Séamus Cunningham
Encyclopedia
Séamus Cunningham is an Irish
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He is the current Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle
in the north of England.
, County Mayo
. He attended St. Nathy's College in Ballaghaderreen
and St. John's College in Waterford
. He was ordained
to the priesthood
for the diocese of Hexham and Newcastle on 12 June 1966 and then undertook pastoral
work in North West Durham and Newcastle upon Tyne
until 1972.
Cunningham was a diocesan
adviser for Religious Education
and Catechetics
from 1972 to 1978, when he became director of Religious Education. From 1984 to 1987, he served as spiritual director
at Ushaw College
. In 1987 he was appointed pastor
of St. Mary’s Cathedral Church
and a canon
. Following a sabbatical in the United States
Cunningham became a pastor in Tynemouth
and Cullercoats
in 1988. He was named vicar general
of Hexham and Newcastle
in 2004 and, following Bishop Kevin Dunn
’s death on 1 March 2008, appointed Apostolic Administrator
on 2 March.
On 9 January 2009, Cunningham was appointed the thirteenth Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle by Pope Benedict XVI
. He received his episcopal consecration
on 20 March (feast of St. Cuthbert, the diocese's patron), at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He is the current Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle
Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle
The Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle in the Province of Liverpool, known also on occasion as the Northern Province.-History:...
in the north of England.
Biography
Séamus Cunningham was born in CastlebarCastlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
, County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
. He attended St. Nathy's College in Ballaghaderreen
Ballaghaderreen
Ballaghaderreen is a town in County Roscommon. It is located on the N5 National primary road. The town has become a bottleneck on the N5 route in recent years and the opening of the Charlestown bypass down the road has exacerbated the problem...
and St. John's College in Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
. He was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
for the diocese of Hexham and Newcastle on 12 June 1966 and then undertook pastoral
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
work in North West Durham and Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
until 1972.
Cunningham was a diocesan
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
adviser for Religious Education
Religious Education
Religious Education is the term given to education concerned with religion. It may refer to education provided by a church or religious organization, for instruction in doctrine and faith, or for education in various aspects of religion, but without explicitly religious or moral aims, e.g. in a...
and Catechetics
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
from 1972 to 1978, when he became director of Religious Education. From 1984 to 1987, he served as spiritual director
Spiritual direction
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their own personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of his or her encounters of the divine, or how he or she is experiencing...
at Ushaw College
Ushaw College
Ushaw College was a Roman Catholic seminary near Durham, England that closed in 2011. Ushaw was the principal seminary in the north of England for the training of Catholic priests.-History:...
. In 1987 he was appointed pastor
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of St. Mary’s Cathedral Church
St Mary's Cathedral, Newcastle upon Tyne
The Cathedral Church of St Mary is a Catholic cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the mother church of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle and seat of the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. The Cathedral, situated on Clayton Street, was designed by Augustus Welby Pugin and built between 1842...
and a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
. Following a sabbatical in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Cunningham became a pastor in Tynemouth
Tynemouth
Tynemouth is a town and a historic borough in Tyne and Wear, England, at the mouth of the River Tyne, between North Shields and Cullercoats . It is administered as part of the borough of North Tyneside, but until 1974 was an independent county borough in its own right...
and Cullercoats
Cullercoats
Cullercoats is an urban area of north east England, with a population 9,407 in 2004. It has now been absorbed into the North Tyneside conurbation, sitting between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. There is a semi-circular sandy beach with cliffs and caves, and the village is a popular destination for...
in 1988. He was named vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of Hexham and Newcastle
Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is a Roman Catholic diocese of the Latin Rite centred around St Mary's Cathedral in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in England...
in 2004 and, following Bishop Kevin Dunn
Kevin John Dunn
The Right Reverend Kevin John Dunn was the 12th Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.-Early life:Kevin Dunn was born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire on 9 July 1950 and educated at St Mary's Primary School and St Patrick's Secondary School, both in Newcastle-under-Lyme...
’s death on 1 March 2008, appointed Apostolic Administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
on 2 March.
On 9 January 2009, Cunningham was appointed the thirteenth Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on 20 March (feast of St. Cuthbert, the diocese's patron), at St. Mary’s Cathedral.