Diocese of Clifton

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Bishop(s) Declan Ronan Lang, Bishop Mervyn Alban Alexander, 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: 10,912 (4,214 Square Miles) Description: Comprising: Counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire and the Greater Bristol Area. Official Web Site: http://www.cliftondiocese.com/ Mailing Address: Diocesan Offices, Egerton Road, Bishopston, Bristol, BS7 8MU, England, Great Britian Telephone: (0117)983.3907 Fax: 983.3915

Historical Details

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

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Philip Michael Ellis, O.S.B. † (28 Jan 1688 Appointed - 1705 Resigned)
• Matthew Pritchard, O.F.M. † (20 Sep 1713 Appointed - 20 Nov 1744 Resigned)
• Lawrence William York, O.S.B. † (22 May 1750 Succeeded - 11 Jul 1763 Retired)
• Charles Walmesley, O.S.B. † (14 Apr 1770 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. † (18 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 Hendren, O.F.M. † (28 Jul 1848 Appointed - 22 Jun 1851 Appointed, Bishop of Nottingham, England)
• Thomas Burgess † (27 Jun 1851 Appointed - 27 Nov 1854 Died)
• William Hugh Joseph Clifford † (29 Jan 1857 Appointed - 14 Aug 1893 Died)
• Charles Petre Eyre † (16 Apr 1869 Appointed - 15 Mar 1878 Appointed, Archbishop of Glasgow, Scotland)
• William Robert Brownlow † (20 Mar 1894 Appointed - 9 Nov 1901 Died)
• George 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 - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Vicariate Apostolic of Western District
30 January 1688	Erected	Vicariate Apostolic of England	Vicariate Apostolic of Western District (erected)
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

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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
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

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

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Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Mervyn Alban Alexander (Priest: 18 Jul 1948; Auxiliary Bishop: 8 Mar 1972; Bishop: 20 Dec 1974 to 27 Feb 2001)
• Roger Francis Crispian Hollis (Priest: 11 Jul 1965 to 13 Feb 1987)
• Declan Ronan Lang (Bishop: 27 Feb 2001 - )

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• 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)
• William Robert Brownlow † (Bishop: 20 Mar 1894 to 9 Nov 1901)
• Thomas Burgess † (Bishop: 27 Jun 1851 to 27 Nov 1854)
• George Ambrose Burton † (Bishop: 15 Mar 1902 to 8 Feb 1931)
• William Hugh Joseph Clifford † (Bishop: 29 Jan 1857 to 14 Aug 1893)
• Peter Bernardine Collingridge, O.F.M. † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 13 Jan 1807; Vicar Apostolic: 18 Oct 1809 to 3 Mar 1829)
• Philip Michael Ellis, O.S.B. † (Vicar Apostolic: 28 Jan 1688 to 1705)
• Charles Petre Eyre † (Apostolic Administrator: 16 Apr 1869 to 15 Mar 1878)
• Joseph William Hendren, O.F.M. † (Vicar Apostolic: 28 Jul 1848; Bishop: 29 Sep 1850 to 22 Jun 1851)
• William Lee † (Bishop: 18 Dec 1931 to 21 Sep 1948)
• Matthew Pritchard, O.F.M. † (Vicar Apostolic: 20 Sep 1713 to 20 Nov 1744)
• Joseph Edward Rudderham † (Bishop: 14 May 1949 to 31 Aug 1974)
• 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)
• Charles Walmesley, O.S.B. † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 15 Jun 1756; Vicar Apostolic: 14 Apr 1770 to 25 Nov 1797)
• Lawrence William York, O.S.B. † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 13 May 1741; Vicar Apostolic: 22 May 1750 to 11 Jul 1763)