The Diocese of Broome is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in Australia. The diocese covers the Kimberley and Pilbara regions of Western Australia. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Perth. Its cathedral episcopal see is Our Lady Queen of Peace Cathedral, in Broome, Western Australia.
History
On 10 May 1887, it was established initially as an Apostolic Vicariate of Kimberley in Western Australia, on territory split off from the then Diocese of Perth. On 4 May 1910, it lost territory to establish the Mission sui juris of Drysdale River, which was later renamed Kalumburu. On 13 November 1959, it was renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Kimberleys. It was elevated as a diocese on 7 June 1966. In 1981, it regained the territory of the suppressed Mission sui juris of Kalumburu.[1]
Episcopal ordinaries
The following individuals were ordinaries of Broome.[2]
Vicars Apostolic of Kimberley in Western Australia
| Order | Name | Title | Date enthroned | Reign ended | Term of office | Reason for term end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Bernard Kelly † | Vicar Apostolic of Kimberley in Western Australia | 1894 | 1909 | 15 years, 0 days | Resigned whilst earlier elevated as Bishop of Geraldton |
| 2 | Fulgentius Torres, OSB † | Vicar Apostolic of Kimberley in Western Australia | 5 May 1910 | 6 October 1914 | 4 years, 154 days | Died in office |
| 3 | John Creagh, CSsR † | Vicar Apostolic of Kimberley in Western Australia | 1914 | 1922 | 8 years, 0 days | Died in office |
| 4 | Ernesto Coppo, SDB † | Vicar Apostolic of Kimberley in Western Australia | 1 December 1922 | 1928 | 5 years, 31 days | Resigned and appointed Vicar Apostolic Emeritus of Kimberley in Western Australia |
| 5 | Otto Raible, SAC † | Apostolic Administrator of Kimberley in Western Australia | 18 January 1928 | 18 June 1935 | 7 years, 151 days | Elevated as Vicar Apostolic of Kimberley in Western Australia |
| Vicar Apostolic of Kimberley in Western Australia | 18 June 1935 | 12 March 1958 | 22 years, 267 days | Resigned and appointed Vicar Apostolic Emeritus of Kimberley in Western Australia | ||
| 6 | John Jobst, SAC † | Vicar Apostolic of Kimberley in Western Australia | 13 January 1959 | 7 June 1966 | 7 years, 145 days | Elevated as Bishop of Broome |
Bishops of Broome
| Order | Name | Title | Date enthroned | Reign ended | Term of office | Reason for term end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Jobst, SAC † | Bishop of Broome | 7 June 1966 | 3 November 1995 | 29 years, 149 days | Retired and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Broome |
| 2 | Christopher Saunders | Bishop of Broome | 8 February 1996 | 11 March 2020 | 24 years, 32 days | Stood aside, pending investigation, later resigned 2021 and appointed Bishop Emeritus |
| 3 | Tim Norton SVD | Bishop of Broome | 4 December 2025 | Incumbent | 1 year, 276 days |
Parishes
As of 2011, the diocese had nineteen parishes:[3]
- Balgo–Kutjungka (St Theresa)
- Broome (Our Lady Queen of Peace)
- Dampier Peninsula with churches in Beagle Bay (Sacred Heart) and Lombadina (Christ the King)
- Derby (Our Lady of the Holy Rosary) and Fitzroy Crossing (St Francis)
- Halls Creek (St Mary)
- Kalumburu (Our Lady of the Assumption)
- Kununurra (St Vincent Pallotti)
- La Grange-Bidyadanda (St John the Baptist)
- Wyndham (Queen of Apostles)
References
- 1."Our History - Broome Diocese". broomediocese.org. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
- 2."Diocese of Broome". The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church. 20 February 2001. Retrieved 5 January 2007.
- 3."Parish and School Directory". Catholic Diocese of Broome. Archived from the original on 8 April 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.