Diocese of Down and Connor Dioecesis Dunensis et Connorensis Deoise An Dúin agus Chonaire |
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Location | |
Country | Northern Ireland |
Territory | Most of counties Antrim and Down and part of County Londonderry |
Ecclesiastical province | Province of Armagh |
Coordinates | 54°55′26″N 6°06′07″W / 54.924°N 6.102°WCoordinates: 54°55′26″N 6°06′07″W / 54.924°N 6.102°W |
Statistics | |
Area | 934 sq mi (2,420 km2) |
Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2013) 1,017,000 464,429 (45.7%) |
Information | |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Rite | Latin Rite |
Established | Down and Connor united in the 15th century |
Cathedral | St Peter's Cathedral, Belfast |
Patron saint | St Malachy and St MacNissi |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | Noel Treanor |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Eamon Martin |
Emeritus Bishops |
Patrick Joseph Walsh, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus in Down and Connor |
Map | |
The Diocese of Down and Connor within the Province of Armagh |
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Website | |
downandconnor.org |
Patrick Joseph Walsh,
Bishop Emeritus of Down and Connor
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor, (Irish: Deoise an Dúin agus Chonaire) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh and is subject to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh. The incumbent is Bishop Noel Treanor.
The territorial remit of the diocese includes much of counties Antrim and Down, including the cities of Belfast and Lisburn and the large towns Antrim, Ballymena, Bangor, Carrickfergus, Downpatrick, Holywood, Larne and Newtownards. The population of the diocese is about one million, of which approximately 30% are Roman Catholic. The diocese is Ireland's second largest in terms of population (after the Archdiocese of Dublin).
St Fergus (d. 583) is named as first Bishop of Down. The diocese of Connor was founded in 480 by St Macnissi, and St Malachy was bishop there (1124). The dioceses of Down and Connor were permanently joined in 1439.