Apostolic Prefecture of the Falkland Islands

The Apostolic Prefecture of Falkland Islands is a special area looked after by the Catholic Church. It covers the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which are part of the United Kingdom’s lands in the southern Atlantic Ocean. This area is directly connected to the Holy See, the leader of the Catholic Church, and is not part of a larger church group called an ecclesiastical province.

The main church in this area is called St Mary’s, located in the capital city, Stanley. This church serves as the center for Catholic worship and activities in the region. While there is another famous church called Christ Church Cathedral, it belongs to a different Christian group and is the southernmost Anglican cathedral in the world, having been consecrated in 1892.

History

The Apostolic Prefecture of the Falkland Islands was created on 1 October 1952. It was set up to cover the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands. These areas were separated from the Diocese of Punta Arenas in Chile. This new area became its own special part of the Catholic Church.

Mission Sui Iuris of Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha

The Apostolic Prefecture of the Falkland Islands has a close connection with the Mission Sui Iuris of Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha. This special church area was started on 18 August 1986 for the British territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. It includes the Atlantic Ocean islands of Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and Tristan da Cunha, and these areas were separated from the Archdiocese of Cape Town.

There is a church or chapel on each of these islands:

• Church of the Sacred Heart in Jamestown, Saint Helena
• Grotto of Our Lady on Ascension
• Church of Saint Joseph on Tristan da Cunha.

Since it began, the leader of this church area has also been the Apostolic Prefect of the Falklands, another UK territory in the Southern Atlantic.

Incumbent ordinaries

The leaders of the church in the Falkland Islands have all been part of special groups focused on spreading their faith. They include:

• Friar James Ireland, M.H.M. (28 March 1952 – 7 May 1973)
• Friar Daniel Martin Spraggon, M.H.M. (7 May 1973 – †27 September 1985)

Later leaders also oversaw other areas:

• Mgr. Anton Agreiter, M.H.M. (1 October 1986 – 9 August 2002; †2003)
• Mgr. Michael Bernard McPartland, S.M.A. (9 August 2002 – 26 October 2016; †2017)
• Abbot Hugh Allan, O.Praem. (26 October 2016 – 18 July 2024)
• Fr Tom Thomas, IC (18 July 2024 - present)

Sources, References and External links

• GigaCatholic Falkland Islands, with incumbent biography links
• GigaCatholic Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha, with incumbent biographies
• Prefecture Website