Diocese of Ely


The Diocese of Ely is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury. It is headed by the Bishop of Ely, who sits at Ely Cathedral in Ely. There is one suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon. The diocese now covers the modern ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire and western Norfolk. The diocese was created in 1109 out of part of the Diocese of Lincoln.
The diocese is ancient, and the area of Ely was part of the patrimony of Saint Etheldreda. A religious house was founded in the city in 673. After her death in 679 she was buried outside the church, and her remains were later reburied inside, the foundress being commemorated as a great Anglian saint.
The diocese has had its boundaries altered various times. From an original diocese covering the historic county of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire were added in 1837 from the Diocese of Lincoln, as was the Sudbury archdeaconry in Suffolk from the Diocese of Norwich. In 1914 Bedfordshire became part of the Diocese of St Albans, and western Suffolk became part of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, whilst Ely took a western part of the Diocese of Norwich. Peterborough remains the seat of the Diocese of Peterborough.
Today the Diocese covers an area of. It has a population of 705,000 and comprises 209 benefices, 303 parishes and 335 churches with 145 stipendiary parochial clergy.

Bishops

The diocesan Bishop of Ely is assisted by a Bishop suffragan of Huntingdon.
There are also five retired bishops living in the diocese who are licensed as honorary assistant bishops:
Alternative episcopal oversight is provided by the provincial episcopal visitor, Norman Banks, Bishop suffragan of Richborough, who is licensed as an honorary assistant bishop of the diocese to facilitate his work there.
The Bishop of Peterborough has also been commissioned as assistant bishop in the diocese so that he can exercise pastoral care in several old Huntingdonshire parishes now within the Peterborough unitary authority: including Stanground, Orton, Woodston, Yaxley and Fletton.

Archdeaconries and deaneries

The archdeaconry of Wisbech was active from 1915 to 2005. The following changes to deaneries have taken place:
*including Cathedral and St Peter's Ely

Churches

Outside deanery structures

Bourn Deanery

Closed churches in this area

Cambridge North Deanery

Churches in this area no longer used for regular worship

Cambridge South Deanery

Churches in this area no longer used for regular worship

Ely Deanery

Closed churches in the area

Fincham and Feltwell Deanery

Fordham and Quy Deanery

Closed churches in this area

Granta Deanery

Closed churches in this area

Huntingdon Deanery

Closed churches in the area

March Deanery

North Stowe Deanery

Closed churches in this area

St Ives Deanery

Closed churches in the area

St Neots Deanery

Closed churches in this area

Shingay Deanery

Wisbech Lynn Marshland Deanery

Closed churches in this area

Yaxley Deanery

Closed churches in this area

Dedications

This table is drawn from the above lists.
SaintNo.
St Mary the Virgin65
All Saints44
St Andrew27
St Peter25
Holy Trinity14
St James11
SS Peter & Paul9
St John the Baptist8
St Margaret8
St Mary Magdalene7
Christ Church6
St George6
St Nicholas6
St Giles5
St John the Evangelist5
St Lawrence5
St Michael5
St Botolph4
St Leonard4
St Martin4
St Augustine of Canterbury3
St Clement3
Holy Cross3
St Edmund3
St Helen3
St Mark3
St Michael & All Angels3
No dedication3
SS Andrew & Mary2
St Barnabas2
St Bartholomew2
St Paul2
St Thomas2
All Saints & St Andrew1
Assumption of Mary1
St Augustine 1
St Benedict1
St Catherine1
Christ the Redeemer1
Christ the Servant King1
St Edward the Martyr1
Emmanuel1
St Etheldreda & Holy Trinity1
The Good Shepherd1
SS Helena & Mary1
St John 1
St Luke1
St Mary & All Saints1
SS Mary & John1
SS Mary & Michael1
St Matthew1
St Michael & All Angels & Holy Cross1
SS Pandionia & John the Baptist1
St Peter ad Vincula1
SS Peter & Mary Magdalene1
St Philip1
St Swithun1
St Thomas a Becket1
St Vigor1
St Wendreda1

Posts occupied by Church of England clergy within the area of the diocese

Diocesan news publications