The Diocese of Quincy has a history tracing back to 1835 and Rev. Philander Chase.

 

In 1835 Chase was elected first bishop of the new Diocese of Illinois after it was created by action of the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church. He approached his responsibilities with great enthusiasm, putting considerable energy into growing the diocese by traveling the state, preaching and teaching the faith, and organizing new churches.

Of his considerable accomplishments, one of the most notable was the establishment of Jubilee College. The building still stands, now serving as the focal point for Jubilee College State Park.

By seniority, Chase became Presiding Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in 1843. He died in 1852 and is buried in a small cemetary within the park.

In 1877 the Diocese of Illinois was divided into three parts, one of which became the current Diocese of Quincy. It is bordered by the Dioceses of Springfield, Chicago, Missouri and Iowa. One of the smaller dioceses in the Episcopal church, Quincy sits at the crossroads of the nation. The land area of the diocese is 10 counties comprising the peninsula between the Illinois River and the Mississippi River, with their confluence just north of St. Louis. One additional county lies east of the Illinois River.

The diocese takes its name from the location of the original 1837 cathedral location of Quincy, Illinois.It is a member diocese of Province V of The Episcopal Church.

In the early 1960's a new cathedral was built in Peoria, and the offices of the diocese relocated there.

In 2008, members from several congregations left the diocese and the Episcopal church to join the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone.

The Diocese of Quincy is currently being led by Provisional Bishop John Clark Buchanan, elected at a special reorganizing Synod in April 2009, signified by the visitation of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori.

At the October Synod of 2010, the Diocese of Quincy ordained its first female priest, the Rev. Margaret Lee.