The Diocese of Parramatta is a suffragan Latin Church diocese of the Archdiocese of Sydney, established in 1986.
The diocese has responsibility for the western suburbs of Sydney and the Blue Mountains, in New South Wales.
St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta is the seat of the Catholic Bishop of Parramatta. On 5 May 2016, Pope Francis appointed Vincent Long Van Nguyen, OFMConv, to be its fourth bishop.[1] His installation took place on 16 June 2016.
History
The diocese is located in one of the fastest-growing areas of New South Wales. The diocese is west of Sydney and reaches from Dundas Valley, west to Katoomba, south to Luddenham, and north to Richmond. The diocese was established on 8 April 1986 from the western part of the Archdiocese of Sydney.[2] and by 2004 served 307,392 parishioners out of a total population of 924,621.
Bishops
Bishops of Parramatta
The following prelates have served as Bishop of Parramatta:[3]
| Order | Name | Date enthroned | Reign ended | Term of office | Reason for term end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bede Vincent Heather | 8 April 1986 | 10 July 1997 | 11 years, 93 days | Resigned; Bishop Emeritus of Parramatta. Resides on the Central Coast. |
| 2 | Kevin Michael Manning | 10 July 1997 | 8 January 2010 | 12 years, 182 days | Retired; Bishop Emeritus of Parramatta. |
| 3 | Anthony Fisher, OP | 8 January 2010 | 12 November 2014 | 4 years, 253 days | Appointed Archbishop of Sydney |
| 4 | Vincent Long Van Nguyen, OFM Conv. | 16 June 2016 | 10 years, 81 days |
Other priest of this diocese who became bishop
- Robert Michael McGuckin, appointed Bishop of Toowoomba in 2012
Cathedral
With origins of the first Mass occurring on the present-day site of the cathedral going back to 1803, St Patrick's was extensively rebuilt after a 1996 fire devastated the original church established in 1854. A tower was built on the original St Patrick's Church, which was consecrated in 1880 and blessed in 1883. A cast bronze bell was installed in the tower in 1904. As the needs of the parish grew, a new church was built on the site in 1936, incorporating the existing tower and spire. When the Diocese of Parramatta was established in 1986, St Patrick's Church was designated as St Patrick's Cathedral. The fire of 1996 completely devastated the cathedral, leaving only the bell tower and sandstone walls. A completely new cathedral was rebuilt adjacent to the historic fire ravaged site. Designed in consultation with Romaldo Giurgola, the new cathedral, completed in 2003, has won the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Buildings from the Australian Institute of Architects.[4][5][6][7]
Parishes
There are 47 parishes and one parochial district located in the Diocese of Parramatta within five deaneries.[8]
References
- 1.Diocese of Parramatta
- 2.B. Heather, The beginning of the Diocese of Parramatta, Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society 29 (2008), 39-50.
- 3."Diocese of Parramatta". The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church. 19 February 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2007.
- 4."St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta" (PDF). Cathedral Parish of Parramatta. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- 5.Crittenden, Stephen (4 December 2002). "A new cathedral for Parramatta". The Religion Report. Australia. Archived from the original (transcript) on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- 6.Crittenden, Stephen (3 December 2003). "New Cathedral for Parramatta (Part 2)". The Religion Report. Australia. Archived from the original (transcript) on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- 7."St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta". Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Buildings. Australian Institute of Architects. 2003. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- 8."About Us - Diocese of Parramatta". parracatholic.org. Retrieved 27 June 2018.