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| cocathedral =
| cocathedral =
| patron = [[Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception]]
| patron = [[Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception]]
[[Saint Augustine of Canterbury]]
[[Augustine of Canterbury]]
[[Saint Thomas Becket]]<ref>https://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/diocese/history-of-southwark/southwark-diocesan-crest/</ref>
[[Thomas Becket]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/diocese/history-of-southwark/southwark-diocesan-crest/ | title=Southwark Diocesan Crest - Archdiocese of Southwark }}</ref>
| patron_title = Patron Saints
| patron_title = Patron Saints
| priests = 274
| priests = 274
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| coadjutor =
| coadjutor =
| suffragans = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of consecration); use | suffragan = for one-->
| suffragans = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of consecration); use | suffragan = for one-->
| auxiliary_bishops = {{unbulleted list|[[Paul Hendricks]]|[[Philip Moger]]}}
| auxiliary_bishops = {{unbulleted list|[[Paul Hendricks]]}}
| apostolic_admin =
| apostolic_admin =
| vicar_general =
| vicar_general =
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| judicial_vicar =
| judicial_vicar =
| archdeacons = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of first collation); use | archdeacon = for one-->
| archdeacons = <!-- List most senior first (usually reckoned by date of first collation); use | archdeacon = for one-->
| emeritus_bishops = {{unbulleted list|[[Kevin John Patrick McDonald]]|[[John Franklin Meldon Hine|John Hine]]|[[Patrick Kevin Lynch]]}}
| emeritus_bishops = {{unbulleted list|[[Kevin John Patrick McDonald]]|[[Patrick Kevin Lynch]]}}
<!---- Map ---->
<!---- Map ---->
| map = Province of Southwark.png
| map = Province of Southwark.png
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[[Image:St georges roman catholic cathedral southwark.jpg|thumb|278px|St George's Cathedral, Southwark]]
[[Image:St georges roman catholic cathedral southwark.jpg|thumb|278px|St George's Cathedral, Southwark]]
The '''Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark''' ([[Latin]]: ''Archidioecesis Southvarcensis'') is a Latin Church [[archdiocese]] of the Catholic Church in England.<ref>"Southwark", in ''The Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer of the World'' (1952), New York: Columbia University Press.</ref> It is led by the [[Archbishop of Southwark]]. The archdiocese is part of the [[Ecclesiastical province|Metropolitan Province]] of [[Province of Southwark|Southwark]], which covers the [[South of England]]. The Southwark archdiocese also makes up part of the [[Catholic Association Pilgrimage]].
The '''Archdiocese of Southwark''' ({{langx|la|Archidioecesis Southvarcensis}}) is a [[Latin Church]] [[archdiocese]] of the [[Catholic Church]] in England.<ref>"Southwark", in ''The Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer of the World'' (1952), New York: Columbia University Press.</ref> It is led by the [[Archbishop of Southwark]]. The archdiocese is part of the [[Ecclesiastical province|Metropolitan Province]] of [[Province of Southwark|Southwark]], which covers the [[South of England]]. The Southwark archdiocese also makes up part of the [[Catholic Association Pilgrimage]].


Its cathedral church is [[St George's Cathedral, Southwark]].
Its [[cathedral]] church is [[St George's Cathedral, Southwark]].


