Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin is a Latin Church diocese in eastern Ireland and one of three suffragan dioceses within the ecclesiastical province of Dublin. It is subject to the authority of the Archdiocese of Dublin while retaining its own bishop, cathedral, parishes, deaneries and pastoral administration. The diocesan cathedral, the Cathedral Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is in Carlow. The diocese covers virtually all of County Carlow, most of County Kildare, and portions of Offaly, Laois, Kilkenny, Wexford and Wicklow. Its principal population centres include Carlow, Edenderry, Kildare, Naas, Newbridge, Portarlington and Portlaoise. The territory is organized into seven deaneries, which in turn contain individual parishes and group parishes. Through these local structures, the diocese supports Catholic worship, sacramental life, parish administration, religious education, pastoral care and community activity. Kildare and Leighlin originated as two historically distinct ecclesiastical jurisdictions. They remained separate until 1678, when the Holy See placed the bishopric of Leighlin in commendam under the Bishop of Kildare. The arrangement reflected the limited episcopal revenues available to sustain separate administrations. The later united diocese therefore combines two older traditions, associated respectively with Kildare and Leighlin, within a single diocesan organization. In the modern period, the diocese has emphasized participation by lay people and pastoral engagement with younger generations. One visible example is its involvement in the John Paul II Awards, a youth-focused initiative launched in Ireland in 2006 and named for Pope John Paul II in recognition of his confidence in young people. The program provides a framework for encouraging young Catholics to participate in parish, community and faith-related activities. The diocese is led by a bishop and operates as part of the wider Catholic Church in Ireland rather than as a commercial brand or corporate enterprise. Denis Nulty was appointed bishop on 7 May 2013 and is identified in the cited reference material as the current bishop. Its public identity is consequently defined by its geographic jurisdiction, cathedral, parishes, clergy, lay participation and pastoral mission rather than by commercial products or market positioning.

The Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin brings together two historically separate Irish bishoprics. Kildare was associated with the ecclesiastical tradition of the town and county of Kildare, while Leighlin was associated with Old Leighlin and the surrounding region. The two jurisdictions continued as separate diocesan entities for centuries. In 1678, because the revenues available to the bishopric of Leighlin were considered insufficient for an independent episcopal administration, the Holy See assigned Leighlin in commendam to the Bishop of Kildare. This arrangement placed the governance of both sees under one bishop while preserving their historical identities. The modern diocese occupies a broad area in eastern Ireland. Its territory includes nearly all of County Carlow, most of County Kildare and smaller portions of Offaly, Laois, Kilkenny, Wexford and Wicklow. The diocese is part of the ecclesiastical province of Dublin and functions as a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Dublin. Carlow serves as the administrative and ecclesiastical centre, and the Cathedral Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located there. Diocesan life is organized through seven deaneries, each containing a number of parishes or group parishes. These structures coordinate local Catholic worship and pastoral activity across a territory that includes both rural communities and growing towns. The principal towns identified in the reference material are Carlow, Edenderry, Kildare, Naas, Newbridge, Portarlington and Portlaoise. Parish communities provide the ordinary setting for liturgy, sacramental ministry, religious education and contact between clergy and lay members. The sequence of modern bishops listed for the diocese begins with Edward Nolan, who served from 1834 to 1837, followed by Francis Haly, James Walshe, James Lynch, Patrick Foley, Matthew Cullen, Thomas Keogh, Patrick Lennon, Laurence Ryan and James Moriarty. Denis Nulty was appointed bishop on 7 May 2013. The succession reflects the continuing episcopal governance of the united diocese from the nineteenth century into the contemporary period. In recent decades, the diocese has described lay participation and youth engagement as important elements of its pastoral work. Its involvement in the John Paul II Awards is a notable example. The awards were launched by the Papal Nuncio to Ireland, Giuseppe Lazzarotto, on 7 November 2006 in the Diocese of Derry. Named for Pope John Paul II, the initiative was designed around his expressed confidence in the importance and potential of young people. Kildare and Leighlin has used participation in the program as one way of encouraging young people to become active in parish and community life. The diocese is not a commercial enterprise and does not have conventional product lines, corporate shareholders or a stock-market listing. Its institutional responsibilities centre on the pastoral and administrative needs of Catholic communities within its geographic remit. Its principal public assets and institutions include the cathedral in Carlow, the deanery and parish network, clergy and lay-led programs, and its relationship with the wider Catholic Church in Ireland.

• 2013

  Denis Nulty appointed bishop

  [1]Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlinen.wikipedia.org

  Denis Nulty was appointed Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin on 7 May 2013.

• 2006

  John Paul II Awards launched in Ireland

  [1]Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlinen.wikipedia.org

  The youth-focused John Paul II Awards were launched in Ireland, an initiative with which the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin later became involved.

• 1834

  Edward Nolan begins the listed modern episcopal succession

  [1]Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlinen.wikipedia.org

  Edward Nolan became the first bishop in the modern succession listed in the reference material for Kildare and Leighlin.

• 1678

  Leighlin placed in commendam with Kildare

  [1]Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlinen.wikipedia.org

  Because of limited episcopal revenues, the Holy See assigned the bishopric of Leighlin to the Bishop of Kildare, bringing the two jurisdictions under one bishop while they retained their historical identities.

A diocesan Catholic institution serving parish communities, worshippers and local Catholic pastoral networks across parts of eastern Ireland.

• 2006John Paul II Awards

  Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin · Ireland

  A youth engagement and faith-participation initiative launched in Ireland in 2006. The diocese's involvement supports participation by young people in parish, community and related activities.

  Outcome. The program became a significant example of the diocese's efforts to nurture youth involvement with the Catholic faith and local communities.

  Source

• 1678

  Leighlin assigned to the Bishop of KildareStrategy

  Background

  The separate bishopric of Leighlin had insufficient episcopal revenues to sustain a fully independent administration.

  Action taken

  The Holy See placed Leighlin in commendam under the Bishop of Kildare.

  Aftermath

  The two historic jurisdictions came under one bishop, forming the administrative basis of the united Kildare and Leighlin diocese.

  Source

1. 1Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlinen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin official websitekandle.ie
3. 3Global Catholic Network diocesan directorygcatholic.org