Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore ( ) is an archdiocese located in the cities of Pondicherry and Cuddalore
in India. The Archdiocese now celebrates its 125 years of being elevatd to the status of Archdiocese.
. This Carnatic Mission was known as Missions of the Coromandel Coast and also as the Malabar Mission.
Before the establishment of the Carnatic Mission in 1700, the Jesuit Fathers of the Madurai Mission, especially St. John de Britto came into The Gingee Kingdom after 1660 and preached the Gospel up to the Palar river, South of Madras. Also, members of various religious orders, looked after the spiritual needs of the European communities in their trading centres along the coastal areas like Cuddalore, Porto Novo etc., The French Capuchins
first settled in Pondicherry in 1674 and the French Jesuits, expelled from Siam (Thailand) also took refuge in Pondicherry in 1688. But, in 1693, the Dutch chased away all the religious from Pondicherry and they could come back only in 1699. While the Capuchins were looking after the Europeans in Pondicherry, the French Jesuits organized the Carnatic Mission for the Indian people.
in 1773, hit badly this vast Carnatic Mission.
In 1776, the French Jesuit fathers were replaced at the order of Rome by the foreign Mission French Fathers. Although the Bishop of these new Missionaries had all the power of jurisdiction, he was not given the title “Vicar Apostolic”, but called as the “Superior of the Mission of the Coromandel Coast.” Rome successively gave him the jurisdiction over the Madurai, Coimbatore and Mysore areas, affected by the suppression of the Society of Jesus. So, around 1800, the extent of the Carnatic Mission was immense, but the laborers were very few.
were created: Vicariate Apostolic of Madras in 1832, of Madurai in 1836 and the Vicariates of Visakapattnam, Mysore and Coimbatore in 1845.
Pondicherry became a Vicariate Apostolic of the Coromandel coast, on 1-9-1836, with Mgr. Bonnand as its first Vicar Apostolic. This Vicariate Apostolic was raised to an Archbishopric on 01-09-1886, with Mgr . Laouenan as the first Archbishop.
Subsequently, subdivisions of the Archdiocese took place, erecting the new Dioceses of Kumbakonam in 1899 and Salem in 1930. In 1928 a great part of the present diocese of Vellore was separated from the Archdiocese of Pondicherry and attached to the Archdiocese of Madras. On a reorganization of the Archdiocese by Rome in 1969, Madurantagam Taluk of Chingleput District was transferred to the Archdiocese of Madras and the Tiruvannamalai Taluk to Vellore .
Originally, the Archdiocese was looking after the ex-French settlements of the Pondicherry Union territory namely Karaikal, Chandranagore, Mahe, and Yanam. Another ex-French settlement was also looked after by the MSFS
Fathers in Vizagapattinam. Chandranagore was re-allocated to the Archdiocese of Calcutta
and Mahe to the Diocese of Calicut in Kerala in 1949.
The present Archdiocese of Pondicherry & Cuddalore extends over the Pondicherry and Karaikal Districts of the Pondicherry Union Territory and the Cuddalore district (excluding Chidambaram and kattumannarkoil Taluks) and Villupuram District in Tamil Nadu.
s under this archdiocese are:
Cuddalore
Cuddalore is a fast growing industrial city and headquarter of Cuddalore district in the Tamil Nadu state of southern India. Located south of Pondicherry on the coast of Bay of Bengal, Cuddalore has a large number of industries which employ a great deal of the city's population.Cuddalore is known...
in India. The Archdiocese now celebrates its 125 years of being elevatd to the status of Archdiocese.
History
With a land area of 11,348 square kilometers, the Archdiocese of Pondicherry-Cuddalore extends over the Pondicherry and Karaikal civil districts of the Pondicherry Union Territory and the civil districts of Cuddalore and Vilupuram of Tamil Nadu State. In 2001, the total population of the area was 6,151,891. Ethnic groups in the territory include Tamils and French.The Mission of The Jesuits And The Capuchins
The great ancestor of this Archdiocese is the Carnatic Mission, which was started around the year 1700 as Mission sui iurisMission sui iuris
A mission sui iuris, or in Latin missio sui iuris, also known as an independent mission, is a rare type of Roman Catholic missionary pseudo-diocesan jurisdiction in an area with very few Catholics, often desolate or remote....