==History==
==History==
[[Southwark]] was one of the dioceses established at the restoration of [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] hierarchical structures in 1850 by [[Pope Pius IX]].<ref name="History, St. George's Cathedral">[https://www.stgeorgescathedral.org.uk/about/history/ "History", St. George's Cathedral]</ref> When first erected, the diocese included Berkshire, Hampshire, and the Channel Islands in addition to Surrey, Kent and Sussex. Previous to this time, these five counties formed part of the [[Apostolic vicariate|London District]], a district governed by a vicar Apostolic, to whom also was committed episcopal jurisdiction over [[North America]] and the Bahama Islands. In 1850, London was divided between the two new Dioceses of Westminster (north of the Thames) and Southwark (south of the Thames).<ref name="Cunningham">[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14162b.htm Cunningham, William. "Southwark." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 31 January 2020{{PD-notice}}</ref> At that time, London was a comparatively small city, which had previously been under the jurisdiction of a single bishop.
[[Southwark]] was one of the dioceses established at the restoration of [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] hierarchical structures in 1850 by [[Pope Pius IX]].<ref name="History, St. George's Cathedral">[https://www.stgeorgescathedral.org.uk/about/history/ "History", St. George's Cathedral]</ref> When first erected, the diocese included Berkshire, Hampshire, and the Channel Islands in addition to Surrey, Kent and Sussex. Previous to this time, these five counties formed part of the [[Apostolic vicariate|London District]], a district governed by a vicar Apostolic, to whom also was committed episcopal jurisdiction over [[North America]] and the Bahama Islands. In 1850, London was divided between the two new Dioceses of Westminster (north of the Thames) and Southwark (south of the Thames).<ref name="Cunningham">[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14162b.htm Cunningham, William. "Southwark." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 31 January 2020{{PD-notice}}</ref> At that time, London was a comparatively small city, which had previously been under the jurisdiction of a single bishop.


The first bishop of the new diocese of Southwark was the [[Thomas Grant (bishop)|Right Rev. Thomas Grant, D.D.]], vice-rector of the [[English College, Rome]]. He was consecrated on 6 July 1851. Grant was instrumental in obtaining some Sisters of Mercy from [[Bermondsey]] to serve as nurses in the military hospitals during the Crimean War.<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5375655/#C2 Paradis, Mary Raphael et al. "The Sisters of Mercy in the Crimean War: Lessons for Catholic health care." ''The Linacre Quarterly'' vol. 84,1 (2017): 29–43] {{doi|10.1080/00243639.2016.1277877}}</ref> Grant was succeeded by his vicar-general, [[James Danell]]. In 1882, [[Robert Coffin (bishop)|Robert Coffin]], an associate of [[John Henry Newman]] and [[Provincial Superior]] of the [[Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer|Redemptorists]] in England and Ireland, was appointed bishop. Former military chaplain [[John Butt (bishop)|John Butt]],<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=oEWYDTHXSbYC&pg=PA159&lpg=PA159&dq=Bishop+John+Vertue&source=bl&ots=z-6pshTTrD&sig=ACfU3U0lSTyaOwu_usifqttHUiJOiOYRgQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiHv4-B_7DnAhU1hHIEHWmTAYo4ChDoATADegQICxAB#v=onepage&q=Bishop%20John%20Vertue&f=false Snape, Michael Francis. ''The Royal Army Chaplains' Department, 1796–1953: Clergy Under Fire'', Boydell Press, 2008, p. 159]{{ISBN|9781843833468}}</ref> who served as bishop from 1885 to 1897, founded [[St John's Seminary, Wonersh]]. [[Francis Bourne]] was appointed [[Bishop]] of Southwark in 1897 and named Archbishop of Westminster in 1903.<ref name="Cunningham" />
The first bishop of the new diocese of Southwark was [[Thomas Grant (bishop)|Thomas Grant]], vice-rector of the [[English College, Rome]]. He was consecrated on 6 July 1851. Grant was instrumental in obtaining some Sisters of Mercy from [[Bermondsey]] to serve as nurses in the military hospitals during the Crimean War.<ref>{{cite journal | pmc=5375655 | date=2017 | last1=Paradis | first1=M. R. | last2=Hart | first2=E. M. | last3=O'Brien | first3=M. J. | title=The Sisters of Mercy in the Crimean War: Lessons for Catholic health care | journal=The Linacre Quarterly | volume=84 | issue=1 | pages=29–43 | doi=10.1080/00243639.2016.1277877 | pmid=28392597 }}</ref> Grant was succeeded by his vicar-general, [[James Danell]]. In 1882, [[Robert Coffin (bishop)|Robert Coffin]], an associate of [[John Henry Newman]] and [[Provincial Superior]] of the [[Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer|Redemptorists]] in England and Ireland, was appointed bishop. Former military chaplain [[John Butt (bishop)|John Butt]],<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oEWYDTHXSbYC&dq=Bishop+John+Vertue&pg=PA159 |isbn=9781843833468 |page=159 |title=The Royal Army Chaplains' Department, 1796-1953: Clergy Under Fire |last1=Snape |first1=Michael Francis |date=2008 |publisher=Boydell Press }}</ref> who served as bishop from 1885 to 1897, founded [[St John's Seminary, Wonersh]]. [[Francis Bourne]] was appointed [[Bishop]] of Southwark in 1897 and named Archbishop of Westminster in 1903.<ref name="Cunningham" />


