The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brentwood is a 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...

 of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 in England. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Westminster

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in England. The archdiocese consists of all the London boroughs north of the River Thames and west of the River Lea, together with the towns southwest of Staines and Sunbury-on-Thames and...

.

Overview

The diocese covers the Traditional County of Essex, an area of 3,959 km² comprising the Non-Metropolitan County of Essex

Essex

Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

, the Unitary Authorities of Southend-on-Sea

Southend-on-Sea

Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...

 and Thurrock

Thurrock

Thurrock is a unitary authority with borough status in the English ceremonial county of Essex. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The local authority is Thurrock Council....

, and the London Boroughs of Barking & Dagenham

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 1,937; and the area was characterised by farming, woodland and the fishing fleet at Barking. This last industry employed 1,370 men and boys by 1850, but by the end of the century had ceased to exist; replaced by...

, Havering

London Borough of Havering

The London Borough of Havering is a London borough in North East London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in Havering is Romford and the other main communities are Hornchurch, Upminster and Rainham. The borough is mainly characterised by suburban development with large...

, Newham

London Borough of Newham

The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...

, Redbridge

London Borough of Redbridge

The London Borough of Redbridge is a London borough in outer north-east London. Its administrative headquarters is at Redbridge Town Hall in Ilford. The local authority is Redbridge London Borough Council.-Etymology:...

 and Waltham Forest

London Borough of Waltham Forest

The London Borough of Waltham Forest is in northeast London, England. Officially, it forms part of Outer London as it borders Essex. However, it can be seen that the NE London boundary does not extend far compared to elsewhere in the city...

, matching Essex's historic boundaries

Historic counties of England

The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...

 and the Anglican Diocese of Chelmsford

Diocese of Chelmsford

The Diocese of Chelmsford is a Church of England diocese, part of the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers Essex and the five East London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest, and is co-terminous with the boundaries of the Catholic Diocese of...

. The 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 in the town of Brentwood where the seat is located at the Cathedral

Brentwood Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Helen is the Roman Catholic cathedral in the English town of Brentwood, Essex. It is the seat of the Diocese of Brentwood.-History:...

 Church of Saint Mary and Saint Helen.

History

The diocese was erected on 20 July 1917 from the Archdiocese of Westminster

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in England. The archdiocese consists of all the London boroughs north of the River Thames and west of the River Lea, together with the towns southwest of Staines and Sunbury-on-Thames and...

. The current bishop is the Right Reverend Thomas McMahon

Thomas McMahon (bishop)

Thomas McMahon is the current Roman Catholic Bishop of Brentwood.-Life:Bishop McMahon grew up in Harlow and attended St. Bede’s Grammar School, Manchester, before training for the priesthood at St. Sulpice, Paris...

, the 6th Bishop of Brentwood.

List of the Bishops of the Diocese of Brentwood

Tenure	Incumbent	Notes
20 July 1917 to 21 January 1920	Bernard Nicholas Ward	Died in office
7 May 1920 to 23 January 1951	Arthur Doubleday	Ordained 23 June 1920; died in office
23 January 1951 to 28 November 1955	George Andrew Beck George Andrew Beck George Andrew Beck was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool from 29 January 1964 to 7 February 1976.... , AA	Ordained 21 September 1948; appointed Bishop of Salford
30 November 1955 to 14 April 1969	Bernard Patrick Wall	Ordained 18 January 1956; retired
2 December 1969 to 12 December 1979	Patrick Joseph Casey	Resigned
16 June 1980 to present	Thomas McMahon Thomas McMahon (bishop) Thomas McMahon is the current Roman Catholic Bishop of Brentwood.-Life:Bishop McMahon grew up in Harlow and attended St. Bede’s Grammar School, Manchester, before training for the priesthood at St. Sulpice, Paris...	Ordained 17 July 1980

External links

• Diocese of Brentwood website