737.9 km²) it has parish
es in:
Currently the diocese has 190 parishes with 281 churches and 163 stipendiary clergy.
The diocese is divided into two Archdeacon
ries:
On its creation the diocese included what is now southern and western Warwickshire
(an area known as Felden). In 1837 the north and east of Warwickshire (Arden
) which formed the archdeaconry of Coventry in the then Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry
was transferred to the diocese of Worcester. In 1905 an area in northern Warwickshire was split off as the Diocese of Birmingham
, and in 1918 an area approximating to the rest of Warwickshire was made the Diocese of Coventry
.
Province of Canterbury
The Province of Canterbury, also called the Southern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of England...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The diocese was founded in around 679 by St Theodore of Canterbury
Theodore of Tarsus
Theodore was the eighth Archbishop of Canterbury, best known for his reform of the English Church and establishment of a school in Canterbury....
at Worcester to minister to the kingdom of the Hwicce
Hwicce
The Hwicce were one of the peoples of Anglo-Saxon England. The exact boundaries of their kingdom are uncertain, though it is likely that they coincided with those of the old Diocese of Worcester, founded in 679–80, the early bishops of which bore the title Episcopus Hwicciorum...
, one of the many Anglo Saxon petty-kingdoms of that time. The original borders of the diocese are believed to be based on those of that ancient kingdom.
Covering an area of 671 square miles (1,737.9 km²) it has parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es in:
- the County of WorcestershireWorcestershireWorcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
- the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
- northern GloucestershireGloucestershireGloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
- urban villages along the edge of the south-east of the Metropolitan Borough of WolverhamptonWolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
- the Metropolitan Borough of SandwellSandwellSandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
Currently the diocese has 190 parishes with 281 churches and 163 stipendiary clergy.
The diocese is divided into two Archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
ries:
- the Archdeaconry of Worcester
- the Archdeaconry of DudleyArchdeaconry of DudleyThe Archdeaconry of Dudley is one of two archdeaconries in the Anglican Diocese of Worcester, England .- List of archdeacons :...
On its creation the diocese included what is now southern and western Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
(an area known as Felden). In 1837 the north and east of Warwickshire (Arden
Arden, Warwickshire
Arden is an area, mainly located in Warwickshire, England, traditionally regarded as stretching from the River Avon to the River Tame.-History:...
) which formed the archdeaconry of Coventry in the then Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry
Diocese of Lichfield
The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, England. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Chad in the city of Lichfield. The diocese covers 4,516 km² The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England...
was transferred to the diocese of Worcester. In 1905 an area in northern Warwickshire was split off as the Diocese of Birmingham
Anglican Diocese of Birmingham
The Anglican Diocese of Birmingham is a diocese in the Church of England's Province of Canterbury, covering the north west of the traditional county of Warwickshire in England....
, and in 1918 an area approximating to the rest of Warwickshire was made the Diocese of Coventry
Diocese of Coventry
The Diocese of Coventry is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Coventry, who sits at Coventry Cathedral in Coventry, and is assisted by one suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Warwick. The diocese covers Coventry and Warwickshire.The diocese is...
.