Clifton (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Bishop(s)

John Bosco MacDonald, Bishop
Declan Ronan Lang, Bishop Emeritus

General Information

Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese
Elevated: 29 September 1850
Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Birmingham
Rite: Latin (or Roman)
Country: England
Region: Great Britain
Square Kilometers: 10,916 (4,216 Square Miles)
Description: Counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset, with Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, and Swindon.
Official Web Site: https://cliftondiocese.com/
Mailing Address: Alexander House, 160 Pennywell Road, Bristol BS5 0TX, England, Great Britain
Telephone: (0117)902.5591
Fax: 902.5520

Past and Present Ordinaries

Philip Michael Ellis, O.S.B. † (28 Jan 1688 Appointed - Feb 1705 Resigned)
Andrew Giffard † (21 Aug 1705 Appointed - Did Not Take Effect)
Matthew Pritchard, O.F.M. Rec. † (20 Sep 1713 Appointed - 22 May 1750 Died)
William Laurence York, O.S.B. † (22 May 1750 Succeeded - 11 Jul 1763 Retired)
Charles Walmesley, O.S.B. † (11 Jul 1763 Succeeded - 25 Nov 1797 Died)
William Gregory Sharrock, O.S.B. † (25 Nov 1797 Succeeded - 17 Oct 1809 Died)
Peter Bernardine Collingridge, O.F.M. Rec. † (17 Oct 1809 Succeeded - 3 Mar 1829 Died)
Peter Augustine Baines, O.S.B. † (3 Mar 1829 Succeeded - 6 Jul 1843 Died)
Charles Michael Baggs † (9 Jan 1844 Appointed - 16 Oct 1845 Died)
William Bernard Ullathorne, O.S.B. † (12 May 1846 Appointed - 28 Jul 1848 Appointed, Vicar Apostolic of Central District, England)
Joseph William (Francis) Hendren, O.F.M. Rec. † (28 Jul 1848 Appointed - 27 Jun 1851 Appointed, Bishop of Nottingham, England)
Thomas Lawrence Burgess † (27 Jun 1851 Appointed - 27 Nov 1854 Died)
William Joseph Hugh Clifford † (6 Feb 1857 Appointed - 14 Aug 1893 Died)
William Robert Bernard Brownlow † (20 Mar 1894 Appointed - 9 Nov 1901 Died)
George Crompton Ambrose Burton † (15 Mar 1902 Appointed - 8 Feb 1931 Died)
William Lee † (18 Dec 1931 Appointed - 21 Sep 1948 Died)
Joseph Edward Rudderham † (14 May 1949 Appointed - 31 Aug 1974 Retired)
Mervyn Alban Alexander † (20 Dec 1974 Appointed - 27 Feb 2001 Retired)
Declan Ronan Lang (27 Feb 2001 Appointed - 14 Mar 2024 Resigned)
John Bosco MacDonald (14 Mar 2024 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Vicariate Apostolic of Western District
30 January 1688	Erected	Vicariate Apostolic of England (and Wales)	Vicariate Apostolic of Midland District (erected) Vicariate Apostolic of Northern District (erected) Vicariate Apostolic of Western District (erected)
3 July 1840	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Western District	Vicariate Apostolic of Wales District (erected)
29 September 1850	Elevated	Vicariate Apostolic of Western District	Diocese of Plymouth (erected)
Diocese of Clifton
29 September 1850	Elevated	Vicariate Apostolic of Western District	Diocese of Clifton
28 October 1911	Metropolitan Changed		Diocese of Clifton (from Westminster to Birmingham)

Year Catholics Total Population Percent Catholic Diocesan Priests Religious Priests Total Priests Catholics Per Priest Permanent Deacons Male Religious Female Religious Parishes Source

