The Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle is the Ordinary

Ordinary

In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...

 of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle in the Province of Liverpool, known also on occasion as the Northern Province.

History

With the gradual abolition of the legal restrictions on the activities of Catholics in England and Wales in the early 19th century, Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

 decided to proceed to bridge the gap of the centuries from Queen Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...

 by instituting Catholic dioceses on the regular historical pattern. Thus Pope Pius IX

Pope Pius IX

Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...

 issued the Bull

Papal bull

A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....

 Universalis Ecclesiae

Universalis Ecclesiae

Universalis Ecclesiae is the incipit of the papal bull of 29 September 1850 by which Pope Pius IX recreated the Roman Catholic diocesan hierarchy in England, which had been extinguished with the death of the last Marian bishop in the reign of Elizabeth I. New names were given to the dioceses, as...

of 29 September 1850 by which thirteen new dioceses which did not formally claim any continuity with the pre-Elizabethan English dioceses were created. The Vicariate Apostolic of the Northern District was duly elevated to diocese status as the Diocese of Hexham.

On 23 May 1861 the diocese became the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. In the early period from 1850 the diocese was a suffragan of the Metropolitan See of Westminster, but under Pope Pius X

Pope Pius X

Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...

, on 28 October 1911, it was assigned to the newly created Province of Liverpool.

Current situation

The present diocese covers an area of 7,700 km² of the counties of Northumberland

Northumberland

Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...

, Tyne and Wear

Tyne and Wear

Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...

, and Durham

Durham

Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...

. The see

Episcopal See

An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...

 is in the City of Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

 where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary

St Mary's Cathedral, Newcastle upon Tyne

The Cathedral Church of St Mary is a Catholic cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the mother church of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle and seat of the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. The Cathedral, situated on Clayton Street, was designed by Augustus Welby Pugin and built between 1842...

, which was consecrated on 21 August 1860.

The Bishop's residence is Bishop's House, East Denton Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne.

The previous bishop was the Right Reverend Kevin John Dunn

Kevin John Dunn

The Right Reverend Kevin John Dunn was the 12th Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.-Early life:Kevin Dunn was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire on 9 July 1950 and educated at St Mary's Primary School and St Patrick's Secondary School, both in Newcastle-under-Lyme...

, the 12th Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle until his death from pneumonia, aged 57, on 1 March 2008 at Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, where he had been treated for a number of weeks.

The current bishop is the Right Reverend Séamus Cunningham

Séamus Cunningham

Séamus Cunningham is an Irish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle in the north of England.-Biography:...

, who was appointed the 13th Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle by Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI

Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

 on 9 January 2009. He had previously served as Vicar General and Diocesan Administrator. He was ordained on 20 March 2009, the Feast of Saint Cuthbert, patron of the diocese.

Past and present ordinaries

From 1850 to 1861 the title was Bishop of Hexham

Bishop of Hexham

The Bishop of Hexham was an episcopal title which took its name after the market town of Hexham in Northumberland, England. The title was first used by the Anglo-Saxons in the 7th and 9th centuries, and then by the Roman Catholic Church in the 19th century....

, and since 1861 it has been Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.

