Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario

Diocese of Hamilton Dioecesis Hamiltonensis
Coat of Arms of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario
Location
Country	Canada
Metropolitan	Hamilton, Ontario
Statistics
Area	16,824 km2 (6,496 sq mi)
Population - Total	560,000
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	February 29, 1856
Cathedral	Cathedral of Christ the King
Patron saint	Blessed Virgin Mary in the mystery of the Annunciation
Current leadership
Bishop	David Douglas Crosby, O.M.I.
Emeritus Bishops	Bishop Anthony F. Tonnos Bishop Matthew Ustrzycki Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus
Website
hamiltondiocese.com

The Diocese of Hamilton (Latin: Dioecesis Hamiltonensis) was created on February 29, 1856 by a division of the Archdiocese of Toronto. It remains a suffragan of that archdiocese. The Diocese of Hamilton comprises the counties and regions of Brant, Bruce, Grey, Halton, Waterloo, Wellington, Wentworth, as well as four Townships in the County of Dufferin, all located in Ontario. The Diocese of Hamilton had begun as a Catholic Mission in Upper Canada (Ontario).

There are 6 Deaneries which have 123 Parishes in their Geographical Grouping. There are 7 Catholic School Boards in the Diocese, 1 Catholic University, and 3 University Catholic Campus Ministries. In 2006, it had 134 secular and 89 religious priests ministering to 560,000 people in 121 parishes. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Christ the King in Hamilton.

History

Cathedral of Christ the King (Hamilton). The Cathedral church of the Diocese of Hamilton was dedicated in 1933.

The first bishop of the Diocese was Right Rev. John Farrell, a native of Ireland, consecrated May 11, 1856. He introduced Catholic schools, built St. Mary's Cathedral, and helped to establish the academies of the Ladies of Loretto in Hamilton and Guelph. He also encouraged the founding of St. Jerome's College by the Fathers of the Resurrection, and confided the Owen Sound Missions to the Basilian Fathers.

Farrell died on September 26, 1873, and was succeeded by the Right Rev. P. F. Crinnon, also born in Ireland and consecrated April 19, 1873. He built St. Patrick's Church in Hamilton, Ontario, established the House of Providence, Dundas, and secured a site for Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

Crinnon died on November 25, 1882 and was succeeded by the Right Rev. James Joseph Carbery. Bishop Carbery was consecrated on November 11, 1883, and held an important diocesan synod. He died in Ireland in December 1887.

Rt. Rev. T. J. Dowling, D.D., bishop of Peterborough, was installed Bishop of Hamilton in May 1889. Since then, 14 new parishes had been established, 28 priests ordained, and 22 new churches, schools and presbyteries erected. Catholic hospitals at Hamilton and Guelph, and the new House of Providence at Dundas were also established in his time.

During Dowling's time, there were 42 priests in the diocese of Canadian by birth. Four were from Ireland, four from the United States, four from France, three from Germany, two from Poland, and two from Italy. Candidates for the priesthood studied in St. Jerome's College in Berlin, Ontario (now called Kitchener, Ontario) and Grand Seminary in Montreal, Quebec. The diocese had 9 parishes for German-speaking people and one Indian parish. There were also chapels for Poles and Italians.

From 1924 until 1937, Bishop John T. McNally guided the Diocese. In mid-1937, Bishop Joseph F. Ryan took over and guided the diocese for 36 years. During this time, there was much growth and expansion of churches and Catholic schools. He retired in 1973 and was replaced by Bishop Paul F. Reding, who served as bishop for 10 years before his death in 1983. The current bishop is Bishop David Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., who had been Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Corner Brook and Labrador, Newfoundland, and who took over from Bishop Anthony F. Tonnos on November 8, 2010 after being designated Hamilton's Bishop in September 2010. Bishop Crosby was ordained a bishop in 1998 in Labrador City-Schefferville, Quebec, and appointed bishop of Hamilton in 2010. Former auxiliary Bishop Gerard P. Bergie was appointed Bishop of St. Catharines in September 2010.

Catholic School History

There are 51 Catholic separate schools under the Sisters of St. Joseph in Hamilton, the Sisters of Loretto in Toronto, and the Sisters of Notre Dame in Milwaukee. By 1889, they had 6000 pupils.

The Government of Canada accords Catholic schools the same rights as public schools at this time. The taxes paid by Catholics go to support Catholic schools only. Teachers, whether religious or lay, must be qualified to teach according to the same regulations as those governing public school teachers. Higher education of young women is provided in the academies of the Ladies of Loretto at Hamilton and Guelph.

St. Jerome's College is in the charge of the Resurrectionist Fathers. Connected with the college their American novitiate for candidates.

Parishes

There are 123 Parishes within the Diocese of Hamilton.

Number of Churches in Brackets

Current affairs

The Diocese of Hamilton celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2006, with the Most Reverend Bishop Anthony Tonnos celebrating mass at the seat of the diocese in that honour. Special signs, marks and posters were commissioned for many of the diocese's churches, schools and buildings.

See also

• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto

External links

• Detailed Short History
• Diocese of Hamilton Website
• Holy Sepulchre Cemetery
• Catholic Hierarchy - Diocese of Hamilton
• "Diocese of Hamilton". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07123a.htm. 

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