The Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia is a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, 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 Roman province, pro ...

of the Catholic Church in Wales. It is one of two

suffragan diocese A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria ...

s in the ecclesiastical province of Cardiff and is subject 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 ...

History

On 12 May 1898, the Apostolic Vicariate of Wales was elevated to diocesan status and had its seat at the Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Sorrows in Wrexham until 1987 when the

Diocese of Wrexham The Diocese of Wrexham, is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Wales. The diocese is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Cardiff. History The diocese was erecte ...

was created.The Diocese of Menevia currently covers the area roughly that of the ancient Diocese of St Davids. ("Menevia" was the Roman name for

St Davids St Davids or St David's ( cy, Tyddewi, , "David's house”) is a city and a community (named St Davids and the Cathedral Close) with a cathedral in Pembrokeshire, Wales, lying on the River Alun. It is the resting place of Saint David, W ...

.) The diocese is currently led by an Archbishop Mark O'Toole who is also Archbishop of Cardiff. The sixth century bishop St Ismael is honoured on 16 June.

Timeline

* 29 September 1850: Universalis Ecclesiae: The Roman Catholic Church in Wales is split between the

Diocese of Shrewsbury The Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Province of Birmingham which encompasses the pre-1974 counties of Shropshire and Cheshire in the North West and West Midlands of England. The diocese includes rural are ...

in the north and the

Diocese of Newport and Menevia The Roman Catholic Diocese of Newport (and Menevia) was the Latin Catholic precursor (1840-1916) in Wales and southwest England of the present Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff, with see in Newport, Wales, and was revived as Latin titular see. ...

in the south. * 4 September 1860:

Belmont Abbey, Herefordshire Belmont Abbey, in Herefordshire, England, is a Catholic Benedictine monastery that forms part of the English Benedictine Congregation. It stands on a small hill overlooking the city of Hereford to the east, with views across to the Black Mountai ...

, the cathedral priory of the Diocese of Newport and Menevia is consecrated. * 4 July 1895: The Diocese of Newport and Menevia splits. Glamorgan, Monmouth and Herefordshire become the Diocese of Newport. The rest of Wales, including North Wales from the Diocese of Shrewsbury, becomes the Apostolic Vicariate of Wales.History
from

Cardiff Cathedral The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St David, also known as St David's Cathedral, Cardiff, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales, and is the centre of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff. Located in Charles S ...

retrieved 5 April 2014 * 12 May 1898: The Apostolic Vicariate of Wales become the Diocese of Menevia with

Wrexham Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, also known as St Mary's Cathedral or Wrexham Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Wrexham, Wales. It is the seat of the Bishop of Wrexham, and mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wrex ...

as its pro-cathedral. * 7 February 1916: The Diocese of Newport becomes the Archdiocese of Cardiff and it is decided that St David's church in Cardiff would become its cathedral. * 12 March 1920:

St David's Cathedral, Cardiff The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St David, also known as St David's Cathedral, Cardiff, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales, and is the centre of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff. Located in Charles ...

is officially made the metropolitan cathedral of the Archdiocese of Cardiff. * 12 February 1987: The Diocese of Menevia is split. The north becomes the

with its cathedral remaining in Wrexham. The south remains the Diocese of Menevia and sets up

Swansea Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Joseph – also known as St Joseph's Cathedral, Menevia Cathedral or Swansea Cathedral – is a Grade II-listed Roman Catholic cathedral in Swansea, Wales. It is the seat of the Bishop of Menevia and mother church o ...

Details

In 2007, there were 27,561 Catholics in the diocese which was served by 34

diocesan priest In Christianity, the term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or otherwise members of religious life. A secular priest (sometimes known as a diocesan priest) is a priest who commits themselves to a certain geogra ...

s, 19

religious priest Regular clergy, or just regulars, are clerics in the Catholic Church who follow a rule () of life, and are therefore also members of religious institutes. Secular clergy are clerics who are not bound by a rule of life. Terminology and history The ...

s, 9 non-ordained male religious and 100 female religious. There are 34 Catholic educational institutions in the diocese, including three secondary schools: * St Joseph's Catholic School and Sixth-Form Centre, Port Talbot *

St John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive School St. John Lloyd Catholic Comprehensive School is located in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is a mixed, community comprehensive school of around 500 pupils, catering for all abilities across an age range of 11 to 16 years. It is dedicated t ...

, Llanelli * Bishop Vaughan Catholic School, Swansea Founded in 1965, St Joseph's School was the first Catholic

comprehensive school A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is res ...

in Wales. The geographic remit consists of the City and County of

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

Neath Neath (; cy, Castell-nedd) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a po ...

and Port Talbot, and the traditional counties of

Brecknockshire , image_flag= , HQ= Brecon , Government= Brecknockshire County Council (1889-1974) , Origin= Brycheiniog , Status= , Start= 1535 , End= ...

Cardiganshire Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cere ...

, Carmarthenshire,

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...

and

Radnorshire , HQ = Presteigne , Government = Radnorshire County Council (1889–1974) Radnorshire District Council (1974–1996) , Origin = , Status = historic county, administrative county , Start ...

