Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia is a Roman Catholic diocese in Wales. It is one of two suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cardiff and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cardiff.

Diocese of Menevia

Dioecesis Menevensis

Esgobaeth Mynyw
Location
CountryWales
TerritorySwansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Brecknock and Radnor
Ecclesiastical provinceCardiff
Coordinates
Statistics
Area9,310 km2 (3,590 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2013)
829,500
26,200 (3.2%)
Parishes55
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established12 May 1898
CathedralSwansea Cathedral
Secular priests30
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
Apostolic AdministratorGeorge Stack
Metropolitan ArchbishopGeorge Stack
Vicar General
  • Brian Kinrade
Episcopal VicarsMaz Clyne
Bishops emeritusJohn Peter Mark Jabalé
Thomas Matthew Burns
Map

Diocese of Menevia within the Province of Cardiff
Website
menevia.org

History

The Apostolic Vicariate of Wales was elevated to diocesan status on 12 May 1898 and had its seat at the Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Sorrows[1] until 1987 when the Diocese of Wrexham was created. The current configuration of the Diocese of Menevia covers the area roughly that of the ancient Diocese of St David's.[2] ("Menevia" was the Roman name for St David's.) The diocese is currently led by an Archbishop George Stack as apostolic administrator, following the retirement of the Right Reverend Thomas Matthew Burns S.M. on 11 July 2019.[3]

The sixth century bishop St Ismael is honoured on 16 June.[4]

Timeline
  • 29 September 1850: Universalis Ecclesiae: The Roman Catholic Church in Wales is split between the Diocese of Shrewsbury in the north and the Diocese of Newport and Menevia in the south.
  • 4 September 1860: Belmont Abbey, Herefordshire, the cathedral priory of the Diocese of Newport and Menevia is consecrated.[5]
  • 4 July 1895: The Diocese of Newport and Menevia splits. Glamorgan, Monmouth and Herefordshire become the Diocese of Newport. The rest of Wales, including North Wales from the Diocese of Shrewsbury, becomes the Apostolic Vicariate of Wales.[6]
  • 12 May 1898: The Apostolic Vicariate of Wales become the Diocese of Menevia with Wrexham Cathedral as its pro-cathedral.[6]
  • 7 February 1916: The Diocese of Newport becomes the Archdiocese of Cardiff and it is decided that St. David's church in Cardiff would become its cathedral.[6]
  • 12 March 1920: St David's Cathedral, Cardiff is officially made the metropolitan cathedral of the Archdiocese of Cardiff.[6]
  • 12 February 1987: The Diocese of Menevia is split. The north becomes the Diocese of Wrexham with its cathedral remaining in Wrexham. The south remains the Diocese of Menevia and sets up Swansea Cathedral.[6]

Details

There are 27,561 Catholics in the diocese which is served by 34 diocesan priests, 19 religious priests, 9 non-ordained male religious and 100 female religious. There are 34 Catholic educational institutions in the diocese.[7]

The geographic remit consists of the City and County of Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot, and the traditional counties of Brecknockshire, Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Radnorshire - an area of 9,310 square kilometres (3,590 sq mi) roughly.

The cathedra is located at St. Joseph's Cathedral, Swansea. Situated within the diocese is the Welsh National Shrine of Our Lady of Cardigan at Cardigan.

Bishops

Ordinaries
Main article: Bishop of Menevia
  • Francis Edward Joseph Mostyn † (4 July 1895 – 7 March 1921 appointed archbishop of Cardiff)
  • Francis J. Vaughan † (21 June 1926 – 13 March 1935 died)
  • Michael Joseph McGrath † (10 August 1935 – 20 June 1940 appointed archbishop of Cardiff)
  • Daniel Joseph Hannon † (15 March 1941 – 26 April 1946 died)
  • John Edward Petit † (8 February 1947 – 16 June 1972 retired)
  • Langton Douglas Fox † (16 June 1972 – 5 February 1981 resigned)
  • John Aloysius Ward, OFM Cap † (5 February 1981 succeeded – 25 March 1983 appointed archbishop of Cardiff)
  • James Hannigan † (13 October 1983 – 12 February 1987 appointed bishop of Wrexham)
  • Daniel Joseph Mullins † (12 February 1987 – 12 June 2001 retired)
  • John Mark Jabalé (12 June 2001 – 16 October 2008 retired)
  • Thomas Matthew Burns (16 October 2008 – 11 July 2019 retired)

Coadjutor Bishops
  • John Peter Mark Jabalé, O.S.B. (2000-2001)
  • John Aloysius Ward, O.F.M. Cap. † (1980-1981)

Auxiliary Bishop
  • Langton Douglas Fox † (1965-1972), appointed Bishop here

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop
  • Peter Malcolm Brignall (priest here, 1978-1987), appointed Bishop of Wrexham, Wales in 2012

Deaneries

There are a total of five deaneries in the Diocese of Menevia, all of which cover several churches in that area, overseen by a dean.

The deaneries are:

See also

References
  1. "Diocese of Menevia". Catholic Encyclopedia 1913. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  2. "About the Diocese of Menevia". Diocese of Menevia. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  3. "Pope Francis accepts resignation of Bishop of Menevia". Independent Catholic News. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  4. http://catholicsaints.info/saint-ismael-of-menevia/
  5. Historic England, "Details from listed building database (1411804)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 5 April 2014
  6. History from Cardiff Cathedral retrieved 5 April 2014
  7. "Statistics". dioceseofmenevia.org. 31 December 2007. Archived from the original on 4 February 2007.
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