Roman Catholic Diocese of Hyderabad in Pakistan
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hyderabad (Lat: Dioecesis Hyderabadensis in Pakistan) is a diocese
of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church
in Pakistan
.
Erected in 1958, the diocese was split off from the Archdiocese of Karachi.
The diocese comprises parts of the Hyderabad, Larkana and Sukkur Divisions. In the Hyderabad Division: the Districts of Hyderabad, Badin
, Sanghar
, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar
and Thatta
. In the Larkana Division
: the Districts of Jacobabad
and Shikarpur
. In the Sukkur Division: the districts of Sukkur
, Khairpur
and Nawabshah
. The main church is St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Hyderabad
.
In 2001, territory was lost along with additional territory in the Archdiocese of Karachi to form the Apostolic Prefecture of Quetta
. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Karachi.
On September 16, 1988, Fr. Joseph Coutts of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore
was ordained as Coadjutor Bishop of Hyderabad.
The Medical Mission Sisters in Hyderabad diocese, based at St. Teresa's Hospital in Mirpurkhas, have been training midwives since 1971 and implement public health programs in poor villages whose people cannot come to the hospital.
In 1993 the Joty Educational and Cultural Centre for education and intereligious dialogue was established, which aims to build good relations with Muslims, marginalise all forms of integralism and violence and promote social harmony. It was initially opened in a small apartment in Hyderabad. In 2005 it has its own building with classrooms, a hall for prayer and meditation and a refectory. The Centre is directed by Fr. Anjou Soares
.
The current bishop is Max John Rodrigues
, appointed in 1999.
The Golden Jubilee of the diocese was celebrated on Aug. 23 2007. It now has 15 priests serving an estimated 50,000 Catholics. The diocese has 45 educational institutes. Father John Murad was the vicar general of the diocese in 2007.
The diocese also owns St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Hyderabad
, established in 1958 as a non-profit institution. The hospital has a 75 bed capacity. It provides medical care in Hyderabad and nearby Kotri, but also to the tribal people of interior Sindh especially from Badin, Matli and Nagar Parkar, irrespective of caste or creed.
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Erected in 1958, the diocese was split off from the Archdiocese of Karachi.
The diocese comprises parts of the Hyderabad, Larkana and Sukkur Divisions. In the Hyderabad Division: the Districts of Hyderabad, Badin
Badin District
Badin District a district in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The total area of the district is 6,726 square kilometres, according to the 1998 census of Pakistan, it had a population of 1,136,636 of which 16.42% were urban...
, Sanghar
Sanghar District
Sanghar District is one of the largest districts of Sindh province, Pakistan. It is located in the centre of Sindh and is bounded to the east by India. The district capital, Sanghar, is itself a small city roughly east-south-east of the city of Nawabshah and the same distance north of Mirpur...
, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar
Tharparkar District
Tharparkar District is one of twenty three districts of Sindh province in Pakistan. It is headquarters is at Mithi. It has the lowest Human Development Index of all districts in Sindh.-Demography:...
and Thatta
Thatta District
Thatta District is located in the province of Sindh, Pakistan, however it is close to the contested disputed boundary of the Kori Creek. According to the 1998 census of Pakistan, it had a population of 1,113,194 of which 11.21% were urban.-Local government:...
. In the Larkana Division
Larkana Division
Larkana Division was an administrative division of the Sindh Province of Pakistan, until the reforms of 2000 abolished the third tier of government....
: the Districts of Jacobabad
Jacobabad District
Jacobabad District is a district of Sindh, Pakistan. According to the 1998 census it had a population of 1,425,572 of which 24.10% were urban. The city of Jacobabad is the capital of the District.-Administration:...
and Shikarpur
Shikarpur District
Shikarpur district is a district in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The city of Shikarpur is the capital. It is spread over an area of 2,512 km2, according to the 1998 census of Pakistan it had a population of 880,438 of which 23.51% were urban....
. In the Sukkur Division: the districts of Sukkur
Sukkur District
Sukkur district is a district in Sindh Province in Pakistan. It is divided into 4 administrative strata , namely; Sukkur City, Rohri, Saleh Pat and Pano Aqil. Among them Sukkur city and new Sukkur are urban centre while Pano Aqil is famous for having one of largest military cantonment of the country...
