Catholic IntelligenceA work of service to the Church

Diocese of Sandhurst

Sandhursten(sis)

Latin Church diocese erected in 1874 covering central and north-east Victoria, a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Melbourne with its seat at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo. René Ramirez RCJ was appointed ninth bishop on April 11, 2026, succeeding Shane Mackinlay who was transferred to Brisbane.

The see

Rank
Suffragan diocese
Tradition
Latin Church
Erected
30 March 1874
Latin
Sandhursten(sis)
Annuario code
001002886

The see in figures

Catholics
91,400
Population
341,850
Catholic shareof the people living within its bounds
26.7%
Priests
53
Catholics per priest
1,725
Extent
45,178 km²
Catholics per km²
2.0

Figures as recorded in the register, from the Annuario Pontificio and the see's own published statements. Shares and ratios are computed from the two figures shown beside them.

The bishop

Bishop
René Ramirez, RCJ

A see whose chair stands empty is recorded as vacant rather than filled with a guess. On what a bishop is, see the bishop.

The cathedral

Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo stands in Sandhurst, the church that holds the cathedra from which this see takes its name.

On what a cathedral is, see the cathedral; every see church on earth is gathered at the cathedrals.

The province of Melbourne

A suffragan of Archdiocese of Melbourne.

The sees of this province:

On how the Church is ordered into provinces, see the diocese.

History

Central and north-east Victoria, including Bendigo, form the territory of the Diocese of Sandhurst, a Latin Church jurisdiction erected in 1874 and suffragan to the metropolitan Archdiocese of Melbourne. The bishop's seat is Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bendigo.

Catholic Intelligence

Get early access

We are indexing the whole visible Church: every diocese and parish on earth, searchable and mapped, with Mass times, clergy, and diocesan contacts. Launching soon. Sign up to be first in when it opens, starting with [object Object].

One email at launch. Nothing else.

Sources

The see's own website · Wikipedia

Compiled from the published statements of the see and the references of the Holy See, among them the Annuario Pontificio. Corrections: hello@catholicintelligence.com.