Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Rockhampton
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton
Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Australia
The Diocese of Rockhampton is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Australia. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Brisbane. Erected in 1882, it covers Central Queensland.
Diocese of Rockhampton Dioecesis Rockhamptoniensis | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| Territory | Central Queensland |
| Ecclesiastical province | Province of Brisbane |
| Coordinates | 23°23′07″S 150°30′21″E |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 415,000 km2 (160,000 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2004) 372,000 95,000 ( 25.5%%) |
| Parishes |  39 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 29 December 1882 |
| Cathedral | St Joseph's Cathedral |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Michael McCarthy |
| Bishops emeritus | Brian Heenan |
| Map | |
| Website | |
| Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton | |
The Diocese of Rockhampton was excised from the Archdiocese of Brisbane on 29 December 1882. Prior to this, the Brisbane archdiocese had responsibility for the entire state of Queensland, but the creation of the Rockhampton diocese split the state with responsibilities for the southern part of Queensland to remain with the Brisbane archdiocese while the northern part of Queensland became the responsibility of the new Rockhampton diocese.[1][2] The Diocese of Townsville was excised from the Diocese of Rockhampton in 1930, reducing Rockampton's coverage to Central Queensland, while Townsville took responsibility for the areas further to the north.[3]
Ordinaries
The following individuals have been elected as Roman Catholic Bishops of Rockhampton:[4]
| Order | Name | Date enthroned | Reign ended | Term of office | Reason for term end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Cani † | 3 January 1882 | 3 March 1898 | 16 years, 59 days | Died in office |
| 2 | Joseph Higgins † | 21 September 1899 | 3 March 1905 | 5 years, 163 days | Appointed Bishop of Ballarat |
| 3 | James Duhig † | 16 September 1905 | 27 February 1912 | 6 years, 164 days | Elevated as Coadjutor Archbishop of Brisbane |
| 4 | Joseph Shiel † | 11 May 1913[5] | 7 April 1931 | 18 years, 231 days | Died in office |
| 5 | Romuald Denis Hayes, SSC † | 12 January 1932 | 25 October 1945 | 13 years, 286 days | Died in office |
| 6 | Andrew Gerard Tynan † | 31 March 1946 | 3 June 1960 | 14 years, 64 days | Died in office |
| 7 | Francis Roberts Rush † | 7 November 1960 | 5 March 1973 | 12 years, 118 days | Elevated as Archbishop of Brisbane |
| 8 | Bernard Joseph Wallace † | 24 January 1974 | 8 May 1990 | 16 years, 104 days | Resigned and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Rockhampton |
| 9 | Brian Heenan | 20 November 1992 | 1 October 2013 | 31 years, 159 days | Retired and appointment Bishop Emeritus of Rockhampton[6] |
| 10 | Michael McCarthy | 29 May 2014 | present | 9 years, 334 days | Current[7] |
Other priests of this diocese who became bishops
- Guilford Clyde Young †, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Canberra (and Goulburn) in 1948
- Raymond Conway Benjamin †, appointed Bishop of Townsville in 1984
The diocese is divided into four separate deaneries that administer individual parishes:[8]
- Central deanery covering Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast with regular liturgical services held in the Cathedral of St Joseph, Emu Park (Mary Immaculate), Gracemere (St Paul), Mount Morgan (Sacred Heart), Berserker (St Mary), Norman Gardens (Holy Family), Park Avenue (Our Lady Help of Christians), Westwood (Sacred Heart), Wowan (St Anne), and Yeppoon (Sacred Heart)
- Southern deanery covering Bundaberg, Gladstone and the Valleys Region with regular liturgical services held in Agnes Water (St Agnes), Baffle Creek (St Francis of Assis), Baralaba (St Patrick), Bargara (St James), Biloela (St Joseph), Bundaberg (Holy Rosary), Calliope (St Patrick), Gladstone (Our Lady, Star of the Sea), Miriam Vale (St Peter Chanel), Mount Larcom (Our Lady of Mt Carmel), Monto (St Therese), Moura (St Michael), Walkervale (St Mary), Tannum Sands (St Peter Chanel), Theodore (Sacred Heart), Ubobo (St Mary), Bundaberg West (St Patrick)
- Northern deanery with regular liturgical services held in Alligator Creek (St Therese), Bucasia (St Brendan), Calen (St Helen), Eton (Holy Cross), Farleigh (St Brigid), Finch Hatton (St Francis de Sales), Mackay (St Patrick), Marian (Holy Rosary), Midge Point (St Peter), Mirani (Immaculate Conception), North Mackay (St Joseph), Sarina (St Michael), Seaforth (Star of the Sea), South Mackay (St Mary), Walkerston (St John the Apostle), and West Mackay (St Francis Xavier)
- Western deanery covering two regions with regular liturgical services held in:
- Central Highlands region – Blackwater (Mary Immaculate), Capella (St Joseph), Clermont (St Mary), Dingo (St Joseph), Duaringa (St Kevin), Dysart (St Therese of Lisieux), Emerald (St Patrick), Middlemount (Holy Family), Moranbah (St Joseph the Worker), Springsure (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart), Tieri (St Thomas More), and Woorabinda (St Martin de Porres)
- Central West region – Alpha (St John the Evangelist), Aramac (St John), Barcaldine (Sacred Heart), Blackall (St Patrick), Ilfracombe (Sacred Heart), Isisford (St Joseph), Jericho (St Finnian), Jundah (St Peter), Longreach (St Brigid) and Tambo (Our Lady of Victories)
The diocese operates many Catholic schools via its Rockhampton Catholic Education Office.
- "Diocese History". Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- "ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS IN QUEENSLAND". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 21 December 1881. p. 7. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- "Archives". Roman Catholic Diocese of Townsville. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- "Diocese of Rockhampton". The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church. 14 February 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- "THE ENTHRONEMENT". Morning Bulletin. No. 15, 155. Queensland, Australia. 12 May 1913. p. 8. Retrieved 6 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Our Bishop". Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- "Diocesean profile: Parishes". Diocese of Rockhampton. 2008. Archived from the original on 2 September 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.