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Suffragan diocese Cairns, Australia

Diocese of Cairns

Cairnen(sis)

Latin Church

The Diocese of Cairns covers far north Queensland including the Tablelands, Cape York and the Torres Strait. Erected as a vicariate apostolic in 1877 and elevated to a diocese in 1941, it is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, led by Bishop Joseph Caddy who was ordained in 2024.

On the map

Esri
The address the register holds for St Monica's War Memorial Cathedral, Cairns, in Cairns, Australia.

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Established
1941
Catholics
59,912
Priests
23
Territory
377,000 km²

Parishes and churches

20 listed churches in our records. Open a parish for Mass times, confession, directions and sources where recorded.

This is our recorded coverage, not an official diocesan parish count. Confirm service times with the parish before travelling.

The bishop

Bishop
Joseph Caddy
Born
14 January 1960
Birthplace
Melbourne

Explore the ministry of the bishop.

The cathedral

St Monica's War Memorial Cathedral, Cairns stands in Cairns, the church that holds the cathedra from which this see takes its name.

On what a cathedral is, see the cathedral; every see church on earth is gathered at the cathedrals.

History

Catholic life in Far North Queensland is organised under the Diocese of Cairns, a Latin Church see suffragan to the Archdiocese of Brisbane. Its origins go back to 1877, when the territory was erected as a vicariate apostolic; full diocesan status came in 1941. The bishop's seat is St Monica's Cathedral. On 6 June, 2024, Joe Caddy, who had served as Vicar general of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, was announced as the new bishop of Cairns.

This see in the wire

Filed by the see itself

Published on the see's own news feed. A diocese reports on the whole Church, so these are often about somewhere else.

7 stories in the wire either name this see or come from its own feed. Read the wire.