▁are ▁ 1 1 2 ▁par ishes ▁( 2 0 0 5 ) ▁and ▁ 1 2 8 ▁inc ardin ated ▁pri ests , ▁with ▁a ▁further ▁ 8 6 ▁from ▁religious ▁orders , ▁con greg ations ▁& ▁soci eties . ▁There ▁are ▁also ▁ 3 1 ▁permanent ▁de a cons ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁par ishes ▁plus ▁ 1 0 1 ▁prof essed , ▁non - p ri est ▁religious ▁and ▁ 2 5 5 ▁prof essed ▁women ▁religious . ▁Education ▁compr ises ▁ 4 8 ▁primary / middle / ec umen ical ▁schools ▁( a ided ▁and ▁grant ▁maintained ), ▁ 8 ▁secondary ▁and ▁ 2 4 ▁independent ▁schools . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁By ▁a ▁Pap al ▁Br ief ▁dated ▁ 1 9 ▁May ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁Pope ▁Leo ▁XIII ▁created ▁the ▁Dioc ese ▁of ▁Port sm outh . ▁It ▁was ▁formed ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁western ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁Dioc ese ▁of ▁South w ark , ▁as ▁constit uted ▁at ▁the ▁re - est ab lish ment ▁of ▁the ▁hierarchy ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 . ▁The ▁South w ark ▁dioc ese ▁had ▁become ▁too ▁large ▁for ▁one ▁bishop , ▁extending ▁as ▁it ▁did ▁from ▁London ▁to ▁B ourn em outh ▁and ▁from ▁the ▁out sk ir ts ▁of ▁Oxford ▁to ▁D over ▁and ▁including ▁the ▁Channel ▁Islands . ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁dioc ese ▁compr ised ▁the ▁count ies ▁of ▁Ham pshire , ▁the ▁Is le ▁of ▁W ight , ▁Ber k shire , ▁and ▁the ▁Channel ▁Islands