The area that formed the diocese at its origin (29 September 1850) changed on 19 May 1882 when [[Southwark]] lost territory with the formation of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth|Diocese of Portsmouth]]. The Diocese of Southwark lost further territory when the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton|Diocese of Arundel and Brighton]] separated on 28 May 1965; at the same time, the Ecclesiastical Province of Southwark was erected by [[Pope Paul VI]], raising the Diocese to archdiocesan status.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Southwark (Archdiocese) &#91;Catholic-Hierarchy&#93; |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dsout.html}}</ref>
The area that formed the diocese at its origin (29 September 1850) changed on 19 May 1882 when [[Southwark]] lost territory with the formation of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth|Diocese of Portsmouth]]. The Diocese of Southwark lost further territory when the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Arundel and Brighton|Diocese of Arundel and Brighton]] separated on 28 May 1965; at the same time, the Ecclesiastical Province of Southwark was erected by [[Pope Paul VI]], raising the Diocese to archdiocesan status.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Southwark (Archdiocese) &#91;Catholic-Hierarchy&#93; |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dsout.html}}</ref>
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The [[Papists Act 1778|Papists Act of 1778]] brought a certain limited freedom to those of the faith. Priests no longer moved in fear of imprisonment. Roman [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] could run their own schools and could once more acquire property. In protest against the act, [[Lord George Gordon]], on 2 June 1780, gathered a large crowd in [[St George's Fields]] to march on [[Westminster]]. Refused a hearing, they became violent and so began a [[Gordon Riots|week of burning, plundering]] and killing in which many [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lyon|Roman Catholic]] chapels and houses were destroyed. There is a legend that the high altar of the cathedral stands on the spot where the march began.
The [[Papists Act 1778|Papists Act of 1778]] brought a certain limited freedom to those of the faith. Priests no longer moved in fear of imprisonment. Roman [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] could run their own schools and could once more acquire property. In protest against the act, [[Lord George Gordon]], on 2 June 1780, gathered a large crowd in [[St George's Fields]] to march on [[Westminster]]. Refused a hearing, they became violent and so began a [[Gordon Riots|week of burning, plundering]] and killing in which many [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lyon|Roman Catholic]] chapels and houses were destroyed. There is a legend that the high altar of the cathedral stands on the spot where the march began.


