Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Perth

Catholic ecclesiastical territory

The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Perth is a Latin Church metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia covering the Greater Perth, Goldfields-Esperance, Peel and Wheatbelt regions of Western Australia.

St Mary's Cathedral located in Perth, Western Australia, is the seat of the Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop of Perth, currently Timothy Costelloe, appointed in February 2012.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

History

On 6 May 1845 the Diocese of Perth was erected in an area covered and administered previously by the Archdiocese of Sydney.

It lost territory repeatedly, to establish on 12 March 1867 the Benedictine Territorial Abbacy of New Norcia, on 10 May 1887 the Apostolic Vicariate of Kimberley in Western Australia and on 30 January 1898 the Roman Catholic Diocese of Geraldton.

It was elevated as Metropolitan archdiocese on 29 August 1913.

On 12 November 1954 it lost territory to establish the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bunbury.

In 1982 it regained former territory from the suppressed Territorial Abbacy of New Norcia.

Cathedral

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (St Mary's), Perth

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commonly called St Mary's Cathedral, is the seat of the archbishop and is located in East Perth.

During restoration work in the cathedral between 2003 and 2006, the brick and plaster crypt containing the coffins of bishops Matthew Gibney and Martin Griver was discovered by archaeologists under the floorboards of an aisle in the cathedral.^[6][7]

In 2011, the remains of Perth's first bishop, John Brady, were exhumed from his grave in France and he was laid to rest in the crypt.^[8]

Province

Its Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Perth includes for the suffragan dioceses of Broome and Perth's two daughter-bishoprics, Bunbury and Geraldton.

Bishops

Episcopal incumbents

The following individuals have been elected as Roman Catholic Archbishop of Perth, or any of its precursor titles:^[9]

Diocesan suffragan bishops

• ^{^} = Bishop John Brady was suspended from his functions motu proprio in October 1851 by Pope Pius IX and José Benito Serra appointed as coadjutor bishop of Perth, reporting to the Archbishop of Sydney. Brady retained the title Bishop of Perth, although living in exile from his Diocese, until his death. Serra served as Coadjutor Bishop and Temporal Administrator of Perth from 1849 to 1851, Apostolic Administrator from 1851 to 1862. Rosendo Salvado was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Perth for three years from 1853^[10] while Serra was absent in Europe.^[11][12]

Metropolitan Archbishops

Coadjutor and auxiliary bishops

Current

• Donald George Sproxton – Appointed auxiliary bishop 12 December 2001,^[13] Titular Bishop of Timici

Former

• Coadjutor Bishop Joseph Serra y Juliá, O.S.B. † (7 August 1849 – 7 January 1862)
• Coadjutor Bishop Matthew Gibney † (28 September 1886 – 1 November 1886), Titular Bishop of Hippus (1886.09.28 – 1 November 1886)
• Coadjutor Archbishop Redmond Prendiville † (11 July 1933 – 24 May 1935 see above), Titular Archbishop of Cypsela (11 July 1933 – 24 May 1935)
• Auxiliary Bishop Launcelot John Goody (later Archbishop) † (2 August 1951 – 12 November 1954 see above), Titular Bishop of Abydus (2 August 1951 – 12 November 1954), later Bishop of Bunbury (Australia) (12 November 1954 – 18 October 1968)
• Auxiliary Bishop John Joseph Rafferty † (12 June 1955 – 6 January 1962)
• Auxiliary Bishop Myles McKeon † (23 May 1962 – 6 March 1969)
• Auxiliary Bishop Peter Quinn † (26 June 1969 – 26 May 1982)
• Auxiliary Bishop Robert Healy † (2 October 1975 – 25 October 2000)

Other priests of the diocese who became bishops

• John O’Reilly †, appointed Bishop of Port Augusta in 1887
• William Bernard Kelly †, appointed Vicar Apostolic of Kimberley in Western Australia in 1894; appointed Bishop of Geraldton in 1898: consecrated bishop in 1898
• Justin Joseph Bianchini, appointed Bishop of Geraldton in 1992
• Gerard Joseph Holohan, appointed Bishop of Bunbury in 2001
• Max Leroy Davis, appointed Bishop of Australia, Military in 2003
• † = deceased

Parishes

The archdiocese is divided into three separate deaneries that administer individual parishes covering inner metropolitan Perth, outer metropolitan Perth, and country parishes and church centres (with churches dedicated the saints as indicated).

