The diocese is located in one of the fastest-growing areas of New South Wales. The diocese is west of Sydney and reaches from Dundas Valley, west to Katoomba, south to Luddenham and north to Richmond. The diocese was established 8 April 1986 from the western part of the Archdiocese of Sydney.[2] and by 2004 served 307,392 parishioners out of a total population of 924,621.[citation needed]
Bishops
Bishops of Parramatta
The following prelates have served as Bishop of Parramatta:[3]
With origins of the first Mass occurring on the present day site of the cathedral going back to 1803, St Patrick's was extensively rebuilt after a 1996 fire devastated the original church established in 1854. A tower was built on the original St Patrick's Church, which was consecrated in 1880 and blessed in 1883. A cast bronze bell was installed in the tower in 1904. As the needs of the parish grew, a new church was built on the site in 1936, incorporating the existing tower and spire. When the Diocese of Parramatta was established in 1986, St Patrick's Church was designated as St Patrick's Cathedral. The fire of 1996 completely devastated the cathedral, leaving only the bell tower and sandstone walls. A completely new cathedral was rebuilt adjacent to the historic fire ravaged site. Designed in consultation with Romaldo Giurgola, the new cathedral, completed in 2003, has won the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Buildings from the Australian Institute of Architects.[4][5][6][7]
Parishes
There are 47 parishes and one parochial district located in Diocese of Parramatta within five deaneries.[8]
^Crittenden, Stephen (4 December 2002). "A new cathedral for Parramatta". The Religion Report. Australia. Archived from the original(transcript) on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
^"St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta". Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Buildings. Australian Institute of Architects. 2003. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