In 1786, there was only one Roman Catholic chapel in the whole of south London, located at [[Bermondsey]]. It was then that the Reverend Thomas Walsh, a [[Douai]] priest, for £20 a year hired a room in Bandyleg Walk<ref name="bho">[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol25/pp72-75 "St George's Cathedral." Survey of London: Volume 25, St George's Fields (The Parishes of St. George the Martyr Southwark and St. Mary Newington). Ed. Ida Darlington. London: London County Council, 1955. 72–75. British History Online]</ref> (near where the Southwark fire station now stands). Within two years, the numbers attending the little chapel had increased so rapidly that a new building became necessary. In 1793, a large chapel dedicated to [[St George]] was opened in the London Road at a cost of £2,000. It was designed by James Taylor of [[Weybridge]], [[Surrey]]. According to tradition, it was here that the first [[Solemn Mass|High Mass]] was celebrated in London outside the chapels of ambassadors since the time of [[King James II of England]]. The occasion was the Solemn Requiem sung for the repose of the soul of [[Louis XVI of France]], who was executed on 21 January 1793.
In 1786, there was only one Roman Catholic chapel in the whole of south London, located at [[Bermondsey]]. It was then that Thomas Walsh, a [[Douai]] priest, for £20 a year hired a room in Bandyleg Walk<ref name="bho">[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol25/pp72-75 "St George's Cathedral." Survey of London: Volume 25, St George's Fields (The Parishes of St. George the Martyr Southwark and St. Mary Newington). Ed. Ida Darlington. London: London County Council, 1955. 72–75. British History Online]</ref> (near where the Southwark fire station now stands). Within two years, the numbers attending the little chapel had increased so rapidly that a new building became necessary. In 1793, a large chapel dedicated to [[Saint George]] was opened in the London Road at a cost of £2,000. It was designed by James Taylor of [[Weybridge]], [[Surrey]]. According to tradition, it was here that the first [[Solemn Mass|High Mass]] was celebrated in London outside the chapels of ambassadors since the time of [[King James II of England]]. The occasion was the Solemn Requiem sung for the repose of the soul of [[Louis XVI of France]], who was executed on 21 January 1793.


[[The Reverend]] [[Thomas Doyle (priest)|Thomas Doyle]] came to St George's in 1820, when the congregation stood at around 7,000. He became the first chaplain in 1829, when the [[Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829]] removed nearly all the legal disabilities which Catholics had suffered for 250 years. The arrival of Irish immigrants in the area necessitated the construction of a larger house of worship.<ref>{{cite book |last=Boast |first=Mary |title=The Story of Bankside |date=1985 |publisher=London Borough of Southwark |isbn=0905849078 |page=28}}</ref> By 1839, enough money had been collected to make a start, and the present site in St George's Fields (then an open space) was purchased for £3,200.
[[Thomas Doyle (priest)|Thomas Doyle]] came to St George's in 1820, when the congregation stood at around 7,000. He became the first chaplain in 1829, when the [[Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829]] removed nearly all the legal disabilities which Catholics had suffered for 250 years. The arrival of Irish immigrants in the area necessitated the construction of a larger house of worship.<ref>{{cite book |last=Boast |first=Mary |title=The Story of Bankside |date=1985 |publisher=London Borough of Southwark |isbn=0905849078 |page=28}}</ref> By 1839, enough money had been collected to make a start, and the present site in St George's Fields (then an open space) was purchased for £3,200.


