Diocese of Armidale

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Bishop(s) Luc Julian Matthys, Bishop

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese Erected: 28 November 1869 Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Sydney Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: Australia Square Kilometers: 120,000 (46,350 Square Miles) Mailing Address: Chancery Office, P.O. Box 93, Armidale, N.S.W. 2350, Australia Telephone: (02) 6772-4971 Fax: 6771-1772

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Thomas Timothy O'Mahony † (1 Oct 1869 Appointed - 2 Aug 1877 Resigned)
• Elzear Torreggiani, O.F.M. Cap. † (12 Feb 1879 Appointed - 28 May 1904 Died)
• Patrick Joseph O'Connor † (28 Jan 1904 Succeeded - 15 Jul 1932 Died)
• John Aloysius Coleman † (15 Jul 1932 Succeeded - 22 Dec 1947 Died)
• Edward John Doody † (11 Mar 1948 Appointed - 9 Apr 1968 Died)
• James Darcy Freeman † (18 Oct 1968 Appointed - 9 Jul 1971 Appointed, Archbishop of Sydney)
• Henry Joseph Kennedy † (6 Dec 1971 Appointed - 26 Apr 1991 Retired)
• Kevin Michael Manning (26 Apr 1991 Appointed - 10 Jul 1997 Appointed, Bishop of Parramatta)
• Luc Julian Matthys (17 Mar 1999 Appointed - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
28 November 1869	Erected		Diocese of Armidale (erected)
5 May 1887	Territory Lost	Diocese of Armidale	Diocese of Grafton (erected)
10 May 1887	Territory Lost	Diocese of Armidale Diocese of Bathurst Diocese of Goulburn	Diocese of Wilcannia (erected)

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Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
1949	25,000	133,000	18.8%	36	2	38	657		17	238	25	ap1951
1959	28,894	140,881	20.5%	45	6	51	566		36	207	25	ap1960
1966	30,592	148,100	20.7%	56	4	60	509		30	206	56	ap1967
1970	37,500	150,800	24.9%	51	6	57	657		30	214	29	ap1971
1980	42,016	183,000	23.0%	44	4	48	875		17	146	25	ap1981
1990	35,455	158,699	22.3%	38	2	40	886		14	83	26	ap1991
1999	40,244	163,943	24.5%	27	3	30	1,341		8	58	27	ap2000
2000	40,110	162,810	24.6%	25	4	29	1,383		8	49	27	ap2001
2001	42,280	161,734	26.1%	23	6	29	1,457		10	60	27	ap2002
2002	41,437	158,685	26.1%	30	5	35	1,183		11	54	27	ap2003
2003	39,233	159,943	24.5%	30	6	36	1,089		11	55	25	ap2004
2004	47,343	161,083	29.4%	28	6	34	1,392		10	53	25	ap2005
2006	43,223	1,467,769	2.9%	27	5	32	1,350		10	43	25	ap2007

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

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Affiliated Bishops

• John Aloysius Coleman † (Coadjutor Bishop: 31 May 1929; Bishop: 15 Jul 1932 to 22 Dec 1947)
• Edward John Doody † (Bishop: 11 Mar 1948 to 9 Apr 1968)
• Jeremiah Joseph Doyle † (Priest: 24 Jun 1874 to 13 May 1887)
• James Darcy Freeman † (Bishop: 18 Oct 1968 to 9 Jul 1971)
• Gerard Joseph Hanna (Priest: 9 Dec 1968 to 5 Feb 2002)
• Henry Joseph Kennedy † (Bishop: 6 Dec 1971 to 26 Apr 1991)
• Kevin Michael Manning (Bishop: 26 Apr 1991 to 10 Jul 1997)
• Luc Julian Matthys (Bishop: 17 Mar 1999 - )
• Patrick Joseph O'Connor † (Coadjutor Bishop: 10 Jan 1903; Bishop: 28 Jan 1904 to 15 Jul 1932)
• Thomas Timothy O'Mahony † (Bishop: 1 Oct 1869 to 2 Aug 1877)
• John Steven Satterthwaite (Priest: 16 Mar 1957 to 6 Mar 1969)
• Elzear Torreggiani, O.F.M. Cap. † (Bishop: 12 Feb 1879 to 28 May 1904)