Diocese of Down and Connor

What Diocese of Down and Connor does

The Diocese of Down and Connor is a Roman Catholic diocese and registered UK charity (No. 103983) headquartered at 75 Somerton Road, Belfast, serving the Catholic population across Northern Ireland. It is led by Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ and operates a network of more than 80 parishes spanning urban Belfast and rural areas including Ballycastle, Bangor, Downpatrick, and Lisburn, with St Peter's Cathedral as the principal church. Core services include celebration of Mass and the sacraments, marriage tribunal services, Catholic education oversight, safeguarding of vulnerable persons, pastoral counseling, and the annual Lourdes pilgrimage program.

The Diocese's digital infrastructure centers on what is described as the largest parish webcam network in Northern Ireland, streaming Masses and religious services from approximately 80 parishes through integrations with third-party platforms including churchservices.tv, churchmedia.tv, MCN Live, and ChurchLive. Supporting digital assets include a diocesan news portal, event calendar, online donation processing via Easy Payments Plus, Eventbrite event ticketing, and SharePoint-based internal operations. The organization also participates in broader Catholic media distribution through partnerships with EWTN and Shalom World TV.

As a non-profit religious organization operating under the authority of the Holy See (Vatican) and UK charity law, the Diocese is funded entirely through voluntary parishioner donations and has no commercial revenue model. Its 11-50 paid staff coordinate operations across the parish network, with most pastoral work delivered by ordained clergy and lay volunteers. The organization has recently participated in the global Synod 2021-2023 process, celebrated the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025, and continues its annual cycle of diocesan clergy appointments.

Name

Diocese of Down and Connor

Legal name

Down and Connor Diocesan Trust

Website

https://downandconnor.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Diocese of Down and Connor is a Roman Catholic diocese and UK registered charity headquartered in Belfast, serving Catholics across Northern Ireland through 80+ parishes. It delivers Mass, sacraments, education, safeguarding, and pastoral care, funded entirely by voluntary donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Catholic Broadcasting (MPABALAB)

Keywords

• Religious services
• Parish administration
• Pastoral care
• Catholic education
• Online Mass streaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Diocese of Down and Connor provides Catholic religious services, sacraments, pastoral care, and faith formation through a network of 80+ parishes across Northern Ireland, led by Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ. Its core offerings include Mass celebrations, sacramental ministry, marriage tribunal services, diocesan education oversight, safeguarding programs, and an annual Lourdes pilgrimage. It also operates one of the region's largest parish webcam streaming networks for online worship.

Product overview

The Diocese of Down and Connor operates a unified digital ministry platform centered on Catholic faith services and parish community engagement. The core offering consists of parish webcams/streaming for online Mass attendance, a diocesan news/blog portal featuring Bishop Alan McGuckian's statements and homilies, and an event calendar system for pilgrimages, novenas, and diocesan events. Supporting services include an online donation platform, safeguarding resources, education services, and the Synod 2021-2023 initiative. The diocese also provides extensive webcam integration with third-party streaming services (churchservices.tv, churchmedia.tv, MCN Live) across approximately 80 parishes. This is a service-oriented ministry platform rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parish Webcams / Streaming Service Online streaming service that broadcasts Masses and religious services from 80+ parishes across Northern Ireland, providing real-time and archived video access for parishioners, including those who cannot attend in person.
• Down and Connor Lourdes Pilgrimage Annual pilgrimage program organized by the Diocese of Down and Connor to Lourdes, France, with booking forms, event details, and spiritual content for diocesan pilgrims.
• Diocesan Education Services Catholic education oversight and resources for schools within the Diocese of Down and Connor, including religious-ethos support and catechetical instruction.
• Safeguarding Office Services Safeguarding information and support services for victims and survivors of abuse, including prayer resources and access to the diocesan safeguarding office.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• World Missions IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated missionary organization connected through the Catholic Church network, promoting world mission work and charitable giving.
• Towards HealingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish Church agency providing support and healing services, linked through the diocese's pastoral care initiatives.
• ACCORD NIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarriage and relationship counselling service operating within the Catholic Church framework in Northern Ireland.
• Irish Bishops Drugs Initiative (IBDI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative by Irish bishops addressing drug-related issues in communities, supported by the diocese.
• VaticancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Holy See (Vatican City) is the supreme governing body of the Catholic Church of which the Diocese is a constituent part.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Diocese of Clogher: Cross-border Catholic diocese spanning parts of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, operating parishes, schools, and pastoral services. Directly comparable in mission, governance structure, and congregational services to Down and Connor.
• Diocese of Dromore: Neighbouring Catholic diocese in Northern Ireland sharing institutional ties with Down and Connor, operating parishes, schools, and pastoral services within a similar Catholic demographic and ecclesiastical governance framework.
• Diocese of Derry: Suffragan Catholic diocese in Northern Ireland with similar parish structure, Catholic schools oversight, safeguarding operations, and pastoral programs. Directly comparable in scale and operating geography to Down and Connor.
• Archdiocese of Armagh: The metropolitan archdiocese covering Northern Ireland, of which Down and Connor is a suffragan. Operates a comparable parish-based ministry model with digital outreach, education authority, and pastoral services across an overlapping Catholic population in Northern Ireland.

Others

• EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network): Global Catholic broadcasting network that partners with Down and Connor to distribute diocese content. Not a diocese itself but a key peer in the Catholic media ecosystem that supports and competes for parish viewer attention.
• ACCORD (Catholic Marriage Care Service): Catholic marriage and relationship counselling service operating within Irish dioceses including Down and Connor. Peer as an affiliated mission-aligned organisation delivering community-facing services through the diocesan network.
• Shalom World TV: Catholic television network broadcasting diocese-related content as a technology partner. Comparable in serving Catholic audiences globally through digital broadcast media, though operating as a media company rather than an ecclesiastical body.

Broad incumbents

• Archdiocese of Dublin: Much larger Catholic archdiocese in the Republic of Ireland operating a similar parish, education, and pastoral care model but with materially greater scale, headcount, and operational complexity. Useful as a broad incumbent reference point for governance and program structure.
• Diocese of Westminster: The principal Catholic diocese in England and Wales with a sophisticated digital communications operation and significant parish network. Comparable in its UK-based digital ministry ambitions and parish webcam infrastructure.
• Archdiocese of Southwark: Large Catholic archdiocese in southern England operating a multi-parish network with comparable safeguarding, education, and pastoral services. Comparable in operating model though in a different geographic and demographic context.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DownandConnor
• Facebookfacebook.com/downandconnor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diocese-of-down-and-connor-trustee

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Diocese of Down and Connor