Diocese of Ballarat

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Bishop(s) Peter Joseph Connors, Bishop Ronald Austin Mulkearns, Bishop Emeritus

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese Erected: 30 March 1874 Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Melbourne Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: Australia Square Kilometers: 58,000 (22,402 Square Miles) Official Web Site: http://www.ballarat.catholic.org.au/ Mailing Address: 5 Lyons St. South, Ballarat, Vic. 3350; P.O. Box 121, Ballarat, Vic. 3353, Australia Telephone: (03)53.377.121 Fax: 53.321.122

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Michael O'Connor † (24 Apr 1874 Appointed - 14 Feb 1883 Died)
• James Moore † (12 Jan 1884 Appointed - 26 Jun 1904 Died)
• Joseph Higgins † (3 Mar 1905 Appointed - 16 Sep 1915 Died)
• Daniel Foley † (12 Apr 1916 Appointed - 31 Oct 1941 Died)
• James Patrick O'Collins † (23 Dec 1941 Appointed - 1 May 1971 Retired)
• Ronald Austin Mulkearns (1 May 1971 Succeeded - 30 May 1997 Resigned)
• Peter Joseph Connors (30 May 1997 Appointed - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
30 March 1874	Erected	Diocese of Melbourne	Diocese of Ballarat (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
1959	64,110	305,000	21.0%	96	32	128	500		110	445	46	ap1960
1966	74,016	300,000	24.7%	95	41	136	544		142	484	50	ap1967
1968	75,399	354,400	21.3%	92	37	129	584		96	488	51	ap1971
1980	81,900	353,000	23.2%	85	29	114	718		76	344	54	ap1981
1990	88,300	354,000	24.9%	85	17	102	865		49	203	54	ap1991
1999	96,877	379,851	25.5%	67	13	80	1,210		33	200	52	ap2000
2000	96,877	379,851	25.5%	66	14	80	1,210		33	199	52	ap2001
2001	96,877	379,851	25.5%	57	15	72	1,345		34	193	52	ap2002
2002	96,877	379,851	25.5%	55	10	65	1,490		26	179	52	ap2003
2003	96,877	379,851	25.5%	55	10	65	1,490		25	177	52	ap2004
2004	96,877	379,851	25.5%	54	10	64	1,513		27	167	52	ap2005
2006	97,900	384,000	25.5%	54	11	65	1,506		29	148	52	ap2007

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

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Affiliated Bishops

• Peter Joseph Connors (Bishop: 30 May 1997 - )
• Brian Vincent Finnigan (Priest: 23 May 1970 to 31 Jan 2002)
• Daniel Foley † (Bishop: 12 Apr 1916 to 31 Oct 1941)
• Joseph Higgins † (Bishop: 3 Mar 1905 to 16 Sep 1915)
• James Moore † (Bishop: 12 Jan 1884 to 26 Jun 1904)
• Ronald Austin Mulkearns (Coadjutor Bishop: 5 Sep 1968; Bishop: 1 May 1971 to 30 May 1997)
• James Patrick O'Collins † (Bishop: 23 Dec 1941 to 1 May 1971)
• Michael O'Connor † (Bishop: 24 Apr 1874 to 14 Feb 1883)
• George Pell (Priest: 16 Dec 1966 to 30 Mar 1987)
• Joseph Basil Roper † (Priest: 30 Nov 1911 to 13 Jul 1938)