Inner metropolitan Perth

St Patrick's Basilica, Fremantle

The inner metropolitan deanery covers the cathedral parish of Perth (St Mary); and parishes located in Applecross (St Benedict's), Attadale (St Joseph Pignatelli), Balcatta (St Lawrence and Mary Immaculate), Ballajura (St Mary Mackillop), Bassendean (St Joseph), Bateman (St Thomas More), Bayswater (St Columba), Beaconsfield (Christ the King), Bentley (Santa Clara), Canning Vale (St Emilie de Vialar), Carlisle (Holy Name), City Beach (Holy Spirit), Claremont (St Thomas the Apostle), Cloverdale, (Notre Dame), Como (Holy Family), Cottesloe/Mosman Park (St Mary Star of the Sea), Dianella (Our Lady's Assumption), Doubleview (Our Lady of the Rosary), East Fremantle (Immaculate Conception), East Victoria Park (Our Lady Help of Christians), Embleton (Holy Trinity), Floreat (St Cecilia), Fremantle (St Patrick's Basilica), Girrawheen (Our Lady of Mercy), Glendalough (St Bernadette), Hamilton Hill (Holy Cross), Highgate (Sacred Heart), Hilton (Our Lady of Mount Carmel), Joondanna (St Denis), Innaloo/Karrinyup (St Dominic), Leederville (St Mary), Lynwood (St Jude), Lockridge (Good Shepherd), Manning (St Pius X), Maylands (Queen of Martyrs), Morley (Infant Jesus), Mirrabooka (St Gerald Majella), Mt Lawley (St Paul), Myaree (Pater Noster), Nedlands (Holy Rosary), Nollamara (Our Lady of Lourdes), North Beach (Our Lady of Grace), Northbridge (St Brigid), Osborne Park (St Kieran), Palmyra (Our Lady of Fatima), Queens Park (St Joseph), Riverton (Our Lady Queen of Apostles), Rivervale (St Augustine), Scarborough (Immaculate Heart of Mary), Shenton Park (St Aloysius), South Perth (St Columba), Subiaco (St Joseph), Victoria Park (St Joachim), Willetton (Saints John and Paul), and Wilson (Our Lady of Perpetual Help).

Outer metropolitan Perth

The Outer metropolitan deanery covers parishes located in Armadale (St Francis Xavier), Baldivis (St Teresa of Calcutta), Clarkson (St Andrew), Ellenbrook (St Helena of the Holy Cross), Gosnells (Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament), Greenmount (St Anthony), Greenwood (All Saints), Guildford (St Mary), Kalamunda (Holy Family), Kelmscott (Good Shepherd), Kwinana (St Vincent), Lesmurdie (Our Lady of Lourdes), Maddington (Holy Family), Maida Vale (St Francis of Assisi), Midland (St Brigid), Mundaring (Sacred Heart), Ocean Reef (St Simon Peter), Pickering Brook (Our Lady of Grace), Port Kennedy (St Bernadette), Rockingham (Our Lady of Lourdes), Spearwood (St Jerome), Thornlie (Sacred Heart), Wanneroo (St Anthony of Padua), Whitford (Our Lady of the Mission), Woodvale (St Luke), Yanchep (Guilderton Community Hall), and Yangebup (Mater Christi).

See also

• Catholicism portal
• Western Australia portal

• Roman Catholicism in Australia
• List of Roman Catholic archdioceses#Oceania

References

1. Cardy, Todd (20 February 2012). "Pope appoints new head of Catholic Church in WA". PerthNow. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
2. "Timothy Costelloe selected as Perth's Archbishop". ABC News. Australia. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
3. Rickard, Jayne; Simpson, Gavin (8 April 2011). "Time's up for Perth Archbishop". The West Australian. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
4. Rosengren, Peter (16 November 2011). "Brisbane's prelate is free to go! No word on Perth". The Record. Australia. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
5. "Archdiocese of Perth" (downloadable PDF) (Press release). Apostolic Nunciature in Australia. 17 February 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
6. "Ned Kelly's bishop's tomb found under Cathedral pews". Catholic News. 16 October 2006. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
7. Laurie, Tiffany (14 October 2006). "Cathedral reveals the secret of its lost bishops". The West Australian. p. 3.
8. Spinks, Bridget (13 July 2011). "Brady to join Bishops in crypt". The Record. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
9. Cheney, David M. (18 February 2012). "Archdiocese of Perth". The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
10. some sources say 'from 1849'
11. "The Salvado Era: 1846 – 1900". The Story of New Norcia. New Norcia Benedictine Community. 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
12. William, Dom. "Salvado, Rosendo (1814–1900)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
13. Cheney, David M. (19 February 2011). "Bishop Donald George Sproxton". The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Retrieved 22 December 2011.

Further reading

• Busher, Mary (10 January 2005). "History of the Diocese of Perth established 160 years ago". Record. Perth, Western Australia. p. 12.
• Winship, John A (2010). Our cathedral : a history of St Mary's Cathedral, Perth, Western Australia (paperback). Perth, Western Australia: Archdiocese of Perth. p. 240. ISBN 978-1-453-75519-8.

Sources and external links

• GigaCatholic with incumbent biography links
• Catholic Archdiocese of Perth

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