Diocese of Clifton

1950 52,260 1,564,034 3.3% 105 135 240 217 185 763 85 ap1951

1969 101,578 2,353,000 4.3% 121 154 275 369 194 733 93 ap1971

1980 111,380 2,307,000 4.8% 127 117 244 456 8 167 585 102 ap1981

1990 125,745 2,501,200 5.0% 130 106 236 532 19 131 384 107 ap1991

1999 125,740 2,566,407 4.9% 134 70 204 616 31 81 288 107 ap2000

2000 134,026 1,958,687 6.8% 145 72 217 617 35 84 269 107 ap2001

2001 136,290 1,958,687 7.0% 140 72 212 642 35 84 274 107 ap2002

2002 140,759 1,978,275 7.1% 128 71 199 707 35 81 269 107 ap2003

2003 133,944 1,956,166 6.8% 128 71 199 673 36 81 265 107 ap2004

2013 199,900 2,137,000 9.4% 98 48 146 1,369 54 54 107 107 ap2014

2016 179,972 2,619,900 6.9% 93 39 132 1,363 56 45 96 103 ap2017

2019 170,700 2,629,140 6.5% 89 36 125 1,365 57 41 94 104 ap2020

2021 173,000 2,664,300 6.5% 83 33 116 1,491 54 35 93 104 ap2022

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Diocese of Clifton
1950	52,260	1,564,034	3.3%	105	135	240	217		185	763	85	ap1951
1969	101,578	2,353,000	4.3%	121	154	275	369		194	733	93	ap1971
1980	111,380	2,307,000	4.8%	127	117	244	456	8	167	585	102	ap1981
1990	125,745	2,501,200	5.0%	130	106	236	532	19	131	384	107	ap1991
1999	125,740	2,566,407	4.9%	134	70	204	616	31	81	288	107	ap2000
2000	134,026	1,958,687	6.8%	145	72	217	617	35	84	269	107	ap2001
2001	136,290	1,958,687	7.0%	140	72	212	642	35	84	274	107	ap2002
2002	140,759	1,978,275	7.1%	128	71	199	707	35	81	269	107	ap2003
2003	133,944	1,956,166	6.8%	128	71	199	673	36	81	265	107	ap2004
2013	199,900	2,137,000	9.4%	98	48	146	1,369	54	54	107	107	ap2014
2016	179,972	2,619,900	6.9%	93	39	132	1,363	56	45	96	103	ap2017
2019	170,700	2,629,140	6.5%	89	36	125	1,365	57	41	94	104	ap2020
2021	173,000	2,664,300	6.5%	83	33	116	1,491	54	35	93	104	ap2022

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

Mervyn Alban Alexander † (Priest: 18 Jul 1948; Auxiliary Bishop: 8 Mar 1972; Bishop: 20 Dec 1974 to 27 Feb 2001)
Charles Michael Baggs † (Vicar Apostolic: 9 Jan 1844 to 16 Oct 1845)
Peter Augustine Baines, O.S.B. † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 4 Feb 1823; Vicar Apostolic: 3 Mar 1829 to 6 Jul 1843)
Thomas Joseph Brown, O.S.B. †
William Robert Bernard Brownlow † (Bishop: 20 Mar 1894 to 9 Nov 1901)
Thomas Lawrence Burgess † (Priest: 1830; Bishop: 27 Jun 1851 to 27 Nov 1854)
George Crompton Ambrose Burton † (Bishop: 15 Mar 1902 to 8 Feb 1931)
David John Cashman †
William Joseph Hugh Clifford † (Deacon: 26 Jul 1849; Priest: 25 Aug 1850; Bishop: 6 Feb 1857 to 14 Aug 1893)
Peter Bernardine Collingridge, O.F.M. Rec. † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 13 Jan 1807; Vicar Apostolic: 17 Oct 1809 to 3 Mar 1829)
Philip Michael Ellis, O.S.B. † (Vicar Apostolic: 28 Jan 1688 to Feb 1705)
Ferdinand English †
George Errington † (Apostolic Administrator: 16 Sep 1855 to 6 Feb 1857)
Justin James Field, O.P. †
Andrew Giffard † (Vicar Apostolic: 21 Aug 1705 - Did Not Take Effect)
Francis Edward Joseph Grimshaw † (Priest: 27 Feb 1926 to 2 Jun 1947)
Joseph William (Francis) Hendren, O.F.M. Rec. † (Vicar Apostolic: 28 Jul 1848; Bishop: 29 Sep 1850 to 27 Jun 1851)
John Henry King †
William Lee † (Priest: 2 Mar 1901; Bishop: 18 Dec 1931 to 21 Sep 1948)
Charles Francis McDonnel, O.F.M. Rec. † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 26 Jan 1816 - Did Not Take Effect to 23 Mar 1816)
Michael Joseph Lawrence McGrath † (Priest: 12 Jul 1908 to 10 Aug 1935)
Matthew Pritchard, O.F.M. Rec. † (Vicar Apostolic: 20 Sep 1713 to 22 May 1750)
Joseph Edward Rudderham † (Bishop: 14 May 1949 to 31 Aug 1974)
James Jerome Sharrock, O.S.B. † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 27 Jun 1806 - Did Not Take Effect)
William Gregory Sharrock, O.S.B. † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 30 Sep 1779; Vicar Apostolic: 25 Nov 1797 to 17 Oct 1809)
William Bernard Ullathorne, O.S.B. † (Vicar Apostolic: 12 May 1846 to 28 Jul 1848)
Herbert Alfred Henry Vaughan †
William Vaughan † (Deacon: 1837; Priest: 10 Mar 1838 to 10 Jul 1855)
Charles Walmesley, O.S.B. † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 15 Jun 1756; Vicar Apostolic: 11 Jul 1763 to 25 Nov 1797)
Francis Raymond Walsh, M. Afr. †
William Laurence York, O.S.B. † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 13 May 1741; Vicar Apostolic: 22 May 1750 to 11 Jul 1763)

Source(s)

Vicariate Apostolic of Western District
- Series Episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Volume 1, Page 202
Diocese of Clifton
- Series Episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Volume 1, Page 203
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 3, Page 553, to Page 555

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Diocese of Clifton

Dioecesis Cliftoniensis

Bishop(s)

General Information

Historical Details

Past and Present Ordinaries

Historical Summary

Statistics

Affiliated Bishops, Living

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

Source(s)