Diocese of Ballarat, Australia

Continent: Oceania

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Ballarat / Ballaraten(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Melbourne

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1874.03.30: Established as Diocese of Ballarat / Ballaraten(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Melbourne and became suffragan of Melbourne)

Contact Info

Address: 5 Lyons Street South, PO Box 121, Ballarat, VIC 3353, Australia

Phone: +61 3 5337 7121

Present Prelates

Bishop (2012.08.01 – ...):

Bishop Paul Bernard Bird, C.SS.R. (75)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Ballarat (Roman Rite)

Bishop Paul Bernard Bird, C.SS.R. (75)
(2012.08.01 – ...)

Bishop of Ballarat (Australia)

Peace be with you

Born:	1949.07.17 (Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia)
Ordained Priest:	1975.05.17
Consecrated Bishop:	2012.10.16

Bishop of Ballarat (Australia) (2012.08.01 – ...)

Bishop Peter Joseph Connors (87)
(1997.05.30 – 2012.08.01)

Bishop emeritus of Ballarat (Australia)

That we may be one

Born:	1937.03.06 (Mordialloc, Victoria, Australia)
Ordained Priest:	1961.07.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1987.05.21

Priest of Melbourne (Australia) (1961.07.23 – 1987.03.30)

Titular Bishop of Temuniana (1987.03.30 – 1997.05.30)

Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne (Australia) (1987.03.30 – 1997.05.30)

Bishop of Ballarat (Australia) (1997.05.30 – 2012.08.01)

Bishop Ronald Austin Mulkearns
(1971.05.01 – 1997.05.30)

Born:	1930.11.11 (Australia)
Ordained Priest:	1956.07.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1968.12.04
Died:	2016.04.04 († 85)

Titular Bishop of Cululi (1968.09.05 – 1971.05.01)

Coadjutor Bishop of Ballarat (Australia) (1968.09.05 – 1971.05.01)

Bishop of Ballarat (Australia) (1971.05.01 – 1997.05.30)

Bishop James Patrick O’Collins
(1941.12.23 – 1971.05.01)

Born:	1892.03.31 (Australia)
Ordained Priest:	1922.12.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1930.05.11
Died:	1983.11.25 († 91)

Bishop of Geraldton (Australia) (1930.02.11 – 1941.12.23)

Bishop of Ballarat (Australia) (1941.12.23 – 1971.05.01)

Bishop Daniel Foley
(1916.04.12 – 1941.10.31)

Born:	1865.01.25 (Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1886.12.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1916.08.24
Died:	1941.10.31 († 76)

Bishop of Ballarat (Australia) (1916.04.12 – 1941.10.31)

Bishop Joseph Higgins
(1905.03.03 – 1915.09.16)

Born:	1838.01.13 (Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1863.05.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1889.03.31
Died:	1915.09.16 († 77)

Titular Bishop of Antiphellus (1888.09.18 – 1899.09.21)

Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney (Australia) (1888.09.18 – 1899.09.21)

Bishop of Rockhampton (Australia) (1899.09.21 – 1905.03.03)

Bishop of Ballarat (Australia) (1905.03.03 – 1915.09.16)

Bishop James Moore
(1884.01.12 – 1904.06.26)

Born:	1834.01.05 (Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1878.06.27
Consecrated Bishop:	1884.04.27
Died:	1904.06.26 († 70)

Bishop of Ballarat (Australia) (1884.01.12 – 1904.06.26)

Bishop Michael O’Connor
(1874 – 1883.02.14)

Born:	1829.10.04 (Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1854.06.10
Consecrated Bishop:	1874.05.07
Died:	1883.02.14 († 53)

Bishop of Ballarat (Australia) (1874 – 1883.02.14)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Ronald Austin Mulkearns (1968.09.05 – 1971.05.01)

Special Churches

Cathedral: St Patrick’s Cathedral, Ballarat, Victoria

Churches by City (128)

Adelaide (←), Port Pirie (↖), Wilcannia–Forbes (↑), Sandhurst (↗), Melbourne (→)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 58,000 km²

Population: 89,124 Catholics (19.8% of 450,401 total)

Pastoral Centres: 32 parishes

Personnel: 50 priests (41 diocesan, 9 religious), 59 religious (12 brothers, 47 sisters), 1 seminarian