Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle

Coordinates: 54°58′08″N 1°37′08″W / 54.969°N 1.619°W / 54.969; -1.619
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the modern Roman Catholic diocese. For the ancient Diocese of Hexham, see Bishop of Hexham.

Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle

Dioecesis Hagulstadensis et Novacastrensis
Roman Catholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established29 September 1850
(as Hexham)
23 May 1861
(as Hexham and Newcastle)
CathedralSt Mary's Cathedral
Secular priests194
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopStephen Wright
Apostolic AdministratorMalcolm McMahon
Vicar GeneralPeter Leighton
Episcopal Vicars
  • Jeff Dodds
  • Simon Lerche
  • Andrew Faley
  • Adrian Tuckwell
  • Colm Hayden
Bishops emeritus
Map
The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle within the Province of Liverpool
The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle within the Province of Liverpool
Website
rcdhn.org.uk

The Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle (

County Durham and Northumberland.[1]

History

See also: Catholic Church in England and Wales

The Diocese of Hexham was revived in 1850 by decree of

Saint Cuthbert, the present-day patron of the modern diocese and, later, Acca of Hexham.[2]

The modern diocese was expanded to include the title of Newcastle in 1861. Originally under the metropolitan See of Westminster, the diocese became part of the new Province of Liverpool (often referred to as the Northern Province) in 1911.

On the restoration of the diocese in 1850, Pius IX appointed Bishop William Hogarth,

Augustus Welby Pugin
, was selected as the seat for the new bishop, gaining cathedral status.

In 1924,

Archdiocese of Liverpool
to form the new see.

Present

The modern Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle comprises the counties of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham. In this respect, it comprises three cities: Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham and Sunderland. In 2005 Bishop Dunn reorganised the structure of the diocese and curia. He introduced five episcopal areas. These areas are arranged geographically and are known as Northumberland, Newcastle and North Tyneside, Sunderland and East Durham, South Tyneside, Gateshead and North West Durham, and Cleveland and South Durham.

The diocesan curia and chancery are officially based at Bishop's House, 26 West Avenue, Gosforth, in the north of Newcastle. However, the tribunal and other commissions are actually based at the curial offices at St Vincent's in St Cuthbert's House, West Road.

The diocese was also home to the regional

University of Durham which validated the degree courses offered there. The seminary was governed by the bishops of the Northern Province under the chairmanship of the Archbishop of Liverpool. However, as the local ordinary, the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle
always held the position of Vice-Chairman of Governors.

The diocesan patrons are Our Blessed Lady Immaculate (8 December) and Saint Cuthbert, Bishop and Confessor (20 March).

There are presently 214 diocesan priests (57 of whom are retired) and six permanent deacons serving 183 parishes. A number of religious orders are also present in the diocese, including the Passionists, the Jesuits, the Carmelites, the Poor Clares and the Sisters of Mercy.

21st century bishops

In 2004, Kevin Dunn was appointed the 12th Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle by Pope John Paul II, and was consecrated on 25 May 2004 at St Mary's Cathedral, Newcastle upon Tyne. He appointed the man who would ultimately be his successor, Canon Seamus Cunningham, as vicar general. He also appointed a new chancellor for the curia and a new episcopal vicar for religious.

Following the death of Bishop Dunn on 1 March 2008, the

Seamus Cunningham as the Diocesan Administrator. On 9 January 2009 it was announced that Pope Benedict XVI had appointed him to be the 13th Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. He received his episcopal ordination on Friday, 20 March 2009 – the feast day of St. Cuthbert – the diocesan patron.[3]

In February 2019, Robert Byrne was appointed as the 14th Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. Three years later, in December 2022, he announced his resignation from the position and returned to the congregation at the Oxford Oratory.[4]

The See of Hexham and Newcastle was sede vacante for a short period following Pope Francis' acceptance of the resignation of Robert Byrne in December of 2022.[5] On 14 June 2023, it was announced that Pope Francis had appointed Stephen Wright to be the 15th Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle on 14 June 2023. He was installed in St Mary’s Cathedral on 19 July 2023.[6]

Bishops

Ordinaries

Vicars Apostolic of Northern District

See also Apostolic Vicariate of the Northern District (England).

Bishop of Hexham

See also Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, which includes Bishop of Hexham.

Bishops of Hexham and Newcastle

Coadjutor Vicars Apostolic

Auxiliary Bishops

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

  • George Hilary Brown
    , appointed Vicar Apostolic of Lancashire District in 1840
  • George Crompton Ambrose Burton, appointed Bishop of Clifton in 1902
  • Robert Cornthwaite, appointed Bishop of Beverley in 1861
  • John Douglass, appointed Vicar Apostolic of London District in 1790
  • Charles Petre Eyre
    , appointed apostolic delegate and titular archbishop in 1868
  • Robert Gradwell, appointed Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of London District in 1828
  • Bernard O'Reilly, appointed Bishop of Liverpool in 1873
  • James Sharples, appointed Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Lancashire District in 1843
  • Gregory Stapleton, appointed Vicar Apostolic of Midland District in 1800
  • William Turner, appointed Bishop of Salford in 1851
  • Nicholas Wiseman, appointed Vicar Apostolic of Midland District in 1840; future Cardinal
  • George Witham, appointed Vicar Apostolic of Midland District in 1702; later returned here as Vicar Apostolic

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "About us". Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Hexham and Newcastle Roman Catholic Diocesan ArchivesBr". The National Archives. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Press Release for the Ordination of Canon Seamus Cunningham". Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
  4. ^ "Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle announces resignation". The Catholic Church Bishops Conference of England and Wales. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Rinunce e nomine". press.vatican.va. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Rt Rev. Stephen Wright". The Catholic Church Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. Retrieved 15 October 2023.

External links

54°58′08″N 1°37′08″W / 54.969°N 1.619°W / 54.969; -1.619

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