Roman Catholic Diocese of Limerick


The Diocese of Limerick is a Roman Catholic diocese in mid-western Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and is subject to the Archbishop of Cashel and Emly. Following the resignation of bishop Donal Murray, the diocese was administered by its metropolitan, Dermot Clifford, until the installation of Brendan Leahy on 14 April 2013. The cathedral church of the diocese is St John's Cathedral.

Geography

The diocese contains most of County Limerick and parts of counties Clare and Kerry. As well as Limerick city, it contains the towns of Abbeyfeale, Adare and Newcastle West.

Ordinaries

List of bishops since 1814:
Its geographical remit covers the greater part of County Limerick, part of County Clare and one townland in County Kerry. There are 60 parishes in the diocese, 18 of which are in the Limerick city area.
TopicData
Catholic Population 169,500
Number of parishes60
Number of churches94
Number of priests105
Secondary schools31
Students in primary school21,500
Students in secondary school18,000

In December 2009, the sexual abuse scandal in Limerick diocese eroded the public's trust in the work of local diocesan officials. Bishop Murray informed the Vicars General of the Diocese on the afternoon of Tuesday 1 December 2009 of his decision to offer his resignation. On Wednesday 2 December, he contacted the Apostolic Nuncio, asking him to arrange a meeting with the Congregation for Bishops in Rome. This meeting took place on Monday 7 December. He announced his decision to a congregation, including priests of the Diocese, people working in the Diocesan Office and the Diocesan Pastoral Centre, at 11 a.m. in St. John’s Cathedral, Limerick.