There were Celtic bishops from 656, but no formal see until c. 669, owing allegiance to Lindisfarne, not Canterbury. Theodore of Canterbury nominated Chad as first bishop (d. 672). Lichfield became briefly (788-803) an archiepiscopal see, while Offa, as bretwalda, was in conflict with Canterbury. The creation of the separate Chester diocese in 1541 reduced Lichfield's significance, and in 1836 Coventry came under the Worcester diocese, further reducing Lichfield's influence. The 12th-13th-cent. cathedral of red sandstone with three spires was badly damaged in the Civil War, restored in the 1660s, and again in the 19th cent.
Diocese of Lichfield
| British History: diocese of Lichfield |
| Wikipedia: Diocese of Lichfield |
| Diocese of Lichfield | |
| Province | Canterbury |
|---|---|
| Bishop | Bishop of Lichfield |
| Cathedral | Lichfield Cathedral |
| Archdeaconries | Lichfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Salop, Walsall |
| Suffragan Bishop(s) | Rt Revd Mark Rylands(Shrewsbury), Rt Revd Gordon Mursell (Stafford), Rt Revd Clive Gregory (Wolverhampton) |
| Parishes | 429 |
| Churches | 585 |
| Website | http://www.lichfield.anglican.org/ |
The Diocese of Mercia was created by Bishop Diuma in around 656 and the see was settled in Lichfield in 669 by the then bishop, Ceadda (later Saint Chadd), who built a monastery there.[1] At the Council of Chelsea, Bishop Higbert was raised to the rank of archbishop and given authority over the dioceses of Worcester, Leicester, Lincoln, Hereford, Elmham and Dunwich. This was due to the persuasion of King Offa of Mercia, who wanted an archbishop to rival Canterbury. On Offa's death in 796, however, the Pope removed the archiepiscopal rank and restored the dioceses to the authority of Canterbury. In 803 the Council of Clovesho accepted this decision.
During the 9th century, the diocese was devastated by the Vikings. Lichfield itself was unwalled and had become rather poor, so Bishop Peter moved the see to the fortified and wealthier Chester in 1075. His successor, Robert de Limesey, transferred it to Coventry and the diocese was renamed the Diocese of Coventry and Lichfield. At this stage it also covered Derbyshire and most of Warwickshire.
In 1539 the see was transferred back to Lichfield and the name was reversed to become the Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry. In 1837 Coventry was transferred to the Diocese of Worcester.
The present bishop, the 98th, is Jonathan Gledhill.[2]
References
- ^
"Lichfield". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Lichfield. - ^ Who's Who - ecclesiastical structure, Diocese of Lichfield website]
See also
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