, Khairpur
Khairpur District
Khairpur District is a district in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The district has an area of 15,910 square kilometres and is headquartered at the city of Khairpur.-Location:...
and Nawabshah
Nawabshah District
Shaheed Benazirabad District is one of the districts in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. The district was renamed in September 2008 when most of MPAs of Nawabshah demanded renaming the district to honour the late party leader...
. The main church is St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Hyderabad
St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Hyderabad
St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Hyderabad, Pakistan is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hyderabad, 1040 kilometers south of the Capital Islamabad....
.
In 2001, territory was lost along with additional territory in the Archdiocese of Karachi to form the Apostolic Prefecture of Quetta
Apostolic Prefecture of Quetta
The Apostolic Prefecture of Quetta was established on November 9, 2001 from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hyderabad and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi...
. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Karachi.
On September 16, 1988, Fr. Joseph Coutts of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore is an archdiocese in Punjab, Pakistan.-History:It was founded as a diocese on 1 September 1886, having previously been the Vicariate of Punjab. On 23 April 1994 the diocese was elevated to the rank of Archdiocese. Fr...
was ordained as Coadjutor Bishop of Hyderabad.
The Medical Mission Sisters in Hyderabad diocese, based at St. Teresa's Hospital in Mirpurkhas, have been training midwives since 1971 and implement public health programs in poor villages whose people cannot come to the hospital.
In 1993 the Joty Educational and Cultural Centre for education and intereligious dialogue was established, which aims to build good relations with Muslims, marginalise all forms of integralism and violence and promote social harmony. It was initially opened in a small apartment in Hyderabad. In 2005 it has its own building with classrooms, a hall for prayer and meditation and a refectory. The Centre is directed by Fr. Anjou Soares
Anjou Soares
Anjou Soares was born in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1942. He graduated from Karachi University before entering the Christ the King seminary. He was ordained a priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi in 1969....
.
The current bishop is Max John Rodrigues
Max John Rodrigues
Max John Rodrigues was born in Karachi, Pakistan on 29 May 1938. He entered the seminary in 1957 and spent seven years of his priestly formation at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome. He was ordained a priest by Pope Paul VI at St. Peter's Basilica on 6 January 1966...
, appointed in 1999.
The Golden Jubilee of the diocese was celebrated on Aug. 23 2007. It now has 15 priests serving an estimated 50,000 Catholics. The diocese has 45 educational institutes. Father John Murad was the vicar general of the diocese in 2007.
The diocese also owns St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Hyderabad
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Hyderabad
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Hyderabad, is a 75-bed health-care facility established in Pakistan in 1958.-Services:It serves the people of Hyderabad and the lower areas of Sindh province. Not only is it a hospital but a facility for training nurses and midwives to guarantee the future for Pakistani...
, established in 1958 as a non-profit institution. The hospital has a 75 bed capacity. It provides medical care in Hyderabad and nearby Kotri, but also to the tribal people of interior Sindh especially from Badin, Matli and Nagar Parkar, irrespective of caste or creed.
Ordinaries
- James Cornelius van MiltenburgJames Cornelius van MiltenburgJames Cornelius van Miltenburg O.F.M. was the first Archbishop of Karachi, Pakistan from 1950 to 1958. He was also the Holy See's representative to the Pakistani government during this period....
, O.F.M. † (28 Apr 1958 Appointed - 10 Mar 1966 Died) - Bonaventure Patrick PaulBonaventure Patrick PaulBonaventure Patrick Paul was born in Karachi, Pakistan on 26 March 1929. He received his early education at St Patrick's High School, Karachi. He received his religious training under the Order of Friars Minor at the Portiuncula Friary in Karachi, and was ordained a priest in Karachi on 1 March...
, O.F.M. † (13 Apr 1967 Appointed - 1 Sep 1990 Resigned) - Joseph Coutts (1 Sep 1990 Succeeded - 27 Jun 1998 Appointed, Bishop of Faisalabad)
- Max John Rodrigues (3 Dec 1999 Appointed - )