Diocese of Maitland–Newcastle
Maitlanden(sis)-Novocastren(sis)
Suffragan diocese · Latin Church · Maitland–Newcastle, Australia
The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is a Latin Church suffragan see covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales. Erected in 1847 as the Diocese of Maitland and renamed in 1995, it has been led by Bishop Michael Kennedy since 2023.
The see
- Rank
- Suffragan diocese
- Tradition
- Latin Church
- Erected
- 25 June 1847
- Latin
- Maitlanden(sis)-Novocastren(sis)
- Annuario code
- 001002110
The see in figures
- Catholics
- 159,150
- Population
- 666,292
- Catholic share
- 23.9%
- Priests
- 59
- Catholics per priest
- 2,697
- Extent
- 33,757 km²
- Catholics per km²
- 4.7
of the people living within its bounds
Figures as recorded in the register, from the Annuario Pontificio and the see's own published statements. Shares and ratios are computed from the two figures shown beside them.
The bishop
- Bishop
- Michael Kennedy
- Born
- 13 May 1968
- Birthplace
- Wagga Wagga
A see whose chair stands empty is recorded as vacant rather than filled with a guess. On what a bishop is, see the bishop.
The cathedral
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton stands in Maitland–Newcastle, 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.
The province of Sydney
A suffragan of Archdiocese of Sydney.
The sees of this province:
- Diocese of ArmidaleArmidale
- Diocese of BathurstBathurst
- Diocese of Broken BayBroken Bay
- Diocese of LismoreLismore
- Diocese of ParramattaParramatta
- Archdiocese of SydneySydney
- Diocese of Wagga WaggaWagga Wagga
- Diocese of Wilcannia–ForbesWilcannia
- Diocese of WollongongWollongong
On how the Church is ordered into provinces, see the diocese.
History
The Hunter and Mid North Coast regions of New South Wales are served by the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, a Latin Church suffragan of the Archdiocese of Sydney. Founded in 1847 as the Diocese of Maitland, it took its present name in 1995. Michael Kennedy is its bishop. The diocese is regarded as one of the epicentres of the Catholic sexual abuse scandal in Australia: scores of priests and religious brothers were convicted of crimes against children, and two senior figures, Father Thomas Brennan and Brother William Wade, were convicted of concealing child sexual abuse.
What is kept by invitation
The record above is published because it is public: what this see is, when it was erected, who holds its chair, and where it stands among its neighbours.
The working record is not. The chancery's address, telephone and email, the clergy of the see, and the hours of Mass, confession and adoration in the parishes within it are kept for members, and a person reads every request.
Sources
The see's own website · Wikipedia
This record is compiled from the published statements of the see and the references of the Holy See, among them the Annuario Pontificio. On the method, see the keeping of the record. Whoever finds an error is asked, in charity, to write: [email protected].