Diocese of Aberdeen


Diocese of Aberdeen was one of the 13 dioceses of the Scottish church, before the abolition of the episcopacy in 1689.

Early history

A see was founded in 1063 at Mortlach by Blessed Beyn. The earliest mention of the See of Aberdeen is in the charter of the foundation, by the Earl of Buchan, of the Church of Deer, which is witnessed by Nectan, Bishop of Aberdeen. The first ecclesiastical record may be found in a Papal Bull of Pope Adrian IV, confirming to Bishop Edward the churches of Aberdeen and Saint Machar, with the town of Old Aberdeen and other lands.
The granite cathedral was built between 1272 and 1277. Bishop Thomas Spence founded a Franciscan house in 1480, and King's College was founded at Old Aberdeen by Bishop Elphinstone, for eight prebendaries, chapter, sacristan, organist, and six choristers, in 1505. The see was transferred to Old Aberdeen about 1125 and continued there until 1577, having had in that time a list of twenty-nine bishops.

Reformation

The Scottish Reformation was formalised in 1560 when, by act of Parliament, papal authority and many other Catholic beliefs were rejected, resulting in the church in Scotland being separated from the Holy See. In 1582, the Church of Scotland rejected episcopal government and adopted a Presbyterian model. Two years later, in 1584, King James VI tried to bring the Church of Scotland under royal control by appointing two bishops; this met vigorous opposition and he was forced to concede that the General Assembly should continue to run church affairs. However, after acceding to the English throne in 1603, James VI stopped the General Assembly from meeting and increased the number of Scottish bishops. In 1637, the introduction of an English-style Prayer Book into the Scottish church saw riots break out across Scotland, resulting in the abolition of the episcopacy in 1638. However, with the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, episcopacy was reintroduced. Following the Glorious Revolution of 1689, the Scottish bishops refused to swear allegiance to William of Orange leading to the abolition of the episcopacy and the Presbyterian form of church government being re-established once more.

Restoration of the Diocese

In 1653, Scottish Catholics came under the Prefecture Apostolic of Scotland, which was elevated to the Vicariate Apostolic of Scotland in 1694. That same year the Scottish Catholic clergy were incorporated into a missionary body by the Congregation of the Propaganda. As growth took place, Scotland was divided into two Vicariate Apostolics in 1727: the Highland District and the Lowland District. The Highland District was renamed the Northern District in 1827 and, in 1878, it became the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen.
On 4 March 1878 Pope Leo XIII restored the Catholic hierarchy of Scotland by proclamation of the Bull Ex supremo Apostolatus apice and Vicar-Apostolic John MacDonald was translated to the restored See of Aberdeen as its first post Reformation bishop.
The Bull made Aberdeen one of the four suffragan sees of the Archbishopric of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, and defined as its territory "the counties of Aberdeen, Kincardine, Banff, Elgin or Moray, Nairn, Ross, Cromarty, Sutherland, Caithness, the Orkney and Shetland Islands, and that portion of Inverness which lies to the north of a straight line drawn from the most northerly point of Loch Luing to the eastern boundary of the said county of Inverness, where the counties of Aberdeen and Banff join."

Bishops

Parishes

Deanery of Mar

  1. Aboyne
  2. Alford
  3. Auchindoir
  4. Birse
  5. Clatt
  6. Clova
  7. Cluny
  8. Coldstone
  9. Coull
  10. Crathie
  11. Dumeath
  12. Echt
  13. Forbes
  14. Glenmuick
  15. Invernochty
  16. Kearn
  17. Keig
  18. Kildrummy
  19. Kinbattoch
  20. Kincardine O'Neil
  21. Kindrochit
  22. Kinnernie
  23. Leochel-Cushnie
  24. Logie Mar
  25. Lumphanan
  26. Midmar
  27. Migvie
  28. Mortlach
  29. Tarland
  30. Tough
  31. Tullich

    Deanery of Buchan

  32. Crimond
  33. Cruden
  34. Deer
  35. Ellon
  36. Forvie
  37. Foveran
  38. Fyvie
  39. Logie-Buchan
  40. Longley
  41. Lonmay
  42. Methlick
  43. Peterugie
  44. Philorth
  45. Rathen
  46. Slains
  47. Tarves

    Deanery of Garioch

  48. Auchterless
  49. Bethelnie
  50. Bourtie
  51. Culsalmond
  52. Daviot
  53. Drumblade
  54. Dyce
  55. Fetternear
  56. Fintray
  57. Forgue
  58. Insch
  59. Inverurie
  60. Kemnay
  61. Kinkell
  62. Kennethmont
  63. Kintore
  64. Leslie
  65. Logie-Durno
  66. Monymusk
  67. Oyne
  68. Premnay
  69. Rathmuriel
  70. Rayne
  71. Skene
  72. Tullynessle

    Deanery of Boyne

  73. Aberdour
  74. Alvah
  75. Banff
  76. Cullen
  77. Farskin
  78. Fordyce
  79. Forglen
  80. Gamrie
  81. Inverboyndie
  82. King Edward
  83. Monbrey
  84. Ordiquhill
  85. Rathven
  86. Turriff
  87. Tyrie

    Deanery of Aberdeen

  88. Aberdeen Cathedral
  89. Aberdeen St Michael
  90. Banchory-Devenick
  91. Banchory Ternan
  92. Belhelvie
  93. Culter
  94. Dalmaik
  95. Templars' Chapel