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Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch

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Diocese of Christchurch
Dioecesis Christopolitana
Coat of arms of the Diocese of Christchurch
Coat of arms
Location
Country New Zealand
Territory New Zealand
Ecclesiastical province Wellington
Statistics
Area 32,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi)
Population
Total
Catholics 		(as of 2022)
673,790
68,750 (10.2%)
Parishes 18
Information
Denomination Catholic Church
Sui iuris church Latin Church
Rite Roman Rite
Established 10 May 1887
Cathedral St Mary's
Blessed Sacrament
Current leadership
Pope Leo XIV
Bishop Michael Gielen

Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch — The Diocese of Christchurch (Dioecesis Christopolitana) is a Latin Catholic suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Wellington. Its cathedral and see city are located in Christchurch, the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. It was formed on 5 May 1887 from a portion of the territory of the Diocese of Wellington, which was elevated to archdiocese later that same month.

Bishops of Christchurch

Tenure Incumbent Life
1887–1915 John Grimes SM 1842–1915
1915–1943 Matthew Brodie 1871–1943
1944–1950 Patrick Lyons 1903–1967
1950–1964 Edward Joyce 1904–1964
1964–1985 Brian Ashby 1923–1988
1985–1987 Denis Hanrahan 1933–1987
1987–1995 Basil Meeking 1929–2020
1995–2007 John Cunneen 1932–2010
2007–2016 Barry Jones 1941–2016
2017–2021 Paul Martin SM 1967–
2022–present Michael Gielen 1971–

Lyons was translated to become Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, Australia in 1950. Martin was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Wellington, New Zealand in 2021.

Current bishop

Bishops other than ordinaries

Coadjutor bishops

Auxiliary bishops

Affiliated bishops

  • Charles Drennan, appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Palmerston North in 2011; succeeded 2012; resigned 2019
  • Stephen Lowe, appointed Bishop of Hamilton in New Zealand in 2014

Cathedral and churches

Cathedrals

Pro-cathedral

Churches

  • Chapel of the Snows at McMurdo Station on Ross Island, Antarctica. For 57 years, the diocese was responsible for sending priests to the non-denominational Christian. This practice was stopped in 2015.[1] It is the second southernmost religious building in the world.
  • Sacred Heart Basilica, Timaru. Despite its name, it is not designated a basilica by the Catholic Church. The Basilica is also one of the "most noteworthy examples of ecclesiastical architecture" in New Zealand with elements of "Roman and Byzantine architecture with touches of Art Nouveau decoration." Designed by Francis Petre.
  • St Joseph's Church, Darfield built in 1936, following a fire which gutted the previous wooden structure in 1934
  • St Mary's Catholic Church, Hokitika. Following a structural assessment triggered by the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the church was closed to the public in June 2012.[2]

Secondary schools

See also

Canonical status and jurisdiction

Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch is a diocese of the catholic church of the Catholic Church.[3]

References

  1. Back to citation "Catholic priests to leave Antarctica because of decline in church-going". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  2. Back to citation Mussen, Deidre (19 June 2012). "Engineers to look at Hokitika's historic church". The Press. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  3. Back to citation Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch, official website

43°32′19″S 172°38′46″E / 43.53861°S 172.64611°E

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