Apostolic Prefecture of the Falkland Islands
The Apostolic Prefecture of Falkland Islands is a Latin Church missionary ecclesiastical jurisdiction or apostolic prefecture of the Catholic Church covering the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, UK Southern Atlantic Ocean overseas possessions.
It is immediately exempt to the Holy See and not part of an ecclesiastical province. Its only church in the Falklands is its cathedra, St Mary's, in the Falklands capital Stanley.
History
The Latin missionary jurisdiction was established on 1 October 1952 as an Apostolic Prefecture, splitting the offshore territories of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands from the Diocese of Punta Arenas in Chile.Mission Sui Iuris of Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha
The Apostolic Prefecture of the Falkland Islands has a close relationship with the Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha. An exempt mission sui juris, it was created on 18 August 1986 for the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, comprising the Atlantic Ocean islands of Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha, splitting these territories from the Archdiocese of Cape Town.It comprises a church or chapel on each island:
- Church of the Sacred Heart in Jamestown, Saint Helena
- Grotto of Our Lady on Ascension
- Church of Saint Joseph on Tristan da Cunha.
Incumbent ordinaries
So far, all incumbents have been members of Roman rite missionary congregations, none titular bishops; Prelates of the Falkland Islands
- Friar James Ireland, M.H.M.
- Friar Daniel Martin Spraggon, M.H.M.
- Mgr. Anton Agreiter, M.H.M.
- Mgr. Michael Bernard McPartland, S.M.A.
- Abbot Hugh Allan, O.Praem.
- Fr Tom Thomas, IC