Diocese of Townsville

Contents

The Diocese of Townsville is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in Australia. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Brisbane. Erected in 1930, the Diocese of Townsville covers North Queensland. It was assembled from territory separated from the Diocese of Rockhampton.

Bishops

The following men have been Bishops of Townsville:[1]

OrderNameDate enthronedReign endedTerm of officeReason for term end
1Terence Bernard McGuire †12 February 193014 June 19388 years, 122 daysAppointed Bishop of Goulburn
2Hugh Edward Ryan †13 July 193814 September 196729 years, 63 daysRetired and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Townsville
3Leonard Anthony Faulkner †14 September 19672 September 198315 years, 353 daysElevated as Coadjutor Archbishop of Adelaide
4Raymond Conway Benjamin †14 February 198418 April 200016 years, 64 daysRetired and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Townsville
5Michael Ernest Putney †24 January 200128 March 201413 years, 53 daysDied in office
6Timothy James Harris3 May 2017[2]incumbent

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

Parishes

The diocese is divided into four separate deaneries that administer individual parishes:[3]

  1. Townsville deanery with regular liturgical services held in Sacred Heart Cathedral, North Ward (St Joseph's), Cranbrook (Holy Spirit), Deeragun (St Anthony), Gulliver (Holy Family), Kirwan (The Good Shepherd), Magnetic Island (St Joan of Arc), Mundingburra (Blessed Mary MacKillop), Railway Estate (St Francis), South Townsville (St Patrick), West Townsville (St Mary), and Wulguru (St Joseph the Worker)
  2. Northern deanery with regular liturgical services held in Abergowrie (St Theresa), Halifax (St Peter), Ingham (St Patrick), and Palm Island (St Anne)
  3. Southern deanery with regular liturgical services held in Ayr (Sacred Heart), Bowen (St Mary), Burdekin Valley (St Joseph), Cannonvale (St Martin), Collinsville (Our Lady of Lourdes), Giru (St Joseph), Home Hill (St Colman), and Proserpine (St Catherine)
  4. Western deanery with regular liturgical services held in Charters Towers (St Columba), Cloncurry (St Colman), Hughenden (Sacred Heart), Julia Creek (Holy Rosary), McKinlay (Our Lady of the Way), Mount Isa (Good Shepherd), Richmond (St Brigid), and Winton (St Patrick)

Schools

The Townsville Catholic Education Office operates a number of schools in the diocese:

  • Southern Cross Catholic College (primary & secondary)
  • St Clare's Catholic School (primary)
  • Holy Spirit Catholic School (primary)
  • Marian Catholic School (primary)
  • St Anthony's Catholic College (primary & secondary)
  • St Margaret Mary's College (secondary)
  • Ryan Catholic College (primary & secondary)
  • St Joseph's Catholic School (primary)
  • Good Shepherd Catholic School (primary)
  • St Benedict's Catholic School (primary)
  • Mary Help of Christians Catholic College (secondary)
  • St Michael's Catholic School (primary)
  • St Mary's Catholic School (primary)
  • St Colman's Catholic School (primary)
  • St Catherine's Catholic College (primary & Secondary)
  • St Peter's Catholic School, Halifax (primary)
  • Columba Catholic College (primary & secondary)
  • St Joseph's Catholic School, (primary - Year 9)
  • St Francis Catholic School, (primary)
  • St Joseph's Catholic School (primary)
  • St Kieran's Catholic School (primary)
  • Good Shepherd Catholic College (secondary)
  • St Patrick's Catholic School, (primary)

References

  1. 1."Diocese of Townsville". The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church. 20 February 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
  2. 2."Bishop-elect Tim Harris farewelled from his Gold Coast parish". The Catholic Leader. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  3. 3."Diocesan profile: Parishes". Diocese of Townsville. 2009. Archived from the original on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2011.