Diocese of Dunkeld


The Diocese of Dunkeld was one of the 13 historical dioceses of Scotland preceding the abolition of Episcopacy in 1689.

History

It is thought that the diocese was constituted as far back as the middle of the ninth century. The first occupant was styled Bishop of Fortriu, the name by which the kingdom of the northern Picts was then known. This bishop was also styled Abbot of Dunkeld, perhaps holding jurisdiction, formerly enjoyed by Iona, over the other Columban monasteries in Scotland.
The new bishopric appears to have included a great part of what afterwards became the Diocese of Argyll, and retained its jurisdiction over various churches representing old Columban foundations. There were thirty-five bishops of Dunkeld from its foundation until the suppression of the Catholic hierarchy during the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century.
The Catholic cathedral, situated in the Perthshire town of Dunkeld, was erected between 1220 and 1500. After the Reformation the cathedral fell partly into ruins, although the choir is used for Presbyterian worship.
Despite the Reformation and the hostility of the new Church of Scotland to bishops, episcopacy was not finally abolished until 1689, although there had been a temporary abolition from 1638 until the beginning of the 1660s. The diocese was restored by the Catholic Church, on 4 March 1878, by Pope Leo XIII. The new Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunkeld is one of the suffragan sees of the archiepiscopal province of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, and includes the counties of Perth, Angus, Clackmannan, Kinross, and the northern part of Fife. The diocesan cathedral, now dedicated to Saint Andrew rather than Columba, is located in Dundee, the residence of the great majority of the Catholics of the modern diocese. The cathedral chapter, erected in 1895, consists of a provost and eight canons.

Bishops

Parishes

Deanery/ies of Angus (or Rattray)

  1. Abernyte
  2. Auchterhouse
  3. Fern
  4. Menmuir
  5. Tealing

    Deanery of Atholl and Drumalban

  6. Alyth
  7. Ardeonaig
  8. Auchtergaven
  9. Bendochy
  10. Blair
  11. Cargill
  12. Clunie
  13. Dull
  14. Dunkeld Cathedral
  15. Fortingall
  16. Dunkeld, Holy Trinity
  17. Inchcadin
  18. Killin
  19. Kilmaveonaig
  20. Kinclaven
  21. Lethendy
  22. Little Dunkeld
  23. Logie Allochie
  24. Logiebride
  25. Logierait
  26. Lude
  27. Lundeiff
  28. Meigle
  29. Melginch
  30. Moneydie
  31. Moulin
  32. Rannoch
  33. Rattray
  34. Redgorton
  35. Ruthven
  36. Strathardle
  37. Struan
  38. Weem

    Deanery of Fife and Fothriff

  39. Aberdour
  40. Auchtertool
  41. Crombie
  42. Dalgety
  43. Fithkil
  44. Rosyth
  45. Saline
  46. Strathmiglo

    Deanery of Lothian

  47. Abercorn
  48. Aberlady
  49. Bunkle
  50. Cramond
  51. Preston

    Deanery of Strathearn

  52. Aberdalgie
  53. Alva
  54. Crieff
  55. Dollar
  56. Forgrund
  57. Lecropt
  58. Madderty
  59. Muckersie
  60. Tibbermore