Bishops of Hexham and Newcastle
From	Until	Incumbent	Notes
1850	1866	William Hogarth William Hogarth (bishop) William Hogarth was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.-Early life and ministry:...	Previously Vicar Apostolic of the Northern District (1848–1850). Appointed Appointment of Catholic bishops The appointment of bishops in the Catholic Church is a complicated process. Outgoing bishops, neighbouring bishops, the faithful, the apostolic nuncio, various members of the Roman Curia, and the pope all have a role in the selection...  Bishop of Hexham Bishop of Hexham The Bishop of Hexham was an episcopal title which took its name after the market town of Hexham in Northumberland, England. The title was first used by the Anglo-Saxons in the 7th and 9th centuries, and then by the Roman Catholic Church in the 19th century....  on 29 September 1850. The episcopal title changed to Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle on 23 May 1861. Died in office on 29 January 1866.
1866	1882	James Chadwick James Chadwick (bishop) James Chadwick was an Anglo-Irish Roman Catholic priest, and second Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.-Life:...	Appointed Appointment of Catholic bishops The appointment of bishops in the Catholic Church is a complicated process. Outgoing bishops, neighbouring bishops, the faithful, the apostolic nuncio, various members of the Roman Curia, and the pope all have a role in the selection...  bishop on 12 August 1866 and consecrated on 18 October 1866. Died in office on 14 May 1882.
1882	1886	John William Bewick John William Bewick John William Bewick was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle from 1882 to 1886....	Appointed bishop on 25 September 1882 and consecrated on 18 October 1882. Died in office on 29 October 1886.
1887	1889	Henry O'Callaghan Henry O'Callaghan Henry O'Callaghan was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle from 1887 to 1889....	Appointed bishop on 1 October 1887 and consecrated on 18 January 1888. Resigned on 19 September 1889 and appointed Titular Archbishop of Nicosia. Died on 10 October 1904.
1889	1909	Thomas William Wilkinson Thomas William Wilkinson Thomas William Wilkinson was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle from 1889 to 1909....	Formerly an auxiliary bishop Auxiliary bishop An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...  of Hexham and Newcastle Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is a Roman Catholic diocese of the Latin Rite centred around St Mary's Cathedral in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in England...  (1888–1889). Appointed Diocesan Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle on 28 December 1889. Died in office on 17 April 1909.
1909	1924	Richard Collins Richard Collins (bishop) Richard Collins was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle from 1909 to 1924....	Formerly an auxiliary bishop Auxiliary bishop An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...  of Hexham and Newcastle Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is a Roman Catholic diocese of the Latin Rite centred around St Mary's Cathedral in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in England...  (1905–1909). Appointed Diocesan Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle on 21 June 1909. Died in office on 9 February 1924.
1924	1936	Joseph Thorman Joseph Thorman Joseph Thorman was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle from 1924 to 1936....	Appointed bishop on 18 December 1924 and consecrated on 27 January 1925. Died in office on 7 October 1936.
1936	1958	Joseph McCormack Joseph McCormack Joseph McCormack was an English prelate who served as the Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle from 1936 to 1958.Born on 17 May 1887, he was ordained to the priesthood on 11 August 1912. He was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle by the Holy See on 30 December...	Appointed bishop on 30 December 1936 and consecrated on 4 February 1937. Died in office on 2 March 1958.
1958	1974	James Cunningham James Cunningham (bishop) James Cunningham was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle from 1958 to 1974....	Formerly an auxiliary bishop Auxiliary bishop An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...  of Hexham and Newcastle Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is a Roman Catholic diocese of the Latin Rite centred around St Mary's Cathedral in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in England...  (1957–1958). Appointed Diocesan Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle on 1 July 1958. Resigned on 16 May 1974 and died on 10 July 1974.
1974	1992	Hugh Lindsay	Formerly an auxiliary bishop Auxiliary bishop An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...  of Hexham and Newcastle Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is a Roman Catholic diocese of the Latin Rite centred around St Mary's Cathedral in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in England...  (1969–1974). Appointed Diocesan Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle on 12 December 1974. Resigned on 11 January 1992 and died on 19 January 2009.
1992	2004	Ambrose Griffiths Ambrose Griffiths Dom Ambrose Griffiths, OSB, KC*HS was a Roman Catholic bishop of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, and a Benedictine abbot.... , O.S.B. Order of Saint Benedict The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...	Appointed bishop on 11 January 1992 and consecrated on 20 March 1992. Died on 14 June 2011.
2004	2008	Kevin John Dunn Kevin John Dunn The Right Reverend Kevin John Dunn was the 12th Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.-Early life:Kevin Dunn was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire on 9 July 1950 and educated at St Mary's Primary School and St Patrick's Secondary School, both in Newcastle-under-Lyme...	Appointed bishop on 26 March 2004 and consecrated on 25 May 2004. Died in office on 1 March 2008.
2009	present	Séamus Cunningham Séamus Cunningham Séamus Cunningham is an Irish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle in the north of England.-Biography:...	Appointed bishop on 9 January 2009 and consecrated on 20 March 2009.