Roman Catholic Diocese of Wollongong
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wollongong is a suffragan
Latin rite diocese of the Archdiocese of Sydney
, established in 1951, covering the Illawarra
and Southern Highlands regions of New South Wales
, Australia
.
announced that a new Diocese would be created from the Archdioceses of Sydney and Canberra & Goulburn. To be named Wollongong, the Diocese was officially established on 11 February 1952. Bishop Thomas McCabe was transferred from Port Pirie to become its first bishop and the historic Church of St Francis Xavier's, Wollongong, became the Cathedral
. At the time of establishment, there was a Catholic population of approximately 22,000 in 18 parishes.
Whilst the Wollongong Diocese is relatively young, the churches of Campbelltown
(1835), Appin
(1837), Wollongong (1838), Picton
(1847), Kiama (1852), Camden
(1859), Shellharbour (1861), Nowra (1863), The Oaks (1865), Albion Park (1867), Bulli (1886), Berrima (1889) and Milton-Ulladulla (1890) enable us to trace our Catholic legacy back to the early times of European settlement and to the era of Archbishop John Bede Polding, Australia's first bishop.
Initially, the Diocese was composed of parishes in the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and Southern Highland regions. In 1954 it was expanded to include Camden and Campbelltown and in 1975 the parishes of Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma reverted to the Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn. The boundaries of the Diocese have since remained the same. The most recently established parish is Rosemeadow (1994), which happens to incorporate the Church of Appin, the oldest continuously used Catholic Church on the Australian mainland.
In 1959 Pope John XXIII dedicated the Diocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
.
Suffragan Diocese
A suffragan diocese is a diocese in the Catholic Church that is overseen not only by its own diocesan bishop but also by a metropolitan bishop. The metropolitan is always an archbishop who governs his own archdiocese...
Latin rite diocese of the Archdiocese of Sydney
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Erected in 1842 and directly responsible to the Holy See, the Archdiocese is responsible for the suffragan dioceses of Armidale, Bathurst, Broken Bay, Lismore,...
, established in 1951, covering the Illawarra
Illawarra
Illawarra is a region in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a coastal region situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the Shoalhaven or South Coast region. It encompasses the cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and the town of Kiama. The central region contains Lake...
and Southern Highlands regions of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
History
On 15 November 1951, Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
announced that a new Diocese would be created from the Archdioceses of Sydney and Canberra & Goulburn. To be named Wollongong, the Diocese was officially established on 11 February 1952. Bishop Thomas McCabe was transferred from Port Pirie to become its first bishop and the historic Church of St Francis Xavier's, Wollongong, became the Cathedral
St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Wollongong
The Cathedral Saint Francis Xavier in the Diocese of Wollongong is the oldest church of any denomination in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia.-History:...
. At the time of establishment, there was a Catholic population of approximately 22,000 in 18 parishes.
Whilst the Wollongong Diocese is relatively young, the churches of Campbelltown
Campbelltown
Campbelltown can refer to:Places in Australia:*Towns/suburbs:**Campbelltown, New South Wales**Campbelltown, South Australia**Campbell Town, Tasmania*Government areas:**Electoral district of Campbelltown, state electoral district in New South Wales...
(1835), Appin
Appin
Appin is a remote coastal district of the Scottish West Highlands bounded west by Loch Linnhe, south by Loch Creran, east by the districts of Benderloch and Lorne, and north by Loch Leven...
(1837), Wollongong (1838), Picton
Picton
-People:* Cesar Picton , from slave to successful businessman in England* Thomas Picton , Welsh soldier* Robert Pickton , Canadian serial killer-Animal:...
(1847), Kiama (1852), Camden
Camden, New South Wales
-Education:Camden is the location of research facilities for the veterinary and agricultural schools of the University of Sydney. The local government area has two public high schools, Camden High School and Elderslie High School, as well as eight Catholic and three Anglican schools.-Culture:The...
(1859), Shellharbour (1861), Nowra (1863), The Oaks (1865), Albion Park (1867), Bulli (1886), Berrima (1889) and Milton-Ulladulla (1890) enable us to trace our Catholic legacy back to the early times of European settlement and to the era of Archbishop John Bede Polding, Australia's first bishop.
Initially, the Diocese was composed of parishes in the Illawarra, Shoalhaven and Southern Highland regions. In 1954 it was expanded to include Camden and Campbelltown and in 1975 the parishes of Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma reverted to the Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn. The boundaries of the Diocese have since remained the same. The most recently established parish is Rosemeadow (1994), which happens to incorporate the Church of Appin, the oldest continuously used Catholic Church on the Australian mainland.
In 1959 Pope John XXIII dedicated the Diocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary originally The Sacred Heart of Mary is a devotional name used to refer to the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God, her maternal love for her Son, Jesus, and her compassionate love for...
.
Bishops of Wollongong
The following individuals have been elected as Bishop of Wollongong:| Order | Name | Date enthroned | Reign ended | Term of office | Reason for term end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas Absolem McCabe | 15 November 1951 | 10 May 1974 | Resigned and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Wollongong | |
| 2 | William Edward Murray William Edward Murray William Edward Murray, is an Australian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.Murray was born in Leichhardt and was ordained a priest on 21 July 1945 from the Archdiocese of Sydney. He was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Wollongong on 5 June 1975 and ordained bishop on 21 July 1975... |
5 June 1975 | 12 April 1996 | Retired and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Wollongong | |
| 3 | Philip Edward Wilson Philip Edward Wilson Philip Edward Wilson, DD, D.Litt is an Australian prelate. Wilson is the eighth Roman Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide, appointed in 2001 and President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference since 2006.Wilson served as a priest in what is now the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle... |
12 April 1996 | 30 November 2000 | Elevated to Archbishop Archbishop An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop... of Adelaide Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.... |
|
| 3 | Peter William Ingham Peter William Ingham Peter William Ingham is the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wollongong, Australia. He was born at Crows Nest, Sydney on 14 January 1941. He is the son of George and Marjorie Ingham. He was educated at St Leonard's Primary School, Naremburn, and St Pius X College, Chatswood... |
6 June 2001 | present | n/a | |
Other information
Wollongong Diocese is the eighth largest diocese in Australia in terms of Catholic population (out of 33 total) and the largest non-Capital city diocese. The Diocese now ministers to 195,000 Catholics in 31 parishes, with 15 migrant chaplaincies. There are 43 Catholic schools, various youth ministries and a range of aged care, disability and welfare services together with special faith movements in the local area.See also
- Roman Catholicism in Australia
- Cases of Catholic sexual abuse in the Diocese of Wollongong