[[Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin|Augustus Pugin]], the noted architect of the [[Gothic Revival]], was commissioned to design the church. The foundation stone was laid on 26 May 1841 in a private ceremony held in the early morning so as not to arouse public unrest.<ref name="bho" /> Due to cost constraints, the left tower was never built. The stained glass was by [[William Wailes]] of Newcastle.<ref>Bumpus, T. F., ''London Churches, Ancient and Modern'', 2nd Series, 1907, p. 174.{{PD-notice}}</ref> The church was solemnly opened by Bishop [[Nicholas Wiseman]] (later Cardinal Wiseman) on 4 July 1848.<ref name="History, St. George's Cathedral" /> To mark the occasion, [[Pope Pius IX]] sent a golden chalice and paten as a gift. Pugin was the first person to be married in the church on 10 August 1848 to his third wife Jane.
[[Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin|Augustus Pugin]], the noted architect of the [[Gothic Revival]], was commissioned to design the church. The foundation stone was laid on 26 May 1841 in a private ceremony held in the early morning so as not to arouse public unrest.<ref name="bho" /> Due to cost constraints, the left tower was never built. The stained glass was by [[William Wailes]] of Newcastle.<ref>Bumpus, T. F., ''London Churches, Ancient and Modern'', 2nd Series, 1907, p. 174.{{PD-notice}}</ref> The church was solemnly opened by Bishop [[Nicholas Wiseman]] (later Cardinal Wiseman) on 4 July 1848.<ref name="History, St. George's Cathedral" /> To mark the occasion, [[Pope Pius IX]] sent a golden chalice and paten as a gift. Pugin was the first person to be married in the church on 10 August 1848 to his third wife Jane.
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==Boundaries==
==Boundaries==
The archdiocese covers the [[London borough]]s south of the [[Thames]], the county of [[Kent]] and the [[Medway|Medway Unitary Authority]].<ref name=welcome>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/|title=Welcome to Southwark|website=www.rcsouthwark.co.uk|access-date=2016-11-17}}</ref> The diocese is divided into three pastoral areas, each headed by an area bishop and 20 [[Deanery|deaneries]], each of which contains a number of parishes.
The archdiocese covers the parts of London south of the [[Thames]] (boroughs of [[London Borough of Bexley|Bexley]], [[Royal Borough of Greenwich|Greenwich]], [[London Borough of Bromley|Bromley]], [[London Borough of Croydon|Croydon]], [[London Borough of Lewisham|Lewisham]], [[London Borough of Southwark|Southwark]], [[London Borough of Lambeth|Lambeth]], [[London Borough of Wandsworth|Wandsworth]], [[London Borough of Merton|Merton]], [[London Borough of Sutton|Sutton]], [[Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames|Kingston]] and the eastern half of [[London Borough of Richmond upon Thames|Richmond]]) the county of [[Kent]] and the [[Medway|Medway Unitary Authority]]. The diocese is divided into three pastoral areas (south-west London, south-east London and Kent), each headed by an area bishop and 20 [[Deanery|deaneries]], each of which contains a number of parishes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Deaneries - Archdiocese of Southwark |url=https://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/diocese/deaneries/ |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=www.rcsouthwark.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>


==Bishops and archbishops==
==Bishops and archbishops==
* [[Thomas Grant (bishop)|Thomas Grant]] (1851–1870)
* [[Thomas Grant (bishop)|Thomas Grant]] (1851–1870)
* [[James Danell]] (1871–1881)
* [[James Danell]] (1871–1881)
* [[Robert Coffin (bishop)|Robert Coffin]] C.Ss.R. (1882–1885)
* [[Robert Coffin (bishop)|Robert Coffin]] (1882–1885)
* [[John Butt (bishop)|John Butt]] (1885–1897)
* [[John Butt (bishop)|John Butt]] (1885–1897)
* [[Francis Bourne]] (1897–1903), appointed Archbishop of Westminster (cardinal in 1911)
* [[Francis Bourne]] (1897–1903), appointed Archbishop of Westminster (cardinal in 1911)
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===Auxiliary bishops===
===Auxiliary bishops===
⚫
*[[William Francis Brown|William Brown]] (1924–1951)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F49481 |title=Brown, William Francis (1862-1951) |website=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbrow.html |title=Bishop William Francis Brown |website=catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref>
*[[John Butt (bishop)|John Butt]] (1884–1885)
*[[John Butt (bishop)|John Butt]] (1884–1885)
⚫
*[[William Francis Brown|William Brown]] (1924–1951)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F49481 |title=Brown, William Francis (1862-1951) |website=[[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbrow.html |title=Bishop William Francis Brown |website=catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref>
*[[Charles Henderson (bishop)|Charles Henderson]] (1972–2001)
*[[Charles Henderson (bishop)|Charles Henderson]] (1972–2001)
⚫
*[[John Jukes (bishop)|John Jukes]] (1980–1998)
⚫
*[[Paul Hendricks]] (2005–)
⚫
*[[Howard Tripp]] (1980–2004)
*[[John Hine]] (2001–2016)
*[[John Hine]] (2001–2016)
⚫
*[[Paul Hendricks]] (2006–)
⚫
*[[John Jukes (bishop)|John Jukes]], O.F.M. Conv. (1979–1998)
*[[Patrick Lynch (Roman Catholic bishop)|Patrick Lynch]], SS.CC. (2005–2020)
*[[Patrick Lynch (Roman Catholic bishop)|Patrick Lynch]] (2006–2020)
*[[Paul Mason (bishop)|Paul Mason]] (2016–2018), appointed Bishop of Great Britain, Military
*[[Paul Mason (bishop)|Paul Mason]] (2016–2018), appointed Bishop of Great Britain, Military
⚫
*[[Howard Tripp]] (1979–2004)
*[[Philip Moger]] (2023–)
*[[Philip Moger]] (2023–)


