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Roman Catholic Diocese of Meath

{{Short description|Catholic diocese in Ireland}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}

{{Infobox diocese

| jurisdiction = Diocese

| name = Meath

| latin = Dioecesis Midensis

| local = Deoise na Mí

| image = Christ le Roi Mullingar.JPG

| image_size = frameless

| image_alt =

| caption = The Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar

| country = Ireland

| metropolitan =

| territory = Most of counties Meath, Westmeath part of Offaly along with part of counties Longford, Louth, Dublin and Cavan.

| province = Province of Armagh

| coordinates =

| area_sqmi = 1,977

| population = 303,000

| population_as_of = 2013

| catholics = 267,831

| catholics_percent = 88.4

| parishes =

| churches =

| congregations =

| schools =

| members =

| denomination = Roman Catholic

| rite = Latin Rite

| established =

| cathedral = Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar

| cocathedral =

| patron = St Finian

| priests =

| pope = {{Incumbent pope}}

| bishop = Thomas Deenihan

| metro_archbishop = Eamon Martin

| coadjutor =

| auxiliary_bishops =

| vicar_general =

| emeritus_bishops = Michael Smith

| map = Roman Catholic Diocese of Meath map.png

| website = [http://www.dioceseofmeath.ie/ dioceseofmeath.ie]

| footnotes =

}}

The Diocese of Meath ({{langx|la|Dioecesis Midensis}}; {{langx|ga|Deoise na Mí}}) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church that is located in the middle part of Ireland. It is one of eight suffragan dioceses of the ecclesiastical province of Armagh. Thomas Deenihan has been bishop of the diocese since 2 September 2018.

Geography

Meath diocese covers most of counties Meath and Westmeath, part of Offaly along with part of counties Longford, Louth, Dublin and Cavan. The principal towns are Ashbourne, Bettystown, Drogheda, Dunboyne, Laytown, Kells, Mornington, Mullingar, Navan and Tullamore.

Ecclesiastical history

=Early history=

Although there had been abbot-bishops of Clonard since the sixth century, the diocese of Clonard proper was not formally established until 1111.{{cite book|last=Cogan|first=Anthony|title=The diocese of Meath: ancient and modern|url=https://archive.org/details/dioceseofmeathan01cogaiala|volume=1|year=1862|publisher=J.F. Fowler|location=Dublin|access-date=18 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629170522/https://archive.org/details/dioceseofmeathan01cogaiala|archive-date=29 June 2015|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/dioceseofmeathan02cogaiala |title=Volume 2 |date=1862 |access-date=18 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313135514/https://archive.org/details/dioceseofmeathan02cogaiala |archive-date=13 March 2016 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/dioceseofmeathan03cogaiala |title=Volume 3 |date=1862 |access-date=18 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016132837/https://archive.org/details/dioceseofmeathan03cogaiala |archive-date=16 October 2015 |url-status=live }} It was one of the twenty-four dioceses established by the Synod of Rathbreasail. The diocese covered roughly the western part of the Kingdom of Meath with the bishop's seat located at Clonard Abbey.

=Lordship of Ireland=

During the twelfth century the bishops of Clonard acquired most of Meath as their territory, and frequently used the title "bishop of Meath" or "bishop of the men of Meath". After Bishop Simon Rochfort transferred his seat from Clonard to Trim in 1202, the normal style became the "Bishop of Meath". From 1778 until the late 19th century it had its seat in Navan, County Meath.

=19th and 20th centuries=

Charles Stewart Parnell's relationship with Mrs Katharine O'Shea led to the Bishop of Meath having a letter read at masses in the diocese in condemnation of the relationship. As Parnell was popular, this caused a backlash which eventually led to the cathedral removing to Mullingar, County Westmeath permanently. The diocesan school, St. Finian's College also moved to Mullingar from Navan.

The diocesan cathedral is Christ the King Cathedral, Mullingar, situated near the town centre.

Ordinaries

{{main|Bishop of Meath}}

The following is a basic list of bishops of Meath since 1830:[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dmeat.html Diocese of Meath] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209015403/http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dmeat.html |date=9 February 2007 }}. Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 26 April 2010.{{cite book |author=Fryde, E. B. |author2=Greenway, D. E. |author3=Porter, S. |author4= Roy, I. |title=Handbook of British Chronology |edition=3rd |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |year=1986 |isbn=0-521-56350-X |pages=439–440}}

Vicars General

The serving Vicars general as of 2020 are Declan Hurley, administrator of Navan parish and Joseph Gallagher, Parish priest of Tullamore.{{cite web |url=https://dioceseofmeath.ie/diocesan-office/ |title=Meath Diocesan Office | Diocese of Meath |publisher=Dioceseofmeath.ie |access-date=2020-02-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213164641/https://dioceseofmeath.ie/diocesan-office/ |archive-date=13 February 2020 |url-status=live }}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • [http://www.dioceseofmeath.ie Official website for the diocese]
  • [http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/meat0.htm Diocese of Meath] (GCatholic.org)
  • [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dmeat.html Catholic-Hierarchy.org - Diocese Profile]
  • {{CathEncy|url=http://www.catholicity.com/encyclopedia/m/meath.html|title=Meath}}

{{Catholic Church in Ireland Dioceses}}

{{coord missing|County Meath}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meath}}

Category:552 establishments

Category:6th-century establishments in Ireland

Category:Dioceses established in the 6th century

Category:Religion in County Meath

Category:Religion in County Offaly

Category:Religion in County Longford

Category:Religion in County Louth

Category:Religion in County Westmeath

Category:Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Armagh