# Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns is located in the state of Queensland, Australia. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Brisbane. The diocese was erected as a vicariate apostolic in 1877 and was elevated to a diocese in 1941. Its territorial remit is Far North Queensland.
St Monica's Cathedral is the seat of the Catholic Bishop of Cairns. On 6 June, 2024, it was announced that Joe Caddy, formerly Vicar general of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, has been appointed as bishop of Cairns.

## 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 on 27 January 1877 by Pope Pius IX. The Vicariate consisted of all the land in Queensland north of the line starting at Cape Hinchinbrook and then west to the border with South Australia (now Northern Territory). The Very Reverend Adolphus Lecaille, then the Vicar-General in the Diocese of Perth in Western Australia, was appointed the first Apostolic Pro-Vicar of the Queensland vicariate with Reverend Father Tarquin Tanganelli as the rector. Lecaille was to be based in Cooktown while Tanganelli was to be based at the Hodgkinson Minerals Area to minister to the needs of the miners and establish churches there. Due to a breakdown in communication, the news of the new Vicariate does not appear to have reached Australia until the arrival of Tanganelli and two other Italian priests in November 1877 to serve in the Vicariate. Lecaille (who was then based in Geraldton in Western Australia) never took up his appointment in Queensland.
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 predominantly 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 (in 1884) to about 4,000 (in the 1890s); and to approximately 10,000 Catholics (by 1914) 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:
    Order Name Title Date enthroned Reign ended Term of office Reason for term end 1Adolphus Lecaille †Pro-Vicar Apostolic of QueenslandFebruary 1877November 187710 monthsDid not take possession  2Tarquino Tanganelli †Pro-Vicar Apostolic of QueenslandMay 1878August 18784 months 3John Cani †Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Queensland30 January 18773 January 18824 years, 338 daysElevated to Bishop of Rockhampton 4Paul Fortini †Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Queensland12 February 188215 January 18841 year, 337 daysRecalled to Rome and appointed Vicar Apostolic Emeritus of Queensland 5John Hutchinson, OSA †Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Queensland15 January 188413 May 18873 years, 118 daysElevated to Vicar Apostolic of Cooktown Vicar Apostolic of Cooktown13 May 188728 October 189710 years, 168 daysDied in office 6James Murray, OSA †Vicar Apostolic of Cooktown28 March 189813 February 191415 years, 322 daysDied in office 7John Heavey, OSA †Vicar Apostolic of Cooktown3 May 191414 July 194127 years, 72 daysElevated to Bishop of Cairns Bishop of Cairns14 July 194112 June 19486 years, 334 daysDied in office 8Thomas Cahill †Bishop of Cairns11 November 194813 April 196718 years, 153 daysElevated to Archbishop of Canberra (and Goulburn) 9John Torpie †Bishop of Cairns14 September 19675 August 198517 years, 325 daysRetired and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Cairns 10John Bathersby †Bishop of Cairns17 January 19863 December 19915 years, 320 daysElevated to Archbishop of Brisbane 11James FoleyBishop of Cairns16 July 199221 August 202230 years, 36 daysRetired and Appointed Bishop Emeritus of Cairns 12Joe CaddyBishop of Cairns22 August 2024—48 days

## Parishes

The diocese is divided into three separate deaneries that administer individual parishes:
* The Northern deanery is formed of the following parishes Cairns (St Monica's Cathedral), Edmonton (St Therese's in Bentley Park), Earlville (Our Lady Help of Christians), Gordonvale (St Michael), West Cairns (St Francis Xavier's in Manunda), Mossman & Port Douglas (St Augustine's in Mossman, and St Mary's in Port Douglas), North Cairns (Mother of Good Counsel), Northern Beaches (Holy Cross in Trinity Park, Sacred Heart in Freshwater, and St Augustine's in Stratford), and Parramatta Park (St Joseph's).
* The Southern deanery is based on the Cassowary Coast with parishes at Babinda (St Rita's), Innisfail (Mother of Good Counsel), Mourilyan & South Johnstone (Christ the King at Mourilyan, and St Rita's at South Johnstone), Silkwood (St John's), and Tully (St Clare of Montefalco in Tully, Our Lady Star of the Sea in Cardwell, and Holy Spirit at Wongaling Beach).
* The Western deanery extends west of the Tablelands with parishes: Atherton (St Joseph), Cooktown (St Mary), Dimbulah (St Anthony), Georgetown (St Patrick), Gulf Savannah (Our Lady Help of Christians), Herberton (St Patrick), Malanda (St James), Mareeba (St Thomas of Villanova in Mareeba, and St Christopher's in Kuranda), Millaa Millaa (St Rita), Ravenshoe (St Teresa of the Child Jesus in Ravenshoe, and Holy Rosary at Mount Garnet), Weipa (St Joseph), and Thursday Island (including Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church on Thursday Island, St Joseph's on Hammond Island, Holy Family on Horn Island, and St Stephen at Bamaga).