The Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

diocese in the

Province of Birmingham The Catholic dioceses in Great Britain are organised by two separate hierarchies: the Catholic Church in England and Wales, and the Catholic Church in Scotland. Within Great Britain, the Catholic Church of England and Wales has five province ...

which encompasses the pre-1974 counties of Shropshire and Cheshire in the

North West The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

and West Midlands of England. The diocese includes rural areas of

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to ...

as well as

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

south of the

River Mersey The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed par ...

and other urban areas such as

Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liv ...

Stockport Stockport is a town and borough in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt and Tame merge to create the River Mersey here. Most of the town is withi ...

and

Ellesmere Port Ellesmere Port ( ) is a port town in the Cheshire West and Chester borough in Cheshire, England. Ellesmere Port is on the south eastern edge of the Wirral Peninsula, north of Chester, south of Birkenhead, southwest of Runcorn and south of ...

. The current bishop, Mark Davies, succeeded on 1 October 2010.Bishop Mark Davies
''Catholic Hierarchy''. Retrieved on 12 March 2010.

Geographical location

The

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...

comprises the counties of

and

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county tow ...

and the parts of

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tam ...

and

Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Mersey Estuary and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wir ...

which were formerly in Cheshire. Before 1895, it also included

North Wales North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, ...

. In 2007, new pastoral areas and regions were created, replacing the former deaneries.The Diocese of Shrewsbury – Pastoral, Spiritual & Practical Care to the Local Communities

Past and present bishops

Ordinaries

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the hono ...

(appointed 27 June 1851 – died 14 October 1881) * Edmund James Knight (appointed 25 April 1882 – resigned 28 May 1895) * John Carroll (succeeded 11 May 1895 – died 14 January 1897) *

Samuel Webster Allen Samuel Webster Allen (23 March 1844 – 13 May 1908) was an English bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the Bishop of Shrewsbury from 1897 to 1908. Born at 78 Lord Street, Stockport, Cheshire on 23 March 1844, Allen was educated at St M ...

(appointed 19 April 1897 – died 13 May 1908) *

Hugh Singleton Hugh Singleton (30 July 1851 – 17 December 1934) was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Bishop of Shrewsbury from 1908 to 1934. Born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, on 30 July 1851, he was ordained to the priesthood on ...

(appointed 1 August 1908 – died 17 December 1934) *

Ambrose James Moriarty Ambrose James Moriarty (9 August 1870 – 3 June 1949) was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Bishop of Shrewsbury from 1934 to 1949. Samuel Webster Allen, his predecessor as fourth bishop, was his uncle. Born at ...

(succeeded 17 December 1934 – died 3 June 1949) * John Aloysius Murphy (succeeded 3 June 1949 –

translated Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...

to the

Archdiocese of Cardiff The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff ( la, Archidioecesis Cardiffensis; cy, Archesgobaeth Caerdydd) is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church which covers the south-east portion of Wales and the county of Herefordshire in ...

on 22 August 1961) *

William Eric Grasar William Eric Grasar (18 May 1913 – 28 December 1982) was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Bishop of Shrewsbury from 1962 to 1980. Born in Scunthorpe on 18 May 1913, he was ordained to the priesthood on 18 Dece ...

(appointed 26 April 1962 – resigned 20 March 1980) * Joseph Gray (appointed 19 August 1980 – retired 23 June 1995) * Brian Michael Noble (appointed 23 June 1995 – retired 1 October 2010) * Mark Davies (current bishop, succeeded 1 October 2010)

Coadjutor Bishops

* John Carroll (1893-1895) * Mark Davies (2009-2010) *

(1931-1934) * John Aloysius Murphy (1948-1949)

Auxiliary Bishops

* John (Jack) Brewer (1971-1983), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Lancaster * Edmund James Knight (1879-1882), appointed Bishop here

Other priests of this diocese who became bishops

* Philip Anthony Egan, appointed Bishop of Portsmouth in 2012 * Francis Edward Joseph Mostyn, appointed Vicar Apostolic of Wales, Wales in 1895 * Gerard William Tickle, appointed Bishop of Great Britain, Military in 1963

Catholic education in the diocese

There are 112 Catholic schools and colleges serving 43,198 pupils. * All figures are as of August 2019

Patron saints of the diocese

1) Our Lady, Help of Christians – 24 May
2)

Saint Winefride Saint Winifred (or Winefride; cy, Gwenffrewi; la, Wenefreda, Winifreda) was a Welsh virgin martyr of the 7th century. Her story was celebrated as early as the 8th century, but became popular in England in the 12th, when her hagiography was f ...

– 3 November

Parish pastoral areas and regions

On 1 October 2007, local

deaneries A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residenc ...

were abolished and parishes grouped together to form 'Pastoral Areas', not as a replacement of parishes but to strengthen local Catholic communities, ensuring the sharing of services and groups and to avoid unnecessary duplication.
Each LPT (local pastoral team ee below has two co-leaders (one priest; one

layperson Laypeople or laypersons may refer to: * Someone who is not an expert in a particular field of study ** Lay judge *** Lay judges in Japan * Laity, members of a church who are not clergy ** Lay brother ** Lay sister ** Lay preacher ** Lay apo ...

) and each region is headed by a Regional Dean.

