Diocese of Bradford
Encyclopedia
The Diocese of Bradford is a Church of England
diocese
within the Province of York
. The Diocese covers the area of the City of Bradford
, Craven
district and the former Sedbergh Rural District
now in Cumbria
.
The seat of the episcopal see
is Bradford Cathedral
and the bishop is the Bishop of Bradford
.
The diocese was founded in 1920, from part of the Diocese of Ripon
. The church of Saint Peter was elevated to cathedral status in 1919.
), which would be renamed the Archdeaconry of Richmond and Craven (becoming part of the new Ripon episcopal area); and the Archdeaconry of Bradford would form the new Bradford episcopal area. A new suffragan bishop of Bradford would be created, and Bradford Cathedral
would become one seat for the new diocesan bishop of Leeds (his or her other equal seats being Ripon Cathedral
, Wakefield Cathedral
and a possible Leeds Pro-Cathedral
). The Canons from the Colleges of the three cathedrals would merge into a new diocesan College, the Deans of each would retain day-to-day authority in their own cathedral, while one would become presiding dean of the College (initially the senior one by tenure – i.e. David Ison, Dean of Bradford – but later the one appointed by the diocesan bishop).
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
within the Province of York
Province of York
The Province of York is one of two ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of England, and consists of 14 dioceses which cover the northern third of England and the Isle of Man. York was elevated to an Archbishopric in 735 AD: Ecgbert of York was the first archbishop...
. The Diocese covers the area of the City of Bradford
City of Bradford
The City of Bradford is a local government district of West Yorkshire, England with the status of a city and metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Bradford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Keighley, Shipley, Bingley, Ilkley, Haworth, Silsden and...
, Craven
Craven
Craven is a local government district in North Yorkshire, England that came into being in 1974, centred on the market town of Skipton. In the changes to British local government of that year this district was formed as the merger of Skipton urban district, Settle Rural District and most of Skipton...
district and the former Sedbergh Rural District
Sedbergh Rural District
Sedbergh Rural District was a rural district in the West Riding of Yorkshire in England from 1894 to its abolition in 1974. The district consisted of the three parishes of Sedbergh, Garsdale and Dent. In 1974 the district became part of the South Lakeland district in the new non-metropolitan...
now in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
.
The seat of the episcopal see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
is Bradford Cathedral
Bradford Cathedral
Bradford Cathedral , full name Cathedral Church of St Peter, is situated in the heart of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England, on a site used for Christian worship since the 8th century when missionaries based in Dewsbury evangelised the region...
and the bishop is the Bishop of Bradford
Bishop of Bradford
The Bishop of Bradford is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Bradford, in the Province of YorkThe diocese covers the extreme west of Yorkshire, and has its see in the city of Bradford where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter.The Bishop's residence is...
.
The diocese was founded in 1920, from part of the Diocese of Ripon
Diocese of Ripon and Leeds
The Diocese of Ripon and Leeds is an administrative division of the Church of England, part of the Province of York. It covers an area in western and northern Yorkshire as well as the south Teesdale area administered by County Durham which is traditionally part of Yorkshire...
. The church of Saint Peter was elevated to cathedral status in 1919.
Future
Under the Dioceses Commission's Draft Reorganisation Scheme, the Diocese and See of Bradford would be entirely dissolved to facilitate the creation of a new Anglican Diocese of Leeds. The Archdeaconry of Craven would be merged into the Archdeaconry of Richmond (Diocese of Ripon and LeedsDiocese of Ripon and Leeds
The Diocese of Ripon and Leeds is an administrative division of the Church of England, part of the Province of York. It covers an area in western and northern Yorkshire as well as the south Teesdale area administered by County Durham which is traditionally part of Yorkshire...
), which would be renamed the Archdeaconry of Richmond and Craven (becoming part of the new Ripon episcopal area); and the Archdeaconry of Bradford would form the new Bradford episcopal area. A new suffragan bishop of Bradford would be created, and Bradford Cathedral
Bradford Cathedral
Bradford Cathedral , full name Cathedral Church of St Peter, is situated in the heart of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England, on a site used for Christian worship since the 8th century when missionaries based in Dewsbury evangelised the region...
would become one seat for the new diocesan bishop of Leeds (his or her other equal seats being Ripon Cathedral
Ripon Cathedral
Ripon Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds and the mother church of the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds, situated in the small North Yorkshire city of Ripon, England.-Background:...
, Wakefield Cathedral
Wakefield Cathedral
Wakefield Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of All Saints Wakefield is the cathedral for the Church of England's Diocese of Wakefield and is the seat of the Bishop of Wakefield. The cathedral has Anglo Saxon origins and the tallest cathedral spire in Yorkshire...
and a possible Leeds Pro-Cathedral
Leeds Parish Church
Leeds Parish Church, or the Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds, in Leeds, West Yorkshire is a large Church of England parish church of major architectural and liturgical significance. It has been designated a grade I listed building by English Heritage...
). The Canons from the Colleges of the three cathedrals would merge into a new diocesan College, the Deans of each would retain day-to-day authority in their own cathedral, while one would become presiding dean of the College (initially the senior one by tenure – i.e. David Ison, Dean of Bradford – but later the one appointed by the diocesan bishop).