The Diocese of Dunkeld (Latin: Dioecesis Dunkeldensis) is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in southern Scotland. The current bishop of the diocese is, Andrew McKenzie, having been appointed as the diocese’s eleventh bishop, on 27 May 2024.
History
It is thought that the diocese was constituted as far back as the middle of the ninth century. The first occupant was styled Bishop of Fortriu, the name by which the kingdom of the northern Picts was then known. This bishop was also styled Abbot of Dunkeld, perhaps holding jurisdiction, formerly enjoyed by Iona, over the other Columban monasteries in Scotland.[2]
In 1127 King Alexander, who had already founded the Diocese of Moray farther north, erected Dunkeld into a cathedral church and replaced the Columban monks by a chapter of secular canons. The new bishopric appears to have included a great part of what afterwards became the Diocese of Argyll, and retained its jurisdiction over various churches representing old Columban foundations. There were thirty-five bishops of Dunkeld from its foundation until the suppression of the Catholic hierarchy during the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century.[2]
The Catholic Church restored the diocese on 4 March 1878, by decree of Pope Leo XIII. The cathedral chapter, erected in 1895, consisted of a provost and eight canons.[2]
Present day
Dunkeld is a suffragan see of the Archdioceese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, and includes the counties of Perth, Angus, Clackmannan, Kinross, and the northern part of Fife. In 2020 the diocese comprised 45 parishes of 43,000 Catholics from a total population of 400,000 (10.8%) served by 35 priests and 4 deacons. In area the diocese is 8,495 square kilometres (3,280 sq mi). The diocesan cathedral is dedicated to Saint Andrew and is located in Dundee rather than Dunkeld, Dundee being the residence of the majority of the Catholics of the diocese and the largest centre of population.[1]
Due to the number of immigrants from Ireland during the 19th century, the see city of Dundee has always had a higher percentage of Catholics (between 18%-20%) than other cities and towns on the East Coast. As a result, since that time, there have been a good number of primary and secondary schools in the diocese. As of 2010, the Diocese website listed 21 primary schools and 4 secondary schools: two in Dundee (St. John's and St. Paul's[3]), St John's Academy[4] in Perth and Kilgraston School (an independent school) in Bridge of Earn some few miles south-east of Perth.
The Diocese also operates its own facility for elderly people: St. Mary's Home in Monifieth as well as a day care centre attached to the home.
In August 2015 the Little Sisters of the Poor, who had been resident at St. Joseph's, Wellburn for more than 150 years, announced that they could no longer continue to run their care home due to diminishing numbers of Sisters. The Diocese purchased the care home from the Sisters so that the care of the elderly mission at the home may continue. In 2015 a Care Home Manager was appointed to operate the facility on behalf of the Diocese, but given the age and condition of the premises, the home was closed in 2017.
(Modern Bishops are included in the above-mentioned main article, but are not the only part of post-Reformation bishops.)
The following is a list of the modern Bishops of Dunkeld:[5]
George Rigg (appointed 22 March 1878 – died 18 January 1887)
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Diocese of Dunkeld". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