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==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/ Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark]
*[http://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/ Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark]
*[http://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/parlink.html Parishes of the diocese]
*[http://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/parlink.html Parishes of the diocese] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406050112/http://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/parlink.html |date=6 April 2019 }}
*[http://www.southwark-rc-cathedral.org.uk/ St George's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Southwark]
*[http://www.southwark-rc-cathedral.org.uk/ St George's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Southwark] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128112332/http://www.southwark-rc-cathedral.org.uk/ |date=28 January 2015 }}
*[http://www.southwarkvocations.com/ Diocesan Vocations website]
*[http://www.southwarkvocations.com/ Diocesan Vocations website]


Latest revision as of 05:09, 18 November 2024

Archdiocese of Southwark

Archidioecesis Southvarcensis
Coat of arms
Location
CountryEngland
TerritoryThe London boroughs south of the Thames, the county of Kent and the Medway Unitary Authority
Ecclesiastical provinceSouthwark
Deaneries20
Statistics
Area3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2017)
4,610,910
367,530 (8%)
Parishes179
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established29 September 1850
CathedralSt George's Cathedral, Southwark
Patron SaintsOur Lady of The Immaculate Conception

Augustine of Canterbury

Thomas Becket[1]
Secular priests274
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
ArchbishopJohn Wilson
Auxiliary Bishops
Bishops emeritus
Map
Dioceses of the Province of Southwark. The Archdiocese of Southwark is the easternmost
Dioceses of the Province of Southwark. The Archdiocese of Southwark is the easternmost
Website
rcsouthwark.co.uk
St George's Cathedral, Southwark

The Archdiocese of Southwark (Latin: Archidioecesis Southvarcensis) is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in England.[2] It is led by the Archbishop of Southwark. The archdiocese is part of the Metropolitan Province of Southwark, which covers the South of England. The Southwark archdiocese also makes up part of the Catholic Association Pilgrimage.

Its cathedral church is St George's Cathedral, Southwark.

History

[edit]

Southwark was one of the dioceses established at the restoration of Catholic hierarchical structures in 1850 by Pope Pius IX.[3] When first erected, the diocese included Berkshire, Hampshire, and the Channel Islands in addition to Surrey, Kent and Sussex. Previous to this time, these five counties formed part of the London District, a district governed by a vicar Apostolic, to whom also was committed episcopal jurisdiction over North America and the Bahama Islands. In 1850, London was divided between the two new Dioceses of Westminster (north of the Thames) and Southwark (south of the Thames).[4] At that time, London was a comparatively small city, which had previously been under the jurisdiction of a single bishop.

The first bishop of the new diocese of Southwark was Thomas Grant, vice-rector of the English College, Rome. He was consecrated on 6 July 1851. Grant was instrumental in obtaining some Sisters of Mercy from Bermondsey to serve as nurses in the military hospitals during the Crimean War.[5] Grant was succeeded by his vicar-general, James Danell. In 1882, Robert Coffin, an associate of John Henry Newman and Provincial Superior of the Redemptorists in England and Ireland, was appointed bishop. Former military chaplain John Butt,[6] who served as bishop from 1885 to 1897, founded St John's Seminary, Wonersh. Francis Bourne was appointed Bishop of Southwark in 1897 and named Archbishop of Westminster in 1903.[4]

The area that formed the diocese at its origin (29 September 1850) changed on 19 May 1882 when Southwark lost territory with the formation of the Diocese of Portsmouth. The Diocese of Southwark lost further territory when the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton separated on 28 May 1965; at the same time, the Ecclesiastical Province of Southwark was erected by Pope Paul VI, raising the Diocese to archdiocesan status.[7]

