Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch
The Latin Rite Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch is a suffragan diocese of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington. Its cathedral and see city are located in Christchurch, the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. It was formed on 5 May 1887 from a portion of the territory of the Diocese of Wellington, which was elevated to archdiocese later that same month.
in the early 20th century.Ordinaries of Christchurch
Lyons was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, Australia in 1950.Current bishop
Coadjutor bishops
- Denis William Hanrahan
- Barry Jones
Auxiliary bishops
- John Cunneen, appointed Bishop here
Other priests of this diocese who became bishops
- Charles Drennan, appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Palmerston North in 2011; succeeded 2012; resigned 2019
- Stephen Lowe, appointed Bishop of Hamilton in New Zealand in 2014
Cathedral and churches
in Hokitika belongs to the diocese. Following a structural assessment triggered by the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the church was closed to the public in June 2012.
For 57 years, the diocese was responsible for sending priests to the non-denominational Christian Chapel of the Snows at McMurdo Station on Ross Island, Antarctica, the second southernmost religious building in the world. This practice was stopped in 2015.Secondary schools
- Catholic Cathedral College, Christchurch
- John Paul II High School, Greymouth
- Marian College, Christchurch
- Roncalli College, Timaru
- St Bede's College, Papanui, Christchurch
- St Thomas of Canterbury College, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch
- Villa Maria College, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch
