On 5 April 1842 the Apostolic Vicariate of Adelaide was erected, on territory split from the Apostolic Vicariate of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land (the later primatial Archdiocese of Sydney), both missionary pre-diocesan jurisdictions. It was promoted as the Diocese of Adelaide two weeks later on 22 April 1842, just six years after the first fleet arrived to Glenelg.
Note: On 3 June 2018 Pope Francis named Bishop Gregory O’Kelly, S.J. of Port Pirie as Apostolic Administrator of Adelaide. This occurred after Archbishop Philip Wilson was initially found guilty of concealing child-abuse on 22 May 2018[15] and did not resign. Pope Francis eventually accepted his letter of resignation on 30 July 2018.[16] Wilson's conviction was later overturned on appeal, but he did not return to the role.[17]
Father Albert Davis (died 2007), a member of the Dominican Fathers, was charged in 2006 with 17 incidents of indecent assault involving seven boys at Blackfriars Priory School from 1956 to 1960. Davis was committed to stand trial in the Adelaide District Court, but he died before proceedings were commenced.[22]
Father Charles Barnett pleaded guilty in 2009 (after extradition from Indonesia) to three child sex charges for events from 1977 to 1985 at Crystal Brook and Port Pirie.[23][relevant?]
In September 2011, SenatorNick Xenophon used parliamentary privilege to name an Adelaide priest as the alleged perpetrator of sexual assaults on John Hepworth about 50 years earlier. Senator Xenophon alleged that the Vicar-General of Adelaide, Monsignor David Cappo, had been provided with detailed allegations in 2008 but had failed to act upon them, the investigations still being "at a preliminary stage" and the priest concerned not being stood down during the investigation.[24] An independent inquiry by Michael Abbott QC reported that there was no substance to the allegations, although Hepworth had declined to be interviewed for the inquiry.[25]
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