Original cathedral

[edit]
Main article: St George's Cathedral, Southwark
St. George's Cathedral Southwark (19th century)

The Papists Act of 1778 brought a certain limited freedom to those of the faith. Priests no longer moved in fear of imprisonment. Roman Catholics could run their own schools and could once more acquire property. In protest against the act, Lord George Gordon, on 2 June 1780, gathered a large crowd in St George's Fields to march on Westminster. Refused a hearing, they became violent and so began a week of burning, plundering and killing in which many Roman Catholic chapels and houses were destroyed. There is a legend that the high altar of the cathedral stands on the spot where the march began.

In 1786, there was only one Roman Catholic chapel in the whole of south London, located at Bermondsey. It was then that Thomas Walsh, a Douai priest, for £20 a year hired a room in Bandyleg Walk[8] (near where the Southwark fire station now stands). Within two years, the numbers attending the little chapel had increased so rapidly that a new building became necessary. In 1793, a large chapel dedicated to Saint George was opened in the London Road at a cost of £2,000. It was designed by James Taylor of Weybridge, Surrey. According to tradition, it was here that the first High Mass was celebrated in London outside the chapels of ambassadors since the time of King James II of England. The occasion was the Solemn Requiem sung for the repose of the soul of Louis XVI of France, who was executed on 21 January 1793.

Thomas Doyle came to St George's in 1820, when the congregation stood at around 7,000. He became the first chaplain in 1829, when the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 removed nearly all the legal disabilities which Catholics had suffered for 250 years. The arrival of Irish immigrants in the area necessitated the construction of a larger house of worship.[9] By 1839, enough money had been collected to make a start, and the present site in St George's Fields (then an open space) was purchased for £3,200.

Augustus Pugin, the noted architect of the Gothic Revival, was commissioned to design the church. The foundation stone was laid on 26 May 1841 in a private ceremony held in the early morning so as not to arouse public unrest.[8] Due to cost constraints, the left tower was never built. The stained glass was by William Wailes of Newcastle.[10] The church was solemnly opened by Bishop Nicholas Wiseman (later Cardinal Wiseman) on 4 July 1848.[3] To mark the occasion, Pope Pius IX sent a golden chalice and paten as a gift. Pugin was the first person to be married in the church on 10 August 1848 to his third wife Jane.

When Pope Pius restored the English Roman Catholic hierarchy, St George's was chosen as the cathedral church of the new Roman Catholic Diocese of Southwark, which was to cover the whole of southern England. For the next half-century, until the opening of Westminster Cathedral, St George's was the centre of Roman Catholic life in London. In response to the hostile reaction of many of the British people to what was popularly characterized as "papal aggression" Bishop Nicholas Wiseman wrote "Appeal to the Reason and Good Feeling of the English people on the subject of the Catholic Hierarchy", a pamphlet of some thirty pages addressed to the people themselves, rather than to the educated minority, who in the writer's view, had so grossly and inexcusably misled them. Wiseman followed this with a series of lectures given at St. George's.[11]

Thomas Grant was made the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Southwark; Doyle became the provost and administrator and remained so until his death on 6 June 1879. He is buried in the crypt. The new cathedral was consecrated by Bishop Butt on 7 November 1894,[8] and on that day every year, the feast of the dedication of the cathedral is celebrated throughout the diocese.

Ministries

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The Archdiocese of Southwark Spirituality Commission identifies resources in the archdiocese and works to increase awareness and accessibility of them.[12]

"The Archdiocese of Southwark Universities Chaplaincy Team works in collaboration with universities and their multi-faith chaplaincies in South London, Surrey and Kent. There are Catholic Chaplains at Kings College – Guy's Campus, Goldsmiths, London South Bank, Roehampton and Kingston Universities and at the University of Kent at Canterbury." Most of the university chaplaincies work independently providing events for their Catholic community. Throughout the year, however, there are times when the Catholic Chaplaincy Team work together to either arrange or take part in events that are open to students and staff from across the different chaplaincies.[13]

Education

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The archdiocese is the foundation responsible for over 170 voluntary-aided and voluntary-controlled schools in the diocese and is the sponsor of two schools under the English academy program.

