Diocese of

Cairns

Australia

Continent: Oceania

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Cairns / Cairnen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Brisbane

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1877.01.30: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Queensland (from Diocese of Brisbane and became suffragan of Sydney)
1885: Lost territory to Diocese of Victoria
1887.05.10: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Cooktown (became suffragan of Brisbane)
1941.07.08: Promoted as Diocese of Cairns / Cairnen(sis) (Latin)
1967.02.14: Gained territory from Diocese of Darwin

Contact Info

Address: 183 Abbott St., PO Box 625, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia

Phone: +61 7 4051 1189

Present Prelates

Bishop (2024.06.06 – ...):

Bishop Joseph John Caddy (65)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Cairns (Roman Rite)

Bishop Joseph John Caddy (65)
(2024.06.06 – ...)

Bishop of Cairns (Australia)

Esurientes implevit bonis

Born:	1960.01.14 (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)
Ordained Priest:	1990.08.25
Consecrated Bishop:	2024.08.15

Priest of Melbourne (Australia) (1990.08.25 – 2024.06.06)

Bishop of Cairns (Australia) (2024.06.06 – ...)

Bishop James Foley (77)
(1992.07.16 – 2022.08.21)

Bishop emeritus of Cairns (Australia)

Lest preaching to others

Born:	1948.07.19 (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia)
Ordained Priest:	1973.08.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1992.08.21

Priest of Brisbane (Australia) (1973.08.07 – 1992.07.16)

Bishop of Cairns (Australia) (1992.07.16 – 2022.08.21)

Bishop John Alexius Bathersby (later Archbishop)
(1986.01.17 – 1991.12.03)

Born:	1936.07.26 (Stanthorpe, Queensland, Australia)
Ordained Priest:	1961.06.30
Consecrated Bishop:	1986.03.20
Died:	2020.03.09 (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia † 83)

Bishop of Cairns (Australia) (1986.01.17 – 1991.12.03)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Brisbane (Australia) (1991.12.03 – 2011.11.14)

Vice-President of Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (2000 – 2006.05.05)

Bishop John Ahern Torpie
(1967.09.14 – 1985.08.05)

Born:	1910.08.06 (Gympie, Queensland, Australia)
Ordained Priest:	1934.11.25
Consecrated Bishop:	1967.11.30
Died:	2000.12.30 († 90)

Bishop of Cairns (Australia) (1967.09.14 – 1985.08.05)

Bishop Thomas Vincent Cahill (later Archbishop)
(1948.11.11 – 1967.04.13)

Born:	1913.02.22 (Bendigo, Victoria, Australia)
Ordained Priest:	1935.09.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1949.02.09
Died:	1978.04.16 († 65)

Bishop of Cairns (Australia) (1948.11.11 – 1967.04.13)

Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn (Australia) (1967.04.13 – 1978.04.16)

Bishop John Heavey, O.E.S.A.
(1941.07.08 – 1948.06.12)

Born:	1868.11.13 (Roundwood, Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1891.05.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1914.08.09
Died:	1948.06.12 († 79)

Vicar Apostolic of Cooktown (Australia) (1914.05.03 – 1941.07.08)

Titular Bishop of Coracesium (1914.05.03 – 1941.07.14)

Bishop of Cairns (Australia) (1941.07.08 – 1948.06.12)

Vicars Apostolic of Cooktown (Roman Rite)

Bishop John Heavey, O.E.S.A.
(1914.05.03 – 1941.07.08)

(see above)

Bishop James Dominic Murray, O.E.S.A.
(1898.03.28 – 1914.02.13)

Born:	1847.01.02 (Mullingar, Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1877.12.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1898.07.03
Died:	1914.02.13 (Cairns, Queensland, Australia † 67)

Titular Bishop of Issus (1898.03.28 – 1914.02.13)

Vicar Apostolic of Cooktown (Australia) (1898.03.28 – 1914.02.13)

Bishop John Hutchinson, O.E.S.A.
(1887.05.13 – 1897.10.28)

Born:	1836.02.25 (Clodiagh, Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1865.10.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1887.08.28
Died:	1897.10.28 († 61)

Titular Bishop of Maximianopolis (1887.05.13 – 1897.10.28)

Vicar Apostolic of Cooktown (Australia) (1887.05.13 – 1897.10.28)

Bishop Paul Fortini
(1882.02.12 – 1913.03)

Died:

1913.03

Vicar Apostolic of Cooktown (Australia) (1882.02.12 – 1913.03)

Vicars Apostolic of Queensland (Roman Rite)

Bishop-elect John Cani
(1877 – 1882.01.03)

Born:	1836.12.22 (Castel Bolognese, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1857.01.01
Consecrated Bishop:	1882.05.21
Died:	1898.03.03 († 61)

Vicar Apostolic of Queensland (Australia) (1877 – 1882.01.03)

Bishop of Rockhampton (Australia) (1882.01.03 – 1898.03.03)

Special Churches

Cathedral: St Monica’s Cathedral, Cairns, Queensland
Former Cathedral (now secular): St Monica’s Old Cathedral, Cairns, Queensland

Churches by City (49)

Darwin (←), Merauke (↖), Port Moresby (↑), Townsville (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 380,748 km²

Population: 71,700 Catholics (24.0% of 298,540 total)

Pastoral Centres: 23 parishes, 2 missions

Personnel: 23 priests (17 diocesan, 6 religious), 6 deacons, 29 religious (12 brothers, 17 sisters)

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2025.12.24

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