- an area of roughly. The

cathedra A ''cathedra'' is the raised throne of a bishop in the early Christian basilica. When used with this meaning, it may also be called the bishop's throne. With time, the related term ''cathedral'' became synonymous with the "seat", or principa ...

is located at

St Joseph's Cathedral, Swansea The Cathedral Church of Saint Joseph – also known as St Joseph's Cathedral, Menevia Cathedral or Swansea Cathedral – is a Grade II-listed Roman Catholic cathedral in Swansea, Wales. It is the seat of the Bishop of Menevia and mother church o ...

. Situated within the diocese is the Welsh National Shrine of

Our Lady of Cardigan Our Lady of Cardigan ( cy, Mair o Aberteifi), also known as Our Lady of the Taper, the Catholic national shrine of Wales, is a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary created by Sr Concordia Scott and located in a chapel in Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wal ...

at Cardigan.

Bishops

Ordinaries

Francis Edward Joseph Mostyn Francis Mostyn (6 August 1860 – 25 October 1939) was a Welsh prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the Archbishop of Cardiff from 1921 until his death in 1939. Biography Francis Edward Joseph Mostyn was born in Talacre, Flintshire, ...

† (4 July 1895 – 7 March 1921 appointed archbishop of

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

) * Francis J. Vaughan † (21 June 1926 – 13 March 1935 died) *

Michael Joseph McGrath Michael Joseph McGrath (24 March 1882 – 28 February 1961) was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served first as the bishop of Menevia from 1935 to 1940, then the archbishop of Cardiff from 1940 to 1961. Personal history ...

† (10 August 1935 – 20 June 1940 appointed archbishop of Cardiff) *

Daniel Joseph Hannon Daniel Joseph Hannon (12 June 1884 – 26 April 1946) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Menevia from 1941 to 1946. Born in Rotherham, Yorkshire on 12 June 1884, he was ordained to the priesthood on 22 September 1907. He wa ...

† (15 March 1941 – 26 April 1946 died) *

John Edward Petit John Edward Petit (22 June 1895 – 2 June 1973) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Menevia from 1947 to 1972. Born in London on 22 June 1895, he was ordained to the priesthood on 9 May 1918. He was appointed the Bishop of t ...

† (8 February 1947 – 16 June 1972 retired) *

Langton Douglas Fox Langton Douglas Fox (21 February 1917 – 26 July 1997) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Menevia from 1972 to 1981. Life Born in Golders Green, London on 21 February 1917, he was ordained to the priesthood on 30 May 1942. In ...

† (16 June 1972 – 5 February 1981 resigned) * John Aloysius Ward, OFM Cap † (5 February 1981 succeeded – 25 March 1983 appointed archbishop of Cardiff) *

James Hannigan James Hannigan (born 23 July 1971) is a British composer with credits in the ''Harry Potter'', ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''Command and Conquer'' (including Red Alert 3's well-known Soviet March), ''Dead Space'', ''Warhammer'', ''Cloudy With ...

† (13 October 1983 – 12 February 1987 appointed bishop of

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...

) * Daniel Joseph Mullins † (12 February 1987 – 12 June 2001 retired) *

John Mark Jabalé John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

(12 June 2001 – 16 October 2008 retired) * Thomas Matthew Burns (16 October 2008 – 11 July 2019 retired) * Mark O'Toole (Appointed 27 April 2022. Diocese merged with the Archdiocese of Cardiff ''in persona Episcopi''. Installed on 23 June 2022)

Coadjutor Bishops

* John Peter Mark Jabalé, O.S.B. (2000-2001) * John Aloysius Ward, O.F.M. Cap. † (1980-1981)

Auxiliary Bishop

† (1965-1972), appointed Bishop of Menevia.

Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

* Peter Malcolm Brignall (priest here, 1978–1987), appointed Bishop of Wrexham, Wales in 2012

Deaneries

There are a total of five deaneries in the Diocese of Menevia, all of which cover several churches in that area, overseen by a dean. The deaneries are: *

Carmarthen Deanery The Carmarthen Deanery is a Roman Catholic deanery in the Diocese of Menevia that covers several churches in Carmarthenshire and the surrounding area. In the early 2010s, the Aberystwyth Deanery was dissolved and the church in Lampeter became part o ...

Llandrindod Wells Deanery The Llandrindod Wells Deanery is a Roman Catholic deanery in the Diocese of Menevia that covers several churches in Powys and the surrounding area. In the early 2010s, the Aberystwyth Deanery was dissolved and the churches in Aberystwyth and Aber ...

* Pembroke Deanery *

Port Talbot Deanery The Port Talbot Deanery is a Roman Catholic deanery in the Diocese of Menevia that covers several churches in Neath Port Talbot and the surrounding area. The dean is centred at St Joseph Church in Port Talbot. Churches * St Therese of Lisieux, Por ...

Swansea Deanery The Swansea Deanery is a Roman Catholic deanery in the Diocese of Menevia that covers several churches in Swansea and the surrounding area. The dean is centred at St Joachim & St Anne's Church in Swansea. Churches * St David's Priory Church, Swans ...

References

External links

Catholic Encyclopedia articleDiocese of Menevia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Menevia Organisations based in Swansea Religious organizations established in 1898 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 19th century Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Cardiff