Roman Catholic Diocese of Elphin

Last updated

Diocese of Elphin

Dioecesis Elphinensis

Deoise Ail Finn
SligoRCCathedral.JPG
Location
Country Ireland
TerritoryParts of counties Roscommon, Sligo, Westmeath and Galway
Ecclesiastical province Province of Tuam
Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam
Statistics
Area1,201 sq mi (3,110 km2)
Population
- Total
- Catholics

70,000
68,000
Parishes37
Information
Denomination Roman Catholic
Rite Latin Rite
EstablishedDiocese in 1111
Cathedral Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo
Patron saint St Ascius and the Immaculate Conception
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Bishop Kevin Doran
Bishop of Elphin
Metropolitan Archbishop Francis Duffy
Archbishop of Tuam
Vicar GeneralCanons Tom Hever & Liam Devine
Map
Roman Catholic Diocese of Elphin map.png
Website
elphindiocese.ie

The Diocese of Elphin (el-FIN; Irish : Deoise Ail Finn) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in the western part of Ireland. It is in the Metropolitan Province of Tuam and is subject to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam. The current bishop is Kevin Doran who was appointed in 2014.

Contents

Geographical remit

The diocese covers parts of the counties of Roscommon, Sligo and Galway, and Westmeath. Its Cathedral, which was originally established in the Roscommon town of Elphin, is now in Sligo. The major towns are Athlone, Boyle, Castlerea, Roscommon and Sligo.

History

The See dates to the earliest days of the Irish Church. From the time Christianity first arrived in Ireland in the second half of the 5th century (in the form of Saint Patrick's mission), the early church was centred on Monastic settlements. St. Patrick founded such a settlement in an area known as Corcoghlan, now known as Elphin, in 434 or 435. The first Abbot bishop of this monastic settlement was Assicus, who was said to be St. Patrick's silversmith or coppersmith. Saint Assicus is now the patron of the diocese. Following the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111 the diocese was formally recognised. [1] [2] The cathedral established here was dedicated to Beatae Mariae Virgini (Blessed Mary the Virgin).

Following the English Reformation of the 16th century, the cathedral and many monasteries and convents were destroyed. It wasn't until 1874 that the then bishop, Laurence Gillooly, decided to rebuild the cathedral, this time in Sligo town. This cathedral was dedicated to The Immaculate Conception. Just under 20 years later, in 1892, Bishop Gillooly supervised the building of a College dedicated to training boys for the priesthood, known as the College of the Immaculate Conception. This school still operates today, as Summerhill College.[ citation needed ]

In recent years the Diocese has run the Maryvale Institute course in catechism [3] as part of it faith development programmes. [4]

Diocesesan governance

There are currently thirty-seven parishes in the diocese, which are divided into 6 administrative deaneries, based in the towns of Sligo, Boyle, Strokestown, Castlerea, Roscommon and the part of Athlone west of the River Shannon. There are currently 108 priests, ministering to a population of approximately 70,000, of whom 97% (68,000) are Roman Catholic. [1] [5]

Parishes

The following are the parishes of the Diocese of Elphin: [6]

Ahamlish-innismurray (Grange and Cliffoney)

Ahascragh (Ahascragh and Caltra)

Ardcarne (Cootehall)

Athleague (Athleague and Fuerty)

Athlone, Ss Peter and Paul's

Aughanagh (Ballinafad)

Aughrim (Aughrim and Kilmore)

Ballinameen (Kilnamanagh and Estersnow)

Ballintubber (Ballintober and Ballymoe)

Ballyforan-dysart-tisrara

Ballygar (Killian and Killeroran)

Boyle

Castlerea (Kilkeevan)

Croghan (Killukin and Killummod)

Drumcliff & Maugherow

Elphin (Elphin and Creeve)

Fairymount (Tibohine)

Frenchpark (Kilcorkey and Frenchpark)

Geevagh

Kilbegnet (Glinsk and Creggs)

Kilbride (Fourmilehouse)

Kilgefin (Ballagh, Cloontuskert and Curraghroe)

Kilglass (Kilglass and Rooskey)

Kiltoom (Kiltoom and Cam)

Knockcroghery / St. John's / Rahara

Loughglynn (Loughglynn, Lisacul and Gorthaganny)

Oran (Cloverhill)

Riverstown

Roscommon

Rosses Point

Sligo, St Anne's & Carraroe

Sligo, St Joseph's & Calry

Sligo, St Mary's (Cathedral parish)

Strandhill/Ransboro

Strokestown (Kiltrustan, Lissonuffy and Cloonfinlough)

Tarmonbarry

Tulsk (Ogulla and Baslic)

Ordinaries

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Roscommon</span> County in Ireland

County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is part of the province of Connacht and the Northern and Western Region. It is the 11th largest Irish county by area and 27th most populous. Its county town and largest town is Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was 69,995 as of the 2022 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elphin, County Roscommon</span> Town in Connacht, Ireland

Elphin is a small town in north County Roscommon, Ireland. It forms the southern tip of a triangle with Boyle 18 km (11 mi) and Carrick-on-Shannon 14 km (9 mi) to the north west and north east respectively. It is at the junction of the R368 and R369 regional roads. Ireland West Airport Knock is 50 km (31 mi) west of Elphin - approximately 40 minutes by road.