. This Carnatic Mission was known as Missions of the Coromandel Coast and also as the Malabar Mission.
Before the establishment of the Carnatic Mission in 1700, the Jesuit Fathers of the Madurai Mission, especially St. John de Britto came into The Gingee Kingdom after 1660 and preached the Gospel up to the Palar river, South of Madras. Also, members of various religious orders, looked after the spiritual needs of the European communities in their trading centres along the coastal areas like Cuddalore, Porto Novo etc., The French Capuchins
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
first settled in Pondicherry in 1674 and the French Jesuits, expelled from Siam (Thailand) also took refuge in Pondicherry in 1688. But, in 1693, the Dutch chased away all the religious from Pondicherry and they could come back only in 1699. While the Capuchins were looking after the Europeans in Pondicherry, the French Jesuits organized the Carnatic Mission for the Indian people.
The Boundaries Of Carnatic Mission
The boundaries of the Carnatic mission were as follows:- On the South and West, the Pennaiyar River, beyond which were the Madurai Mission and the Mysore mission.
- On the East, the Bay of BengalBay of BengalThe Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
, and - On the North, KurnoolKurnoolKurnool is located at . It has an average elevation of 273 metres .Kurnool lies on the banks of the Tungabhadra River. The Handry and Neeva rivers also flow through the city. The K.C...
including the KrishnaKrishna RiverThe Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India, about . It is also referred to as Krishnaveni in its original nomenclature...
and Godavari areas near the sea shore.
Jesuits Replaced By Foreign Mission Fathers
The continual wars in the 18th century, the ruin of Pondicherry town in 1761 and the suppression of the Society of JesusSociety of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
in 1773, hit badly this vast Carnatic Mission.
In 1776, the French Jesuit fathers were replaced at the order of Rome by the foreign Mission French Fathers. Although the Bishop of these new Missionaries had all the power of jurisdiction, he was not given the title “Vicar Apostolic”, but called as the “Superior of the Mission of the Coromandel Coast.” Rome successively gave him the jurisdiction over the Madurai, Coimbatore and Mysore areas, affected by the suppression of the Society of Jesus. So, around 1800, the extent of the Carnatic Mission was immense, but the laborers were very few.
The First Vicar Apostolic And The First Archbishop
The Carnatic Mission was reorganized when new Vicariates ApostolicApostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
were created: Vicariate Apostolic of Madras in 1832, of Madurai in 1836 and the Vicariates of Visakapattnam, Mysore and Coimbatore in 1845.
Pondicherry became a Vicariate Apostolic of the Coromandel coast, on 1-9-1836, with Mgr. Bonnand as its first Vicar Apostolic. This Vicariate Apostolic was raised to an Archbishopric on 01-09-1886, with Mgr . Laouenan as the first Archbishop.
Subsequently, subdivisions of the Archdiocese took place, erecting the new Dioceses of Kumbakonam in 1899 and Salem in 1930. In 1928 a great part of the present diocese of Vellore was separated from the Archdiocese of Pondicherry and attached to the Archdiocese of Madras. On a reorganization of the Archdiocese by Rome in 1969, Madurantagam Taluk of Chingleput District was transferred to the Archdiocese of Madras and the Tiruvannamalai Taluk to Vellore .
The Final Formation
As the Archdiocese of Pondicherry extended over the Pondicherry Union territory and the South Arcot District of Madras State, it was given a new title by Rome: "Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore" on 7-8-1953.Originally, the Archdiocese was looking after the ex-French settlements of the Pondicherry Union territory namely Karaikal, Chandranagore, Mahe, and Yanam. Another ex-French settlement was also looked after by the MSFS
Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales
The Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales are a Roman Catholic religious order of men. It was founded in response to the desire of St. Francis de Sales to found a society of missionary priests...
