MIDDLESBOROUGH, diocese of. — City and diocese in the province of Liverpool. The diocese was created by Leo XIII on 20 Dec. 1878, through the division of that of Beverley; Leeds (v.). It comprises the northern and eastern “Ridings” of Yorkshire, including the city of York north of the River Ouse. Of 1,012,857 inhabitants (1931 census), there are 95,118 Catholics, distributed among 71 parishes, served by 141 secular and 87 regular priests; one seminary; 12 male and 24 female religious communities; in 1948 there were 325 conversions. Patrons of the diocese: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, s. Wilfrid and s. Giovanni di Beverley.
The first mention of M. is found in 1130, when Robert de Brus of Skelton Castle granted the small church, with the priory of S. Hilda, to Whitby Abbey. In 1801 only 4 farmhouses remained at M.; in 1831 there were 154 inhabitants; in 1841, 5,709; in 1901, 91,302. In 1853 M. became a borough. In addition to the railway (1830) and the “docks” (1842), the discovery of iron in the vicinity (1851) brought about this prodigious growth.
Before the so-called Reformation, M. formed part of the archdiocese of York. Besides York Minster, within its boundaries are many ancient churches, the ruins of Whitby and St. Mary’s Abbey, York, Rievaulx, Bridlington and others. In 1848 Mass was said in a private room; shortly afterward a small church was opened, followed by the great church of St Mary’s, opened in Aug. 1878, which became the cathedral in Dec. At first, Bishop Cornthwaite, the first bishop of Leeds, was administrator of M.; then Richard Lacey was consecrated bishop in Dec. 1878. He died in 1929 and was succeeded by Bishop Thomas Shine. In 1946 Bishop George Brunner was consecrated auxiliary bishop. At Ampleforth is the great Benedictine abbey of S. Lorenzo, with its renowned school.
The saints Giovanni di Bridlington, Guglielmo di York, Giovanni Fisher, illustrious martyr; s. Iida, s. Everilda, and the beati Thomas Percy (1572), Margaret Clitheroe (1586) and Percy (1572), Nicolas Postgate (1679), and other martyrs were born in the territory of M.