The Diocese of Cairns covers a broad and diverse region, stretching from Cardwell in the south, west across the Tablelands to the Northern Territory border, and north to Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands. Our bishops, priests, and deacons serve 23 parishes and parish clusters, along with 27 schools and colleges across three deaneries.
The Cairns Diocese
Our Mission
Our mission is set out in our five pastoral priorities, which can be summarised as:
- Enabling full participation in the life and mission of the Church by articulating and sharing our faith.
- Fostering communities that offer welcome respect, and love to every person.
- Reaching out to young people in new and creative ways.
- Ensuring parishioners are aware of and formed in their commitment to mission and evangelisation.
- Strengthening the service provision of Catholic Education Services, Centacare, and the Diocesan Finance and Administration agencies in meeting needs across the Diocese.
Diocesan Logo
The shape of the logo symbolises a map of the diocese, broad and diverse region. The cross, intersecting the logo, is a reminder of our vision ‘Encountering Christ, sharing our joy’.
Diocesan Coat of Arms
The Arms are those of William Wellington Cairns (the namesake of our city), and onto which a white horizontal band, or "fess“, charged with a blue Maltese cross has been added. This acknowledges our association with the State of Queensland whose badge is the Maltese cross on a white field.
The Arms appear on the dexter side (the bearer’s right) of the shield of all the Bishops from 1949 to the present day. This follows the process of "impalement" where the personal Arms of the Incumbent are joined with the Arms of the Diocese signifying his role as a spiritual head of the Diocese.
Impalement means that the Arms are joined side by side rather than one above the other.
Patron of the Diocese
Mary, Mother of Good Counsel was chosen as Patroness of the Diocese of Cairns by the Augustinian Fathers who first came to our region in 1884.
The origin of “Good Counsel” is attributed to the last recorded words of Mary in the Gospels when she addressed the servants at the marriage feast of Cana and told them “Do whatever He tells you.”
The Augustinian devotion to Mary under this title is centred upon a shrine at Genazzano in Italy. Central to the devotion is a fresco which appeared mysteriously on the wall of an unfinished church in 1467. The painter of the fresco is unknown. The feast day of Mary Mother of Good Counsel is 26th April.