The Diocese of Elphin was established following the Synod of Rathbreasail in the year 1118. In that year the see for east Connacht was moved from Roscommon. Elphin was the traditional site of a monastic house established by St Patrick c. 450, although there are no remains of that date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise</span> Catholic diocese in Ireland

The Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Killala</span> Catholic diocese in Ireland

The Diocese of Killala is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Connacht; the western province of Ireland. It is in the Metropolitan Province of Tuam and is subject to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam. As of 2023, the bishop is Dr. John Fleming DD who was appointed on 7 April 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh</span> Anglican diocese of the Church of Ireland

The United Dioceses of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh is a diocese of the Church of Ireland located in central Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Kilmore</span> Catholic diocese in Ireland

The Diocese of Kilmore is a Latin Church diocese which is mainly in the Republic of Ireland although a few parishes are in Northern Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses which are subject to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Armagh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rahara</span> Village in Connacht, Ireland

Rahara is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland. It lies on the R362 regional road, between Athlone and Athleague about 3 km (1.9 mi) north of the village of Curraghboy.

The High Sheriff of Roscommon was the British Crown's judicial representative in County Roscommon, Ireland from 1575 until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Roscommon County Sheriff. The sheriff had judicial, electoral, ceremonial and administrative functions and executed High Court Writs. In 1908, an Order in Council made the Lord-Lieutenant the Sovereign's prime representative in a county and reduced the High Sheriff's precedence. However the sheriff retained his responsibilities for the preservation of law and order in the county. The usual procedure for appointing the sheriff from 1660 onwards was that three persons were nominated at the beginning of each year from the county and the Lord Lieutenant then appointed his choice as High Sheriff for the remainder of the year. Often the other nominees were appointed as under-sheriffs. Sometimes a sheriff did not fulfil his entire term through death or other event and another sheriff was then appointed for the remainder of the year. The dates given hereunder are the dates of appointment. All addresses are in County Roscommon unless stated otherwise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo</span> Church in County Sligo, Ireland

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Elphin. It is located on Temple Street in Sligo, Ireland. The cathedral was developed by Bishop Laurence Gillooly who had been appointed Bishop of Elphin in 1858. He decided that the diocese was now of a size and wealth that the time had come to replace St. John's Parish Chapel, which had been recognised as the diocesan pro-cathedral.

Laurence Gillooly CM was an Irish Roman Catholic bishop who served as the Bishop of Elphin from 1858 to 1895. The son of Laurence Gillooly and his wife Margaret, he was born at Bothair Garbh, Gallowstown, County Roscommon, near Roscommon Town. His older brother, Timothy, also became a priest.

George Joseph Plunket Browne (1795–1858) was an Irish Roman Catholic clergyman. Born to a "well-known Roscommon family", he served as Bishop of Galway from 1831 until 1844, and afterward as Bishop of Elphin, until his death on 1 December 1858. He was charged with being a "Cullenite" in 1855, that is, a follower of ultramontane Paul Cardinal Cullen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Fethlimidh's Cathedral, Kilmore</span> Church in County Cavan, Ireland

St Fethlimidh's Cathedral, Kilmore is one of two cathedral churches in the Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh in the Church of Ireland. It is situated in the parish of Kilmore, southwest of the county town of Cavan. The name Kilmore - Cill Mhor meaning 'the great church' - reflects an earlier prominence that the Annals of the Four Masters have traced to an early medieval foundation. Of that church there are no physical remains

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raymond Browne</span>

Raymond Anthony Browne is an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Kerry since 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Duignan (bishop)</span> Irish Roman Catholic clergyman

Michael Gerard Duignan is an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Clonfert since 2019 and additionally as Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh since 2022.

Aughnasurn, or Aghnasurn is a townland in the civil parish of Kilbryan, County Roscommon, Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diocese of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe</span> Anglican diocese of the Church of Ireland

The Diocese of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe is a diocese of the Church of Ireland that is located in the west of Ireland. The diocese was formed by a merger of the former Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry and the former Diocese of Limerick and Killaloe in 2022, after the retirement of the separate dioceses' bishops and the appointment of Michael Burrows as bishop of the united diocese. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin. It is one of the eleven Church of Ireland dioceses that cover the whole of Ireland. The largest diocese by area in the Church of Ireland, it covers all of counties Clare, Galway, Kerry, Limerick and Mayo, plus parts of counties Cork, Sligo, Roscommon, Offaly, Laois and Tipperary.

References

  1. 1 2 "History of Elphin". Diocese of Elphin website. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 1 March 2007.
  2. Kelly, J.J. (1909). "Elphin". The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. V. Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved 1 March 2007.
  3. 30 graduate from novel catechetics course by Cathal Barry, Irish Catholic, November 12, 2015.
  4. Catechism Studies www.elphindiocese.ie
  5. Cheney, David M. (3 February 2007). "Elphin (Diocese) [Catholic Hierarchy]". Catholic Hierarchy. Retrieved 3 April 2007. Source Annuario Pontificio, 2005
  6. "Parish Details". 19 January 2015.

Wikisource-logo.svg This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Diocese of Elphin". Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company.

54°16′12″N8°28′43″W / 54.2699°N 8.4786°W / 54.2699; -8.4786