Archdiocese of Birmingham

Historical Details

• Vicariate Apostolic of Midland District
  • Erected: 30 January 1688
  • Country: England
  • Region: Great Britain

• Vicariate Apostolic of Central District
  • Name Changed: 1840
  • Country: England
  • Region: Great Britain

• Diocese of Birmingham
  • Latin Name: Birminghamiensis
  • Elevated: 29 September 1850
  • Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Westminster
  • Country: England
  • Region: Great Britain

Past and Present Ordinaries

• Bonaventure Giffard † (25 Nov 1687 Appointed - 14 Mar 1703 Appointed, Vicar Apostolic of London District, England)
• George Witham † (12 Aug 1702 Appointed - 6 Apr 1716 Appointed, Vicar Apostolic of Northern District, England)
• John Talbot Stonor † (18 Sep 1715 Appointed - 29 Mar 1756 Died)
• John Joseph Hornyold † (29 Mar 1756 Succeeded - 26 Dec 1778 Died)
• Thomas Joseph Talbot † (26 Dec 1778 Succeeded - 24 Apr 1795 Died)
• Charles Berington † (24 Apr 1795 Succeeded - 8 Jun 1798 Died)
• Gregory Stapleton † (7 Nov 1800 Appointed - 23 May 1802 Died)
• John Milner † (6 Mar 1803 Appointed - 19 Apr 1826 Died)
• Thomas Walsh † (19 Apr 1826 Succeeded - 17 Jul 1848 Appointed, Vicar Apostolic of London District, England)
• Nicholas Patrick Stephen (Nicolás Patricio Esteban) Wiseman † (22 May 1840 Appointed - 29 Aug 1847 Appointed, Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of London District, England)
• Thomas Walsh † (3 Jul 1840 Appointed - 17 Jul 1848 Appointed, Vicar Apostolic of London District, England)
• William Bernard Ullathorne, O.S.B. † (28 Jul 1848 Appointed - 27 Apr 1888 Retired)
• Edward Illsley † (17 Feb 1888 Appointed - 13 Jun 1921 Retired)
• John McIntyre † (16 Jun 1921 Appointed - 17 Nov 1928 Resigned)
• Thomas Leighton Williams † (23 Jun 1929 Appointed - 1 Apr 1946 Died)
• Joseph Masterson † (8 Feb 1947 Appointed - 30 Nov 1953 Died)
• Francis Joseph Grimshaw † (11 May 1954 Appointed - 22 Mar 1965 Died)
• George Patrick Dwyer † (5 Oct 1965 Appointed - 1 Sep 1981 Retired)
• Maurice Noël Léon Couve de Murville † (22 Jan 1982 Appointed - 12 Jun 1999 Resigned)
• Vincent Gerard Nichols (15 Feb 2000 Appointed - 3 Apr 2009 Appointed, Archbishop of Westminster, England)
• Bernard Longley (1 Oct 2009 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Archdiocese of Birmingham
1950	239,947	3,595,712	6.7%	330	261	591	406		308	1,150	220	ap1951
1959	262,669	4,280,725	6.1%	391	213	604	434		320	1,150	207	ap1960
1970	328,918	4,959,340	6.6%	390	246	636	517		322	1,395	228	ap1971
1980	361,483	5,078,220	7.1%	333	181	514	703		206	1,139	231	ap1981
1990	318,658	5,173,000	6.2%	301	148	449	709	7	223	1,200	232	ap1991
1999	291,800	5,323,390	5.5%	317	147	464	628	45	301	762	228	ap2000
2000	296,126	5,353,390	5.5%	300	149	449	659	50	303	759	227	ap2001
2001	287,658	5,235,658	5.5%	265	151	416	691	58	305	540	225	ap2002
2002	285,956	5,235,381	5.5%	281	151	432	661	61	231	520	225	ap2003
2003	288,197	5,236,412	5.5%	273	150	423	681	68	240	525	225	ap2004
2004	286,500	5,245,000	5.5%	273	152	425	674	72	240	521	218	ap2005
2006	287,660	5,267,308	5.5%	260	13	273	1,053	80	101	521	213	ap2007