Boundaries

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The archdiocese covers the parts of London south of the Thames (boroughs of Bexley, Greenwich, Bromley, Croydon, Lewisham, Southwark, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Merton, Sutton, Kingston and the eastern half of Richmond) the county of Kent and the Medway Unitary Authority. The diocese is divided into three pastoral areas (south-west London, south-east London and Kent), each headed by an area bishop and 20 deaneries, each of which contains a number of parishes.[14]

Bishops and archbishops

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Coadjutor bishop

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Auxiliary bishops

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Other priests of the diocese who became bishops

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  • Michael Bowen (priest here, 1958–1965), appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Arundel and Brighton in 1970; later returned as archbishop
  • Joseph Butt, appointed auxiliary bishop of Westminster in 1911
  • John Cahill, appointed auxiliary bishop of Portsmouth in 1900
  • Alan Clark, appointed auxiliary bishop of Northampton in 1969
  • Maurice Couve de Murville (priest here, 1957–1965), appointed Archbishop of Birmingham in 1982
  • Arthur Doubleday, appointed Bishop of Brentwood in 1920
  • Michael Evans, appointed Bishop of East Anglia in 2003
  • Langton Fox, appointed auxiliary bishop of Menevia, Wales in 1965
  • William Heard, appointed dean of the Roman Rota in 1958 (cardinal in 1958, titular bishop in 1962)
  • Arthur Hinsley, appointed titular bishop in 1926; future Cardinal
  • William Keatinge, appointed Vicar Apostolic of Great Britain, Military in 1917
  • Richard Moth, appointed Bishop of Great Britain, Military in 2009
  • Peter Smith, appointed Bishop of East Anglia in 1995; later returned as archbishop
  • Bernard Wall, appointed Bishop of Brentwood in 1955
  • Francis Walmsley, appointed Bishop of Great Britain, Military in 1979

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Southwark Diocesan Crest - Archdiocese of Southwark".
  2. ^ "Southwark", in The Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer of the World (1952), New York: Columbia University Press.
  3. ^ a b "History", St. George's Cathedral
  4. ^ a b Cunningham, William. "Southwark." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 31 January 2020Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ Paradis, M. R.; Hart, E. M.; O'Brien, M. J. (2017). "The Sisters of Mercy in the Crimean War: Lessons for Catholic health care". The Linacre Quarterly. 84 (1): 29–43. doi:10.1080/00243639.2016.1277877. PMC 5375655. PMID 28392597.
  6. ^ Snape, Michael Francis (2008). The Royal Army Chaplains' Department, 1796-1953: Clergy Under Fire. Boydell Press. p. 159. ISBN 9781843833468.
  7. ^ "Southwark (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]".
  8. ^ a b c "St George's Cathedral." Survey of London: Volume 25, St George's Fields (The Parishes of St. George the Martyr Southwark and St. Mary Newington). Ed. Ida Darlington. London: London County Council, 1955. 72–75. British History Online
  9. ^ Boast, Mary (1985). The Story of Bankside. London Borough of Southwark. p. 28. ISBN 0905849078.
  10. ^ Bumpus, T. F., London Churches, Ancient and Modern, 2nd Series, 1907, p. 174.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  11. ^ Hunter-Blair, Oswald. "Nicholas Patrick Wiseman", The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 2 March 2020Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  12. ^ Archdiocese of Southwark Spirituality Commission
  13. ^ Archdiocese of Southwark Universities Chaplaincy
  14. ^ "Deaneries - Archdiocese of Southwark". www.rcsouthwark.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Brown, William Francis (1862-1951)". The National Archives.
  16. ^ "Bishop William Francis Brown". catholic-hierarchy.org.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Southwark". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

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51°29′52″N 0°06′29″W / 51.4979°N 0.1080°W / 51.4979; -0.1080

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