From the 1860s onwards a steadily increasing number of British dioceses, especially in the Church of England, began issuing publications containing a variety of news, comment and educational articles relating to their work. Similar examples were eventually added by a number of Roman Catholic dioceses and by various ecclesiastical denominations overseas.
Early examples
The earliest regular example was seemingly the Diocesan Magazine introduced about 1867 in the Anglican diocese of Lichfield (also incidentally the centre for some of the earliest parish magazines). This was during the episcopate of bishop John Lonsdale. However it seems mainly to have been a localised version of a separate magazine, Mission Life."The Lichfield Diocesan Magazine" (22 Jan 1868). Derby Mercury, p. 6. Retrieved 29 June 2026. No complete surviving copies of this early diocesan magazine are known to exist in any repository. Copies of Mission Life (1866-1869) and a new series (1870-1886) are held by the British Library. There had previously been a short-lived Oxford Parochial Magazine, but this had been neither published by nor centred on the diocese.Croft, Peter. The Parish Magazine Inset (1993), Parish and People. .
During the Victorian era such publications were frequently named as the Diocesan Gazette or simply as the Diocesan Magazine. From the early 20th century many dioceses began to produce shorter monthly news bulletins or leaflets, often designed for possible inclusion as an insert within the local parish magazine. These could either replace the older magazines (sometimes being quite similar to some of the less ambitious gazettes) or alternatively might be ancillary to them.
Occasionally the introduction of a new diocesan gazette might attract scepticism or controversy: in London diocese there were complaints of early high-handed techniques being used in efforts to increase their circulation."The Bishop of London's Circular" (14 Feb. 1887). The Standard, p. 3. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
Format and content
Formats, layouts and titles have however changed over the years to reflect the changing needs and circumstances of the church. Many of the earliest titles have now ceased publication, usually being replaced by new ventures meeting more modern needs. Some of these have now adopted a more popular newspaper-type style.
Typical contents of the earlier magazines would include a pastoral letter from a bishop or another senior clergyman; theological reflections; particulars of the bishop's engagements during the coming month; comments on recent national or local news; details of forthcoming events and meetings; and particulars of recent clerical appointments. They were not always well regarded: one writer commented regarding diocesan leaflets in 1949: Unfortunately, most of these must be classed as dull productions and some … contribute little to the Christian cause and may even have a negative influence. As with the parish magazine the trouble seems to be a style of writing and a format which repels rather than attracts. But there is some excuse for the Diocesan Leaflet as many of them are written primarily for the clergy, to give them news of conferences, retreats and other events … It would be better to supply the clergy with their news in mimeograph form and devote all the Leaflet space to news of interest to the laity.Blair-Fish, John. Better Parish Magazines and How to Produce Them, Press and Publications Board of the Church Assembly (1949), pages 110-111. Quotation of a Christian News-Letter article: What does it contain ? Three articles consisting largely of funny stories of the second-rate variety with which attempts are made to enliven the dullness of clerical and secular social gatherings, an article entitled 'The Living Church' including such trivialities as how to draft a church poster announcing a forthcoming dance with the minimum number of words, two excerpts from American magazines assumed to have a certain raciness — that is practically all, apart from a letter from the bishop describing the externals of the Lambeth Conference and giving one or two items of church news. Blair-Fish continues: ‘’These diocesan publications have very considerable circulations, and it is shocking, if not actually scandalous, that such opportunities as they possess for positive and constructive writing should be wantonly thrown away.’’
There was some gradual increase in the use of engravings and photographs, particularly after the technological improvements in the 1890s, including halftone reproduction of illustrations and the introduction of offset printing.
Location of copies
Surviving examples of many of these publications can often be traced in libraries or in the episcopal collections held by the local county record office or county archive service (which today usually serves as the principal diocesan record office). Since a lot of them were included as insets within parish magazines of differing dates, many of the back issues surviving today are included within incomplete sets.
The British Library also holds many examples, although their integrated online catalogue suggests that their overall coverage is still patchy. They do, however, also hold some magazines from Irish dioceses and from other overseas dioceses.
In recent years an increasing number of dioceses have been publishing alternative versions of their latest periodicals in an online format.
Some past and present periodicals: Anglican dioceses in UK and Ireland England and Wales