Fathers in Vizagapattinam. Chandranagore was re-allocated to the Archdiocese of Calcutta
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Calcutta is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in India. It was erected as the Apostolic Vicariate of Bengal in 1834 by Pope Gregory XVI, and renamed as the Apostolic Vicariate of Western Bengal in 1850 by Gregory's...
and Mahe to the Diocese of Calicut in Kerala in 1949.
The present Archdiocese of Pondicherry & Cuddalore extends over the Pondicherry and Karaikal Districts of the Pondicherry Union Territory and the Cuddalore district (excluding Chidambaram and kattumannarkoil Taluks) and Villupuram District in Tamil Nadu.
Bishops
There are totally six bishops of the roman catholic church were born in the current jurisdiction of the Archdiocese. They are:- Most Rev. Dr. Ubagarasamy Bernadeth, Bishop of Coimbatore (1940)
- Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mark Gopu, Auxiliary Bishop of Pondicherry (1948), Archbishop of Hyderabad (1953)
- Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Thumma, Bishop of Vijayawada (1970)
- Most Rev. Dr. Michael Duraisamy, Bishop of Salem (1974)
- Most Rev. Dr. Michael Augustine, Auxiliary Bishop of Madras-Mylapore (1978), Bishop of Vellore (1981) and Archbishop of Pondicherry (1992)
- Most Rev. Dr. Yvon Ambrose, Bishop of Tuticorin (2005)
Vicars Apostolic
- Brigot (1776–1791)
- Champenois (1791–1801)
- Hebert (1810–1835)
- Bishop Clément Bonnand, M.E.P. (April 3, 1850 – March 21, 1861) - He was consecrated as a bishop in Our lady of victory church, Oulgaret.
- Godelle (1861–1867)
- Laouenan (1868–1886)
Archbishops
| No. | Name | From | Until | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Archbishop Joseph-Adolphe Gandy, M.E.P. | September 29, 1892 | March 25, 1909 | |
| 2 | Archbishop Elie-Jean-Joseph Morel, M.E.P. | May 11, 1909 | August 16, 1929 | |
| 3 | Archbishop Auguste-Siméon Colas, M.E.P. | June 24, 1930 | October 28, 1955 | Last foreign bishop. Played an important role in forming Catholic Bishops' Conference of India Catholic Bishops' Conference of India The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India is the episcopal conference of the Catholic bishops of India. It was first convened in September 1944, in Madras . Currently the CBCI has 212 members and 38 honorary members, and is headquartered in New Delhi, the capital of India... . A region called Colas Nagar (11.92372°N 79.82652°W) in Pondicherry is named after him for the services he rendered for the people of Pondicherry. |
| 4 | Archbishop Ambrose Rayappan | November 28, 1955 | March 17, 1973 | First Indigenous Archbishop |
| 5 | Archbishop Venmani S. Selvanather | March 17, 1973 | 1992 | He participated in all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council Second Vatican Council The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed... as Church Father |
| 6 | Archbishop Michael Augustine | February 18, 1992 | June 10, 2004 | He was born, ordinated and served as a priest in same diocese. He is the 1st Archbishop of Pondicherry diocese to be named as its ownArchbishop. |
| 7 | Archbishop Antony Anandarayar Antony Anandarayar Monsignor Antony Anandarayar, born on 18 July 1945 in Varadarajanpet , is the current Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore . His Episcopal Motto in Latin is Servire in Fide et in Amore, which means To serve with Faith and Love.He is well versed in Tamil, English,... |
June 10, 2004 | Present |
Suffragan dioceses
Suffragan dioceseSuffragan Diocese
A suffragan diocese is a diocese in the Catholic Church that is overseen not only by its own diocesan bishop but also by a metropolitan bishop. The metropolitan is always an archbishop who governs his own archdiocese...
s under this archdiocese are:
See also
- Giga-Catholic Information
- Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore at Catholic Hierarchy
- Archdiocese official website