The Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeds is a Catholic diocese of the Latin Rite centred on Leeds Cathedral in the city of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It was founded on 20 December 1878, with the splitting of the Diocese of Beverley, which had covered all of Yorkshire. The Diocese of Leeds was made to cover the historic West Riding of Yorkshire, while the Diocese of Middlesbrough took over the organisation of the rest of Yorkshire. History In the 19th century, the region covered by the modern diocese fell under the jurisdiction of Vicar Apostolic of the Northern District, which in turn became the Apostolic Vicariate of the Yorkshire District, which was then elevated to the distinction of Diocese of Beverley in 1850. Around 1861, the then Bishop of Beverley, Robert Cornthwaite, informed the Holy See that in his opinion, the Diocese of Beverley was too large, and in light of the expanding Catholic population, should be sub-divided into two regions. After 15 years of discussion and planning, it was agreed that on 20 December 1878, the Diocese of Beverley be dissolved and that the Diocese of Leeds be created to cater for the West Riding of Yorkshire and those parishes in the City of York to the south of the River Ouse, and the Diocese of Middlesbrough, covering the North and East Ridings of Yorkshire and those parishes in the City of York to the north of the River Ouse. However, in 1982 the two York parishes south of the River Ouse were ceded to the Diocese of Middlesbrough to unite the City of York under one bishop. In 1980, fifty parishes in the South Yorkshire region of the diocese were transferred from Leeds to the newly formed Diocese of Hallam. The parish of Howden was transferred from the Middlesbrough diocese to the Leeds diocese in 2004. Patronal Feasts of the Diocese Bishops Ordinaries See Diocese of Beverley for bishops of that diocese. Robert Cornthwaite: Translated Bishop of Leeds, 20 December 1878 – died 16 June 1890. William Gordon: 16 June 1890 – died 7 June 1911. Joseph Robert Cowgill: 7 June 1911 – died 12 May 1936. Henry John Poskitt: 21 September 1936 – died 19 February 1950. John Carmel Heenan: Consecrated Bishop of Leeds 12 March 1951 – translated to Archdiocese of Liverpool, in 1957; future Cardinal. George Patrick Dwyer: Consecrated Bishop of Leeds by John Carmel