Diocese
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The Diocese of Lancaster

 

 

 

The Diocese of Lancaster is a Latin Rite Roman Catholic Diocese centred around Lancaster Cathedral in the city of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. 

The Diocese is situated in the Province of Liverpool. Geographically it extends along the west of England from the Ribble River in the south of Preston to the Scottish border, comprising the counties of Cumbria and much of Lancashire.  The diocese was erected in 1924, taking areas and parishes from the Archdiocese of Liverpool and the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. The current Bishop of Lancaster is the Right Reverend Michael Campbell OSA - who is the sixth Bishop of the Diocese.  The Diocese has around 90 active priests, 52 permanent deacons, 87 schools and colleges with 99 parishes. 

Urban centres in the Diocese include the city of Preston; a city, which historically, had an uncharacteristically high Catholic population - the highest anywhere in England & Wales in fact, due in no small part to the fact that the Protestant Reformation never really took hold in the Preston area to the same extent as it did in other places. The same is especially true for the Fylde which due to its isolation from major routes beacme a haven for recusant activity. Also notable in the Diocese are: the Lake District, Sellafield nuclear power station, and towns and cities including Carlisle, Lancaster, the seaside town of Blackpool, Whitehaven, Workington and Barrow-in-Furness along the West coast- known for its shipbuilding tradition. 

 

The Diocese boasts a beautifully restored cathedral (1994), the well-known residential youth centre Castlerigg Manor, which is about to be restored as the centre for a freshly united Youth Service, the Pastoral Centre (Curial Offices), the Education Centre.  The Diocese has a monthly diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Voice of Lancaster.  

From March 2007 to June 2008, the Diocese was engaged with the Fit for Mission? process which has tried to motivate priests and people to engage more effectively with the Church's mission of evangelisation as well as planning honestly creatively for Church with less people at Mass and fewer priests to serve in the parishes. 

 

DEANERIES IN THE LANCASTER DIOCESE

(And Deans as from 30 July 2009)

 

1. St Peter’s Deanery

(Lancaster)

Dean: Rev David Elder VF

Bolton-le-Sands..........St Mary of the Angels

Carnforth...................Our Lady of Lourdes

Claughton-on-Brock ......St Thomas Apostle

Garstang ........................SS Mary &Michael

Hornby.............................................St Mary

Kirkby Lonsdale...........................................

Knott End...................................St Bernard

Lancaster ......................St Peter’s Cathedral

Lancaster................................St Bernadette

Lancaster.......................................St Joseph

Lancaster ...........................St ThomasMore

Lancaster .....................................University

Morecambe .................The Good Shepherd

Morecambe ...............................Holy Family

Morecambe ......................................St Mary

Morecambe ...................................St Patrick

Pilling...........................................StWilliam

Scorton ..........................St Mary & St James

Thurnham ..............................St Thomas &

St Elizabeth

Yealand ............................................St Mary

 

2. Deanery

(Preston)

Dean: Rev T. Singleton, VF,

Alston Lane.............Our Lady & St Michael

Catforth ................St Robert of Newminster

Cottam .........................................St Andrew

Fernyhalgh.......................................St Mary

Goosnargh ..............St Francis (Hill Chapel)

Newhouse ........................................St Mary

Lea Town .........................................St Mary

Preston ...........................Blessed Sacrament

Preston ....................................Sacred Heart

Preston......................................Holy Family

Preston...................Our Lady & St Edwards

Preston .......................................St Anthony

Preston .....................................St Augustine

Preston.............................................St Clare

Preston ...................... St Edmund Campion

Preston........................................St Gregory

Preston ........................................St Ignatius

Preston ...................Ss Joseph and St Teresa

Preston ...............................StMaria Goretti

Preston................................English Martyrs

Preston......................................StWalburge

Preston..........................................StWilfrid

 

3. St Kentigern’s Deanery

(Blackpool)

Dean: Rev Joseph O’Connor VF,

Blackpool.............................Christ the King

Blackpool ................................Sacred Heart

Blackpool ..................................Holy Family

Blackpool ..................................Assumption

Blackpool ...............................St Bernadette

Blackpool...................................St Cuthbert

Blackpool ...........................St John Vianney

Blackpool .................................St Kentigern

Blackpool......................................StMonica

 

4. Sacred Heart Deanery

(Thornton)

Dean: Rev Peter Draper VF,

Cleveleys ........................................St Teresa

Cleveleys.......................St John Southworth

Fleetwood ........................................St Mary

Fleetwood..............St Edmund of Canterbury

Fleetwood....................................St Wulstan

Poulton-le-Fylde ...............................St John

Poulton-le-Fylde .................English Martyrs

Thornton-le-Fylde ..................Sacred Heart

Thornton-le-Fylde ...........St Nicholas Owen

 

5. St John The Evangelist Deanery

(Kirkham)

Dean: Rev Paul Johnstone VF,

Ansdell...........................................St Joseph

Freckleton.................................Holy Family

Great Eccleston................................St Mary

Kirkham....................St John the Evangelist

Lytham St Annes..............................St Peter

St Annes-on-Sea ....................Star of the Sea

St Annes-on-Sea..............................St Alban

Wesham.........................................St Joseph

Westby..............................................St Anne

 

6. St Mary of Furness Deanery

(Barrow-in-Furness)

Dean: Canon James Flannery VF,

Barrow ....................................Sacred Heart

Barrow......................................Holy Family

Barrow.............................................St Mary

Barrow...............St Columba with St Patrick

Barrow ...........................................St Pius X

Dalton.....................Our Lady of the Rosary

Millom........................Our Lady & St James

Ulverston........................St Mary of Furness

 

7. St Herbert's Deanery

(Carlisle)

Dean: Rev Peter Hart, VF,

Appleby ......................Our Lady of Appleby

Carlisle.................................Christ the King

Carlisle ......................Our Lady & St Joseph

Carlisle .....................................St Augustine

Carlisle .............................................St Bede

Carlisle .......................................St Edmund

Carlisle .............................St Margaret Mary

Penrith......................................St Catherine

Warwick Bridge........Our Lady & St Wilfrid

Wigton .......................................St Cuthbert

 

8. Our Lady & St Benedict Deanery

(West Cumbria)

Dean: Rev Emmanuel Gribben VF,

Cockermouth ................................St Joseph

Harrington ......................................StMary

Maryport ..................Our Lady & St Patrick

Silloth ........................................Assumption

Workington .............Our Lady & St Michael

Workington.................................St Gregory

Cleator .............................................St Mary

Egremont.........................................St Mary

Frizington......................................St Joseph

Seascale .........................................St Joseph

Whitehaven......................................St Mary

Whitehaven......................................St Begh

Whitehaven................................St Benedict

 

9. St Thomas of Canterbury Deanery

(The Lakes)

Dean: Rev Paul Embery VF

Ambleside.............................Mater Amabilis

Coniston..................................Sacred Heart

Glenridding......................St Philip Howard

Grange-over-Sands ....................St Charles

Grasmere..............Our Lady of the Wayside

Kendal..................Holy Trinity & St George

Keswick....................Our Lady & St Charles

Milnthorpe ..........................Christ the King

Sedbergh

Windermere.......Our Lady of Windermere

& St Herbert

 


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