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Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia

Coordinates: 52°00′29″N 4°30′18″W / 52.008°N 4.505°W / 52.008; -4.505
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"Menevia" redirects here. For the city once known by this name, see St Davids.

Diocese of Menevia

Dioecesis Menevensis

Esgobaeth Mynyw
St Joseph's Cathedral, Swansea
Location
CountryWales
TerritorySwansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Brecknock and Radnor
Ecclesiastical provinceCardiff
Coordinates52°00′29″N 4°30′18″W / 52.008°N 4.505°W / 52.008; -4.505
Statistics
Area9,310 km2 (3,590 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2013)
829,500
26,200 (3.2%)
Parishes55
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established6th century
12 May 1898 (re-establishment)
CathedralSwansea Cathedral
Secular priests30
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopMark O'Toole
Metropolitan ArchbishopMark O'Toole
Vicar GeneralJoseph Cefai
Bishops emeritusJohn Peter Mark Jabalé
Thomas Matthew Burns
Map
Diocese of Menevia within the Province of Cardiff
Diocese of Menevia within the Province of Cardiff
Website
menevia.org

The Diocese of Menevia (Latin: Dioecesis Menevensis) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Wales. It is one of two suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cardiff and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cardiff.

History

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An engraving of St David's Cathedral c.1790 with an account of its history

The history of the diocese of St Davids is traditionally traced to that saint (Dewi) in the latter half of the 6th century. Records of the history of the diocese before Norman times are very fragmentary, however, consisting of a few chance references in old chronicles, such as Annales Cambriae and Brut y Tywysogion (Rolls Series).

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 [1] until 1987 when the Diocese of Wrexham was created.The Diocese of Menevia currently covers the area roughly that of the ancient Diocese of St Davids.[2] ("Menevia" was the Roman name for St Davids.) The Catholic diocese is currently led by an Archbishop Mark O'Toole who is also Archbishop of Cardiff.[3]

The sixth century bishop St Ismael is honoured on 16 June.[4]

Timeline

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  • 6th Century: Saint David becomes bishop.
  • 21 January 1560: diocese disestablished (English Reformation), becomes the protestant Diocese of St Davids.
  • 29 September 1850: Universalis Ecclesiae: The Roman Catholic Church in Wales is split between the Diocese of Shrewsbury in the north and the Diocese of Newport and Menevia in the south.
  • 4 September 1860: Belmont Abbey, Herefordshire, the cathedral priory of the Diocese of Newport and Menevia is consecrated.[5]
  • 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.[6]
  • 12 May 1898: The Apostolic Vicariate of Wales become the Diocese of Menevia with Wrexham Cathedral as its pro-cathedral.[6]
  • 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.[6]
  • 12 March 1920: St David's Cathedral, Cardiff is officially made the metropolitan cathedral of the Archdiocese of Cardiff.[6]
  • 12 February 1987: The Diocese of Menevia is split. The north becomes the Diocese of Wrexham with its cathedral remaining in Wrexham. The south remains the Diocese of Menevia and sets up Swansea Cathedral.[6]

Details

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In 2007, there were 27,561 Catholics in the diocese which was served by 34 diocesan priests, 19 religious priests, 9 non-ordained male religious and 100 female religious. There are 34 Catholic educational institutions in the diocese,[7] including three secondary schools:

  • St Joseph's Catholic School and Sixth-Form Centre, Port Talbot

Founded in 1965, St Joseph's School was the first Catholic comprehensive school in Wales.[8]

The geographic remit consists of the City and County of Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot, and the traditional counties of Brecknockshire, Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Radnorshire - an area of 9,310 square kilometres (3,590 sq mi) roughly.

The cathedra is located at St Joseph's Cathedral, Swansea. Situated within the diocese is the Welsh National Shrine of Our Lady of Cardigan at Cardigan.

Bishops

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Ordinaries

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Main article: Bishop of Menevia

Coadjutor Bishops

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Auxiliary Bishop

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Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

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Deaneries

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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:

See also

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References

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Wikisource has the text of the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia article Diocese of Menevia.
  1. ^ "Diocese of Menevia". Catholic Encyclopedia 1913. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  2. ^ "About the Diocese of Menevia". Diocese of Menevia. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Pope Francis accepts resignation of Bishop of Menevia". Independent Catholic News. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Saint Ismael of Menevia". 6 June 2013.
  5. ^ Historic England, "Details from listed building database (1411804)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 5 April 2014
  6. ^ a b c d e History from Cardiff Cathedral retrieved 5 April 2014
  7. ^ "Statistics". dioceseofmenevia.org. 31 December 2007. Archived from the original on 4 February 2007.
  8. ^ Egan, Josephine (1988). Opting Out: Catholic Schools Today. Worcester, UK: Fowler Wright Books. p. 53. ISBN 9780852441312.
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