Diocese of Canterbury
Encyclopedia
The Diocese of Canterbury is a Church of England
diocese covering eastern
Kent
, founded by St. Augustine of Canterbury in 597. It is centred on (and named after) Canterbury Cathedral
, and is the oldest see
of the Church of England.
The diocesan bishop is the Archbishop of Canterbury
; but because of his roles as Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury
, Primate
of All England, and worldwide head of the Anglican Communion
, the archbishop (whose primary residence, moreover, is at Lambeth Palace
in London
) is often away. Hence one of his suffragan bishops, the Suffragan Bishop of Dover
, is given the additional title of "Bishop in Canterbury" and in many ways empowered to act almost as if he were the diocesan bishop. There was, until 2009, another suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Maidstone
, but it was decided in November 2010 that no further appointments would be made to that post. (Two further suffragans with titular settlements located in the diocese — Ebbsfleet
and Richborough
— are really provincial episcopal visitor
s with a focus more wide-ranging than the local diocese.)
For organisational purposes, the diocese is divided into three archdeaconries, containing a total of sixteen deaneries
:
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
diocese covering eastern
East Kent
East Kent and West Kent are one-time traditional subdivisions of the English county of Kent, kept alive by the Association of the Men of Kent and Kentish Men: an organisation formed in 1913...
Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, founded by St. Augustine of Canterbury in 597. It is centred on (and named after) Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
, and is the oldest see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
of the Church of England.
The diocesan bishop is the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
; but because of his roles as Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury
Province of Canterbury
The Province of Canterbury, also called the Southern Province, is one of two ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of England...
, Primate
Primate (religion)
Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....
of All England, and worldwide head of the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
, the archbishop (whose primary residence, moreover, is at Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. It is located in Lambeth, on the south bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream of the Palace of Westminster on the opposite shore. It was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) is often away. Hence one of his suffragan bishops, the Suffragan Bishop of Dover
Bishop of Dover
The Bishop of Dover is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after the town of Dover in Kent...
, is given the additional title of "Bishop in Canterbury" and in many ways empowered to act almost as if he were the diocesan bishop. There was, until 2009, another suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Maidstone
Bishop of Maidstone
The Bishop of Maidstone was an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Canterbury, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after the county town of Maidstone in Kent and had a similar though subordinate role to that of the Bishop of...
, but it was decided in November 2010 that no further appointments would be made to that post. (Two further suffragans with titular settlements located in the diocese — Ebbsfleet
Bishop of Ebbsfleet
The Bishop of Ebbsfleet is a suffragan bishop who fulfils the role of a provincial episcopal visitor for the whole of the Province of Canterbury in the Church of England....
and Richborough
Bishop of Richborough
__noTOC__The Bishop of Richborough is a suffragan bishop and provincial episcopal visitor for the whole of the Province of Canterbury in the Church of England....
— are really provincial episcopal visitor
Provincial episcopal visitor
A provincial episcopal visitor is a Church of England bishop assigned to minister to many of the clergy, laity and parishes who do not in conscience accept the ministry of women priests....
s with a focus more wide-ranging than the local diocese.)
For organisational purposes, the diocese is divided into three archdeaconries, containing a total of sixteen deaneries
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
:
- in the Archdeaconry of Canterbury — CanterburyCanterburyCanterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, East BridgeBridge, KentBridge is a village and civil parish near Canterbury in Kent, South East England.Bridge village is situated in the Nailbourne valley in a rural setting on the old Roman road, Watling Street, formerly the main road between London and Dover...
, ReculverReculverReculver is a hamlet and coastal resort situated about east of Herne Bay in southeast England. It is a ward of the City of Canterbury district in the county of Kent. Reculver once occupied a strategic location at the western end of the Wantsum Channel, between the Isle of Thanet and the Kent...
, ThanetThanetThanet is a local government district of Kent, England which was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, and came into being on 1 April 1974...
and West BridgeBridge, KentBridge is a village and civil parish near Canterbury in Kent, South East England.Bridge village is situated in the Nailbourne valley in a rural setting on the old Roman road, Watling Street, formerly the main road between London and Dover...
; - in the Archdeaconry of Ashford — AshfordAshford, KentAshford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
, DoverDoverDover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, ElhamElham DeaneryThe Elham Deanery is in the Diocese of Canterbury in Kent, England.Churches within the Deanery:- External links :* *...
and SandwichSandwich, KentSandwich is a historic town and civil parish on the River Stour in the Non-metropolitan district of Dover, within the ceremonial county of Kent, south-east England. It has a population of 6,800....
; - in the Archdeaconry of Maidstone — CranbrookCranbrook, KentCranbrook is a small town in Kent in South East England which was granted a charter in 1290 by Archbishop Peckham, allowing it to hold a market in the High Street. Located on the Maidstone to Hastings road, it is five miles north of Hawkhurst. The smaller settlements of Swattenden, Colliers...
, MaidstoneMaidstoneMaidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, North DownsNorth DownsThe North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
, RomneyRomney DeaneryThe Romney Deanery is in the Diocese of Canterbury in Kent, England.Churches within the Deanery:- External links :* *...
, OspringeOspringeOspringe is a village and civil parish in the English county of Kent. It has a population of 715. Located south of Faversham, Ospringe forms part of the Borough of Swale...
, SittingbourneSittingbourneSittingbourne is an industrial town about eight miles east of Gillingham in England, beside the Roman Watling Street off a creek in the Swale, a channel separating the Isle of Sheppey from mainland Kent...
and TenterdenTenterdenTenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....
.