Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns


The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns is a Latin Rite suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, erected initially as a vicariate apostolic in 1877 and elevated to a diocese in 1941, covering the far north region of Queensland, Australia.
St Monica's Cathedral is the seat of the Catholic Bishop of Cairns, currently James Foley.

History

Following the discovery of gold near Cooktown in 1872 and the establishment and growth of sugar production during the 1870s, the Bishop of Brisbane, James Quinn, visited Cooktown in 1874. The first church was opened a year later. Quinn had earlier been petitioning the Roman Curia to create a vicariate in north Queensland to minister to Catholics in the region and to evangelise the Aborigines, with the Vicariate Apostolic of Queensland officially created in 1877. An initial attempt to install Italian priests from the Pontifical Seminary of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul of Rome was a failure; mainly due to cultural and language issues with both the indigenous and predominately Irish lay population. Quinn, from Ireland, appointed one of his fellow countryman, John Cani as the first Pro-Vicar who served up until Quinn's death in 1882 when Cani returned to Brisbane before being appointed as the first Bishop of Rockhampton. A short term under Monsignor Paul Fortini followed, marked by his clash with the laity in Herberton which he then placed under interdict in 1883; this meant that sacraments could not be celebrated in that town. Fortini was recalled to Rome.
A stable period followed under the pastoral care of the Augustinians. The number of parishioners grew from approximately 2,000 to about 4,000 ; and to approximately 10,000 Catholics spread across eight church districts with 13 priests. The growth of pastoral industries and mining in the interwar years led to the expansion of the Vicariate west across the Atherton Tablelands and the creation of an additional nine parishes; and eventual establishment as a suffragan diocese in 1941.

Ordinaries

The following individuals have been elected as Roman Catholic Bishop of Cairns, or any of its precursor titles:

Parishes

The diocese is divided into three separate deaneries that administer individual parishes:
  1. The Northern deanery is formed of the following parishes Cairns, Edmonton, Earlville, Gordonvale, West Cairns, Mossman & Port Douglas, North Cairns, Northern Beaches, and Parramatta Park.
  2. The Southern deanery is based on the Cassowary Coast with parishes at Babinda, Innisfail, Mourilyan & South Johnstone, Silkwood, and Tully.
  3. The Western deanery extends west of the Tablelands with parishes: Atherton, Cooktown, Dimbulah, Georgetown, Gulf Savannah, Herberton, Malanda, Mareeba, Millaa Millaa, Ravenshoe, Weipa, and Thursday Island.