Roman Catholic Diocese of Tuticorin

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Diocese of Tuticorin Dioecesis Tuticorensis தூத்துக்குடி மறைமாவட்டம்
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Tuticorin, The Mother Church of the Diocese
Location
Country	India
Ecclesiastical province	Madurai
Metropolitan	Madurai
Deaneries	5
Statistics
Area	6,440 km2 (2,490 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics (including non-members)	(as of 2011) 2,590,000 621,820 (26.3%)
Parishes	120
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Rite	Latin Rite
Established	12 June 1923
Cathedral	Sacred Heart Cathedral in Thoothukudi
Patron saint	Saint Francis Xavier Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Most Rev Dr Stephen Antony Pillai
Metropolitan Archbishop	Most Rev Dr.Antony Pappusamy
Vicar General	Fr Panneer Selvam N.A.
Bishops emeritus	Rev Dr.yuvon Ambrose
Website
Website of the Diocese

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tuticorin (Latin: Tuticoren(sis)) is a unit (or 'particular Church') of the Catholic Church in the city of Tuticorin, part of the Ecclesiastical province of Madurai in India.

History[]

The diocese of Tuticorin comprises the major part of the Tuticorin district, nearly half of the Nellai district and a small portion of the Kanyakumari district. The Catholics of this area trace their origin to the time of St. Francis Xavier who spent most of his missionary life in this area. Separated from the diocese of Tiruchirapalli, Tuticorin was created as a diocese and entrusted to the diocesan clergy in 1923 by the Apostolic Brief "Quae Catholico Nomini" of Pope Pius XI. It was entrusted to the indigenous clergy with Rt. Rev. Francis Tiburtius Roche s.j., as its first Bishop. He was also the first Indian Bishop of the Latin Rite. The patrons of the diocese are St. Francis Xavier and St. Teresa of Child Jesus.

Vicariate[]

Five Vicariates present in the Vicariates and Forane Churches are

• Tuticorin -
• Sathankulam - ,Sathankulam
• Vadakkankulam - ,Vadakkankulam
• Manapad - , ,Tiruchendur
• - ,

Famous churches[]

• Minor Basilica
  • Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows, Tuticorin
• Cathedral
  • Sacred Heart Cathedral, Tuticorin
• Special Churches
  • , Manapad
  • , Uvari
  • , Vadakkankulam
  • , Sokkankudiyirupu via Sathankulam
  • ,sathankulam
  • Our Lady of Snows, Kallikulam
  • , pothakalavilai via Sathankulam
  • , via Tiruchendur
  • ,Thisayanvilai
  • ,Valliyur
  • ,
  • , Anaikarai via Thisayanvilai
  • , Srivaikuntam
  • , via Nanguneri
  • , Kavalkinaru
  • ,Kootapuli
  • ,Kavalkinaru
  • , Panagudi
  • , Vembar
  • , Manapad
  • , Tiruchendur
  • Tiruchendur
  • ,Uvari
  • ,Thoothukudi
  • , via Koodankulam
  • ,Azhagappapuram
  • , Koodankulam

Notable People[]

Leadership[]

• Bishops of Tuticorin (Latin Rite)
  • Bishop Stephen Antony (17 January 2019 – present)
  • Bishop Yvon Ambrose (1 April 2005 – 17 January 2019)
  • Bishop Peter Fernando (later Archbishop) (8 December 1999 – 22 March 2003)
  • Bishop (29 November 1980 – 8 December 1999)
  • Bishop Ambrose Mathalaimuthu (30 August 1971 – 6 December 1979)
  • Bishop Thomas Fernando (26 June 1953 – 23 November 1970)
  • Bishop Francis Tiburtius Roche S.J. (12 June 1923 – 26 June 1953)

Saints and causes for canonisation[]

• Servant of God Fr. Antony Soosainather, CR^[1]

References[]

External links[]

• GCatholic.org
• Catholic Hierarchy
• How the diocese emerged, Diocese of Tuticorin

Coordinates: 8°48′17″N 78°09′23″E / 8.8048°N 78.1564°E / 8.8048; 78.1564