Roman Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough


The Diocese of Middlesbrough is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church based in Middlesbrough, England and is part of the province of Liverpool. It was founded on 20 December 1878, with the splitting of the Diocese of Beverley which had covered all of Yorkshire. The Bishop's See is in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, at St Mary's Cathedral. Catholic schools in the diocese are run by the Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust as well as St Cuthbert's Roman Catholic Academy Trust.

History

The diocese was created on 20 December 1878, when the then Diocese of Beverley, which covered the whole of Yorkshire, was divided into the Diocese of Middlesbrough, covering the North and East Ridings of Yorkshire and those parishes in the City of York to the north of the River Ouse, and the Diocese of Leeds, covering the West Riding of Yorkshire and those parishes in the City of York to the south of the River Ouse. In 1982 the two York parishes south of the River Ouse were ceded to the Diocese of Middlesbrough to unite the City of York under one bishop. The parish of Howden was transferred from Middlesbrough to the Leeds diocese in 2004.

Bishops

The Rt Rev Terence Patrick Drainey was ordained as the seventh Bishop of Middlesbrough on 25 January 2008, replacing the Right Reverend John Patrick Crowley.
In accordance with Canon 401 §1, Bishop Drainey’s resignation as Bishop of Middlesbrough, submitted on reaching the age of 75, was accepted by Pope Leo XIV on 22 December 2025. On the same day, Bishop Marcus Stock of Leeds was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Middlesbrough.

Ordinaries

See also Bishop of Middlesbrough.
  • Richard Lacy
  • Thomas Shine, became Archbishop in 1955 before he died
  • George Brunner
  • John Gerard McClean
  • Augustine Harris
  • John Patrick Crowley
  • Terence Patrick Drainey

    Coadjutor Bishops

  • Thomas Shine
  • John Gerard McClean
  • William Gordon Wheeler , did not succeed to see; appointed Bishop of Leeds

    Auxiliary Bishops

  • George Brunner, appointed Bishop here
  • Thomas Kevin O'Brien

    Other priest of this diocese who became bishop

  • Henry John Poskitt, appointed Bishop of Leeds in 1936

    Parishes

Below is a list of the parishes and churches which fall within the Diocese of Middlesbrough, these are presented within the local vicariates:

Northern Vicariate

St Mary's Cathedral, Coulby Newham • Sacred Heart and St Patrick, Middlesbrough • St Joseph, Middlesbrough • St Thomas More, Middlesbrough • Holy Name of Mary, Middlesbrough • St Francis of Assisi, Middlesbrough • St Alphonsus, North Ormesby • St Gabriel, Ormesby • Corpus Christi, Middlesbrough • St Clare of Assisi, Middlesbrough • St Andrew's Parish, Teesville • St Pius X, Middlesbrough • St Bernadette's, Nunthorpe • St Joseph, Stokesley • St Mary, Crathorne • St Thérèse of Lisieux, Ingleby Barwick • St Patrick, Thornaby • Christ the King, Thornaby • Ss Mary and Romuald, Yarm • Our Lady of Mount Grace, Osmotherley • Sacred Heart, Redcar • St Augustine, Redcar • St Bede, Marske-by-the-Sea • Our Lady of Lourdes, Saltburn • St Anthony of Padua, Brotton • St Paulinus, Guisborough • Ss Joseph & Cuthbert, Loftus • Sacred Heart, Northallerton • Ss Mary & Joseph, Bedale • All Saints, Thirsk • Ss Joseph & Francis Xavier, Richmond • Ss Peter & Paul, Leyburn • St Mary's, Wycliffe • Ss Simon and Jude, Ulshaw Bridge • St Bede, Catterick • Hawes • St Joan of Arc, Catterick Garrison • St Margaret Clitherow, Great Ayton

Central Vicariate

York Oratory • St George's York • St Joseph, York • St Aelred, York • English Martyrs York • Our Lady, York • St Paulinus, York • St Joseph, Green Hammerton • St Margaret Clitherow, Haxby • University Chaplaincy Centre, York • Shrine of St Margaret Clitherow, York • St Bede's Pastoral Centre, York • Ss Mary & Everilda, Everingham • St Hilda, Whitby • St Hedda, Egton Bridge • Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Lealholm • St Anne, Ugthorpe • Our Lady Star of the Sea, Staithes • St Peter's, Scarborough • St Joseph's Church, Newby • St Mary, Filey • St Leonard & Mary, Malton • St Joseph, Pickering • St Laurence's Abbey, Ampleforth • Our Lady and St Benedict, Ampleforth • Our Lady and the Holy Angels, Gilling East • St Aidan, Oswaldkirk • St Mary, Helmsley • St John the Evangelist, Easingwold • St Chad, Kirkbymoorside

Southern Vicariate

Ss Mary and Joseph, Pocklington • St John of Beverley, Beverley • Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Market Weighton • St John the Baptist, Holme-on-Spalding Moor • Our Lady & St Peter, Bridlington • Our Lady & St Edward, Driffield • Holy Cross, Cottingham • St Anthony and Our Lady of Mercy, Hull • Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Peter Chanel, Hull • St Charles Borromeo, Hull • St Joseph, Hull • Holy Name, Hull • St Vincent De Paul, Hull • Corpus Christi, Hull • St Wilfrid, Hull • Our Lady of Lourdes, Hessle • St Willibrord University Chaplaincy, Hull • Sacred Heart, Hull • St Bede, Hull • St Stephen, Hull • St Francis of Assisi, Hull • St Mary, Queen of Martyrs, Hull • Ss Mary & Joseph, Hedon • Sacred Heart, Hornsea • Ss Peter & John Fisher, Withernsea • Most Holy Sacrament, Marton

Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust

Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy trust is a multi-academy trust that operates thirty-eight schools across the Roman Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough. It is an exempt charity, regulated by the Department for Education.
In 2022, NPCAT launched a football academy to cater for rising talent in Teesside, North Yorkshire and the City of York.
Upon the dissolving of Saint Margaret Clitherow Catholic Academy Trust, NPCAT gained schools in the central vicariate of the diocese which had previously administered by SMCCAT.
The trust was founded in 2018, its headquarters are on the site of Trinity Catholic College, Middlesbrough.

Schools

Secondary Schools

  • All Saints Catholic School
  • Sacred Heart Catholic Secondary
  • Trinity Catholic College
  • St Patrick's Catholic College
  • St Francis Xavier RC and CofE School
  • St Peter's Catholic College

    Primary

In Redcar & Cleveland:
  • St Benedict's Catholic Primary School
  • St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary School
  • St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School
  • St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
  • St Bede's Catholic Primary School
  • St Mary's Catholic Primary School
  • St Paulinus Catholic Primary School
In Middlesbrough:
  • Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School
  • Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
  • St Alphonsus' Catholic Primary School
  • St Augustine's Catholic Primary School
  • St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School
  • St Clare's Catholic Primary School
  • St Edward's Catholic Primary School
  • St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
  • St Pius X Catholic Primary School
  • St Thomas More Catholic Primary School
  • St Gerard's Catholic Primary School
In North Yorkshire:
  • All Saints RC Primary School
  • Christ the King RC Primary School
  • St Patrick's Catholic Primary School
  • St Thérèse of Lisieux Catholic Primary School
In City of York:
  • Saint Aelred's Roman Catholic Primary School
  • St Wilfrid's RC Primary School
  • St George's RC Primary School
  • Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Primary School