Roman Catholic Diocese of Tuticorin

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.

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	(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. Yvon Ambroise
Website
Website of the Diocese

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 the Child Jesus.

Vicariates

Five Vicariates are present in the Tuticorin diocese. Vicariates and Forane Churches are:

• Tuticorin - Sacred Heart Cathedral, Tuticorin, Tuticorin
• Sathankulam - Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Sathankulam, Sathankulam
• Vadakkankulam - Holy Family Church, Vadakkankulam, Vadakkankulam
• Manapad - St. Thoma's Church, Veerapandianpattinam, Tiruchendur
• Kurukkusalai - Infant Jesus Church, Vemboor

Famous churches

• Minor Basilica
  • Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of the Snows, Tuticorin
• Cathedral
  • Sacred Heart Cathedral, Tuticorin
• Special Churches
  • Holy Cross Shrine , Manapad
  • St. Antony's shrine, Uvari
  • Our lady of Assumption Shrine , Vadakkankulam
  • Our lady of redsand Shrine, Sokkankudiyirupu via Sathankulam
  • Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Sathankulam, Sathankulam
  • Our Lady of Snows, Kallikulam
  • Our lady of Holy marriage Shrine , pothakalavilai via Sathankulam
  • Sacred Heart Jesus , Alanthalai via Tiruchendur
  • Holy redeemer church, Thisayanvilai
  • Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, Valliyur
  • Our lady of Rajakanni Church , Punnakayal
  • Our Lady of Nativity ( St. Lucia Shrine ) , Anaikarai via Thisayanvilai
  • St.James shrine , Srivaikuntam
  • Our lady of Sarrows Shrine , Malayankulam via Nanguneri
  • Our lady of Velankanni shrine , Kavalkinaru
  • St.Joseph Church, Kootapuli
  • Sacred Heart Jesus Church, Kavalkinaru
  • St. Joseph Shrine, Panagudi
  • St.thomas church , Vembar
  • Holy Spirit Church , Manapad
  • Amali annai Church , Tiruchendur
  • St.Thomas Church Tiruchendur
  • Selva matha Church, Uvari
  • St.Anthony's Shrine, Thoothukudi
  • Our lady of Lourdes Church, Idinthakarai
  • St.Antony's Church, Azhagappapuram
  • St Anne's Church, Koodankulam

Notable People

• Servant of God, Rev. Fr.Antony Soosainather
• Servant of God, Rev. Fr. Augustine Pereira
• Dewan Bahadur Chevalier I. X. Pereira (Ignatius Xavier Pereira) KCSS, colonial-era Sri Lankan businessman and politician.
• Rao Bahadur Cruz Fernandez (Legislator). he was an Indian businessman. He was the longest-serving chairman of Tuticorin Municipality and is considered the father and architect of Modern Tuticorin.
• Chevalier J. L. P. Roche Victoria (Former State Minister from Tamil Nadu). Victoria became a Chevalier of the Order of St. Gregory the Great
• Chevalier C.I.R. Machado K.S.G. Chevalier C.I.Remigius Machado became a Chevalier of the Order of St. Gregory the Great

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 Siluvaimathu Teresanathan Amalnather (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

External links

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