Region A – Shropshire & Wrekin Catholic Region

Regional Dean: Canon Stephen Coonan

Region B – Central Cheshire

Regional Dean: Fr John Daly

Region C – North Cheshire

Regional Dean: Fr Russell Cooke

Region D – South Trafford & Wythenshawe

Regional Dean: Fr John Rafferty

Region E – Stockport & Tameside

Regional Dean:

Region F – Wirral

Regional Dean: Fr Nick Kern

Modern history

200px, Shrewsbury Cathedral was opened in 1856 The first bishop of the diocese was

, president of Sedgeley Park School, who was consecrated 27 July 1851. Out of a total population of 1,082,617, Catholics numbered about 20,000. There were thirty churches and chapels attended by resident priests, and six stations; one convent, that of the

Faithful Companions of Jesus The Faithful Companions of Jesus Sisters (FCJ Sisters, French: ''Fidèles compagnes de Jésus'') is a Christian religious institute of the Roman Catholic Church directly subject to the Pope. It was founded in Amiens in France in 1820 by Marie ...

, in

, to which was attached a

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of " room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exte ...

for young ladies, and also a small day-school for poor children. There were

Jesuits , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

at Holywell, who also had a college at St. Bruno's,

Flintshire , settlement_type = County , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , image_flag = , image_shield = Arms of Flint ...

, and a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

Acton Burnell Acton Burnell is a village and parish in the English county of Shropshire. Home to Concord College, it is also famous for an early meeting of Parliament where the Statute merchant was passed in 1283. The population at the 2011 census was 544. ...

. When Dr. Brown celebrated the jubilee of his consecration, the secular priests had increased to sixty-six and the regulars to thirty-two. Instead of one religious house of men and one of women, there were now four of men and nine of women; and many elementary schools had been provided for the needs of Catholic children. In 1852 the bitter feeling caused by the re-establishment of the hierarchy found vent in serious riots at

. On 29 June a large mob attacked the Church of St Philip and St James; they broke the windows and attempted to force in the doors, but before they could effect an entrance, Canon Randolph Frith, the

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

, succeeded in removing the

Blessed Sacrament The Blessed Sacrament, also Most Blessed Sacrament, is a devotional name to refer to the body and blood of Christ in the form of consecrated sacramental bread and wine at a celebration of the Eucharist. The term is used in the Latin Church of th ...

, and secreting it with the

chalice A chalice (from Latin 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek () 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning. R ...

s, etc., in a small cupboard in the side chapel. He was compelled to flee immediately to the belltower, and, whilst the rabble were destroying whatever they could lay their hands upon, he made his escape along the roof, and descended by the spouting at the back of the presbytery. Much of the church furniture, with

vestment Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially by Eastern Churches, Catholics (of all rites), Anglicans, and Lutherans. Many other groups also make use of liturgical garments; th ...

s, etc., was piled up in the street and burned. At

St Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

's, the Host was desecrated, and the

pyx A pyx or pix ( la, pyxis, transliteration of Greek: ''πυξίς'', boxwood receptacle, from ''πύξος'', box tree) is a small round container used in the Catholic, Old Catholic and Anglican Churches to carry the consecrated host (Eucharist), ...

and ciborium carried away. Although the Catholic population of the diocese was 58,013 (as of the early 20th century), Shropshire contributed under 3,000, partly on account of agricultural depression and the consequent flocking to industrial centres. There were ninety clergy, sixteen convents, representatives of four orders of men, eight secondary schools for girls, an

orphanage An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or a ...

and industrial school for boys, a home for aged poor, a home for penitents, and an orphanage erected in memory of Bishop Knight. At Oakwood Hall,

Romiley Romiley is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, it borders Marple, Bredbury and Woodley. At the 2011 census, the Romiley ward, which includes Compstall, Bredbury Green ...

, a house of retreats for working-men opened and had done important work; and at New Brighton, the nuns of Our Lady of the Cenacle opened a house of retreats for working-women and ladies. Shropshire is singularly rich in archaeological interest, its pre-Reformation parish churches, the noble ruins of monasteries round the

Wrekin The Wrekin is a hill in east Shropshire, England. It is located some five miles (8 km) west of Telford, on the border between the unitary authorities of Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin. Rising above the Shropshire Plain to a height of 4 ...

, the Roman city of

Viroconium Viroconium or Uriconium, formally Viroconium Cornoviorum, was a Roman city, one corner of which is now occupied by Wroxeter, a small village in Shropshire, England, about east-south-east of Shrewsbury. At its peak, Viroconium is estimated to ...

(

Wroxeter Wroxeter is a village in Shropshire, England, which forms part of the civil parish of Wroxeter and Uppington, beside the River Severn, south-east of Shrewsbury. '' Viroconium Cornoviorum'', the fourth largest city in Roman Britain, was site ...

), the lordly castle of

Ludlow Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The ...

, giving the county a place apart in the heart of the

antiquary An antiquarian or antiquary () is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifacts, archaeological and historic si ...

. In

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...

itself, where once Grey, Black, and Austin Friars and the Black Monks of St. Benedict had foundations, there is now the cathedral, designed by Edward Pugin.

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

, too, with its streets, black and white houses, and venerable cathedral and city walls, claims the visitor's attention. When the body of

Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (I) ( ga, Dónall Ó Conaill; 6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847), hailed in his time as The Liberator, was the acknowledged political leader of Ireland's Roman Catholic majority in the first half of the 19th century. His mobilizat ...

was brought back from

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...

, it rested in the old chapel in Queen's Street on its way to Ireland.

References

Bibliography

External links

Website of the DioceseDiocese Vocation OfficeWebsite of LPA 17 (Holy Family LPA)The Web of Our Lady and St Christopher's Romiley
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic Diocese Of Shrewsbury Religious organisations based in England Religion in Shropshire Religion in Cheshire Shrewsbury