MIDDLESBROUGH, Diocese of. - City and diocese in the province of Liverpool. The diocese was created by Leo XIII on 20 Dec. 1878, with the division of that of Beverley; the other part became Leeds (v.). It comprises the North and East Ridings of Yorkshire, including the city of York north of the river Ouse. Out of 1,012,857 inhabitants (1931 census), there are 95,118 Catholics, distributed in 71 parishes, served by 141 secular priests and 87 regulars; one seminary; 12 male and 24 female religious communities; in 1948 there were 325 conversions. Patrons of the diocese: Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, St. Wilfrid and St. John of 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 St. Hilda, to the abbey of Whitby. 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. Besides the railway (1830) and the docks (1842), the discovery of iron in the vicinity (1851) produced this prodigious growth.
Before the so-called Reformation, M. was part of the archdiocese of York. Besides York Minster, within its boundaries there 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 afterwards a small church was opened, which was succeeded, opened in Aug. 1878, by the great church of St Mary's, which became the cathedral in Dec. At first Msgr. Cornthwaite, 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 Msgr. Thomas Shine. In 1946 Msgr. George Brunner was consecrated auxiliary bishop. At Ampleforth is found the great Benedictine abbey of St. Lawrence, with its renowned school.
In the territory of M. were born Sts. John of Bridlington, William of York, John Fisher, illustrious martyr; St. Iida, St. Everilda and the Bls. Thomas Percy (1572), Margaret Clitheroe (1586) and Percy (1572), Nicolas Postgate (1679) and other martyrs.
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Enrico Rope