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

Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Terence John Brain (Priest: 22 Feb 1964; Auxiliary Bishop: 5 Feb 1991 to 2 Sep 1997)
• Kieran Thomas Conry (Priest: 19 Jul 1975 to 8 May 2001)
• Roger Francis Crispian Hollis (Auxiliary Bishop: 13 Feb 1987 to 6 Dec 1988)
• Leonard William Kenney, C.P. (Auxiliary Bishop: 17 Oct 2006)
• Bernard Longley (Archbishop: 1 Oct 2009 - )
• Patrick Leo McCartie (Priest: 17 Jul 1949; Auxiliary Bishop: 13 Apr 1977 to 20 Feb 1990)
• Kevin John Patrick McDonald (Priest: 20 Jul 1974 to 29 Mar 2001)
• David Christopher McGough (Priest: 14 Mar 1970; Auxiliary Bishop: 25 Oct 2005)
• Vincent Gerard Nichols (Archbishop: 15 Feb 2000 to 3 Apr 2009)
• Philip Pargeter (Priest: 21 Feb 1959; Auxiliary Bishop: 20 Nov 1989 to 31 Jul 2009)

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• John Patrick Barrett † (Auxiliary Bishop: 23 Dec 1926 to 7 Jun 1929)
• Charles Berington † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 2 Jun 1786; Vicar Apostolic: 24 Apr 1795 to 8 Jun 1798)
• Humphrey Bright † (Auxiliary Bishop: 31 Aug 1944 to 26 Mar 1964)
• Joseph Francis Cleary † (Priest: 29 Jun 1939; Auxiliary Bishop: 8 Dec 1964 to 5 Sep 1987)
• Maurice Noël Léon Couve de Murville † (Archbishop: 22 Jan 1982 to 12 Jun 1999)
• Kevin John Dunn † (Priest: 17 Jan 1976 to 26 Mar 2004)
• George Patrick Dwyer † (Archbishop: 5 Oct 1965 to 1 Sep 1981)
• Anthony Joseph Emery † (Priest: 30 May 1953; Auxiliary Bishop: 6 Dec 1967 to 13 Sep 1976)
• Bonaventure Giffard † (Vicar Apostolic: 25 Nov 1687 to 14 Mar 1703)
• Michael Francis Glancey † (Auxiliary Bishop: 5 Aug 1924 to 16 Oct 1925)
• Joseph Gray † (Priest: 20 Jun 1943 to 19 Dec 1968)
• Bernard William Griffin † (Priest: 1 Nov 1924; Auxiliary Bishop: 26 May 1938 to 26 May 1938)
• Francis Joseph Grimshaw † (Archbishop: 11 May 1954 to 22 Mar 1965)
• John Joseph Hornyold † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 20 Dec 1751; Vicar Apostolic: 29 Mar 1756 to 26 Dec 1778)
• Edward Illsley † (Auxiliary Bishop: 19 Nov 1879; Bishop: 17 Feb 1888; Archbishop: 27 Nov 1911 to 13 Jun 1921)
• Joseph Masterson † (Archbishop: 8 Feb 1947 to 30 Nov 1953)
• John McIntyre † (Auxiliary Bishop: 24 Jun 1912 to 24 Aug 1917; Archbishop: 16 Jun 1921 to 17 Nov 1928)
• John Milner † (Vicar Apostolic: 6 Mar 1803 to 19 Apr 1826)
• Gregory Stapleton † (Vicar Apostolic: 7 Nov 1800 to 23 May 1802)
• John Talbot Stonor † (Vicar Apostolic: 18 Sep 1715 to 29 Mar 1756)
• Thomas Joseph Talbot † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 26 Feb 1766 to Mar 1766; Vicar Apostolic: 26 Dec 1778 to 24 Apr 1795)
• William Bernard Ullathorne, O.S.B. † (Vicar Apostolic: 28 Jul 1848; Bishop: 29 Sep 1850 to 27 Apr 1888)
• Thomas Walsh † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 28 Jan 1825; Vicar Apostolic: 19 Apr 1826 to 17 Jul 1848)
• Thomas Leighton Williams † (Archbishop: 23 Jun 1929 to 1 Apr 1946)
• Nicholas Patrick Stephen (Nicolás Patricio Esteban) Wiseman † (Vicar Apostolic: 22 May 1840; Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 3 Jul 1840 to 29 Aug 1847)
• George Witham † (Vicar Apostolic: 12 Aug 1702 to 6 Apr 1716)