About our Diocese
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton (‘Diocese’), established in 1882, is a suffragan Latin Church diocese located in central Queensland, covering an area of 414,400 square kilometres from Bundaberg in the south to Mackay in the north and west to the Northern Territory border.
‘The Roman Catholic Trust Corporation for the Diocese of Rockhampton’ was incorporated by Letters Patent on 8th July 1915 under the now-repealed Religious Educational and Charitable Institutions Act 1861 (Qld) but it is still in force by virtue of the Roman Catholic Church (Incorporation of Church Entities) Act 1994. The RCTC is the civil legal entity under which the Diocese and all its ministries and parishes operate.
Our Organisational Structure
The Diocesan Offices, based at 170 William Street, Rockhampton QLD 4700, are headed by the Bishop of Rockhampton and encompass ministry activities, administration, corporate services, and the practise and propagation of the Catholic faith.
There are 30 parishes in the Diocese, each of which conduct their own ministry activities, administration, and practise and propagation of the Catholic faith. Details of each parish can be viewed here: https://rok.catholic.net.au/parishes-regions/
Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton has its head office at 145 West Street, Rockhampton, and employs approximately 3,400 people. It operates kindergartens, primary and secondary schools and Outside School Hours Care services across the Diocese, as well as providing faith education for adults and children in state schools. CEDR educates approximately 18,200 students in its:
- 31 primary schools
- 8 colleges
- 10 kindergartens, and
- 19 Outside Schools Hours Care services
CatholicCare Central Queensland has headquarters at 16 Bolsover Street, Rockhampton. It employs approximately 400 people and provides a broad range of services in communities across the Diocese, including aged care and disability support, counselling, and family and community support and education.
Stella Maris Seafarers’ Centre, based in Brisbane Street, Mackay is a ministry of the Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton that services the shipping ports of Mackay and Hay Point. Its object is to pursue the following charitable purposes:
- Provide contact and counselling and crisis counselling for seafarers and their families;
- Provide a visitation service to seafarers, including hospital visits;
- Provide pastoral services and chaplaincy to seafarers;
- Provide stress-relieving recreational activities and services for seafarers;
- Promote the physical, intellectual, emotional, psychological and spiritual development and wellbeing of seafarers, guided by Christian moral principles.
Our Governance Framework
The Bishop of Rockhampton is the sole trustee of the RCTC and is also the governing authority of the Diocese under canon law. A requirement of canon law is for the Diocese to have a ‘finance council’ and a ‘council of priests’ to assist and advise the Bishop in the exercise of his governance. The Bishop of Rockhampton also chooses to have an additional two councils to assist him with governance in different areas, namely the:
- Diocesan Pastoral Council
- Diocesan Education Council
The Bishop delegates certain responsibilities to Diocesan personnel to assist him in discharging his obligations under a Delegations Policy, whereas certain other responsibilities are entrusted to particular roles under canon law, most notably the Vicar General, the Chancellor, the Financial Administrator, and Parish Priests.