The Diocese of Bunbury is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in Australia. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Perth. The diocese covers the South West and Great Southern regions of Western Australia.
Diocese of Bunbury Dioecesis Bumburiensis | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country |  Australia |
| Territory | South West and Great Southern, Western Australia |
| Ecclesiastical province | Perth |
| Coordinates | 33°19′46″S 115°38′13″E / 33.32944°S 115.63694°E |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 184,000 km2 (71,000 sq mi) |
Population
|
|
| Parishes | 27 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 12 November 1954 |
| Cathedral | St Patrick's Cathedral |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Bishop | George Kołodziej |
| Bishops emeritus | Gerard Holohan |
| Website | |
| Catholic Diocese of Bunbury | |
History
editThe Diocese of Bunbury was established in 12 November 1954 by Pope Pius XII, taking land from an area previously administered by the Archdiocese of Perth. Bishop Launcelot John Goody was appointed the first bishop of the new diocese. Bishop Goody served the Diocese of Bunbury for 14 years, before being appointed Archbishop of Perth in 1968.
Ordinaries
editThe following men have been Bishop of Bunbury:[1]
Order Name Date enthroned Reign ended Term of office Reason for term end 1 Lancelot Goody † 12 November 1954 18 October 1968 13 years, 341 days Elevated as Archbishop of Perth 2 Myles McKeon † 6 March 1969 18 February 1982 12 years, 349 days Resigned and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Bunbury 3 Peter Quinn † 26 May 1982 20 December 2000 18 years, 208 days Resigned and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Bunbury 4 Gerard Joseph Holohan 5 September 2001 30 June 2023 21 years, 298 days Resigned and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Bunbury 5 George Kołodziej SDS 20 March 2025 Incumbent 1 year, 84 days
Parishes
editThe diocese is divided into three separate deaneries that administer individual parishes:[2]
- Great Southern deanery with regular liturgical services held in the parishes of Albany (St Joseph), Denmark (St Mary), Esperance (Star of the Sea), Katanning (St Patrick), Kojonup (St Bernard), Lake Grace (Maria Regina), Mount Barker (Sacred Heart), Narrogin (St Matthew), and Wagin (St Joseph)
- Lower South West deanery with regular liturgical services held in the parishes of Boyup Brook (St Mary), Bridgetown (St Brigid), Busselton (St Joseph and Our Lady of the Bay), Donnybrook (St Mary), Dunsborough (Our Lady of the Southern Cross), Manjimup (St Joseph), Margaret River (St Thomas More), and Pemberton (Sacred Heart)
- South West deanery with regular liturgical services held in the parishes of Bunbury (Cathedral Parish of St Patrick), Brunswick Junction (Our Lady's Assumption), Collie (St Brigid), Dardanup (The Immaculate Conception), Dawesville (St Damien), Harvey (Our Lady of Immaculate Conception), Australind (Church of the Living Vine), Mandurah (Our Lady's Assumption), Pinjarra (St Augustine), and Waroona (St Patrick)
Controversy
editIn 2003 Adrian Richard Van Klooster, a Catholic priest, pleaded guilty to four counts of indecently dealing with children under the age of 13 and was found with child pornography on his computer.[3]
See also
edit
References
edit- ↑ "Diocese of Bunbury". The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church. 20 February 2001. Retrieved 5 January 2007.
- ↑ "Parishes in the Bunbury Diocese". Catholic Diocese of Bunbury. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
- ↑ "Bishop's plea after priest convicted". The Catholic Weekly. Australia. 2 February 2003. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.