The Roman Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad (Lat: ''Dioecesis Faisalabadensis'') is a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

of the

Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

History

Erected in 1960, as the Diocese of Lyallpur, the diocese was created from the Diocese of Multan. The new diocese comprised the civil districts of Faisalabad (formerly Lyallpur), Sahiwal and Jhang. In 1977, the name of the diocese was changed to the Diocese of Faisalabad. The diocese is a suffragan of the

Archdiocese of Lahore The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lahore is a Latin Metropolitan Archdiocese in Punjab province, Pakistan. Its episcopal seat is the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Lahore. History In 1594 the Mughal emperor Akbar invited some Cath ...

. The Diocese of Faisalabad now comprises the following civil boundaries: the whole of the Faisalabad Division with the districts of Faisalahad,

Jhang Jhang (Punjabi language, Punjabi, ur, ), ) is the capital city of Jhang District, in the central portion of the province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab, Pakistan. Situated on the east bank of the Chenab river, it is the List of most populous c ...

Toba Tek Singh Toba Tek Singh ( pnb, , ur, ) is a city and capital of Toba Tek Singh District in the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is surrounded by cities of Gojra, Kamalia, Rajana, Pir Mahal and Shorkot. History The city and district is named afte ...

and Chiniot. In the

Multan Division Multan Division is an administrative division of Punjab Province, Pakistan. The reforms of 2000 abolished the third tier of government but the division system was restored again in 2008. Districts It consists of the following districts: Histo ...

, the districts of

Sahiwal Sahiwal (Punjabi language, Punjabi and ur, ), formerly known as Montgomery, is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the List of most populous cities in Pakistan, 21st largest city of Pakistan by population and the administrative capital of both ...

Pakpattan Pakpattan (Punjabi and ), often referred to as Pākpattan Sharīf (; ''"Noble Pakpattan"''), is the capital city of the Pakpattan District, located in Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the 48th largest city of Pakistan by population according ...

and Okara. The Diocese of Faisalabad covers a 35,300 km2 area and is home to about 189,000 Catholics in 28 parishes. The

Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul The Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul is the main church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad, 250 kilometers south of Islamabad, Pakistan. The cathedral has played a significant role in promoting harmony and understanding between the nat ...

is the main church of the diocese. The

Focolare Movement The Focolare Movement is an international organization that promotes the ideals of unity and universal brotherhood. Founded in Trent, northern Italy, in 1943 by Chiara Lubich as a Catholic movement, it remains largely Roman Catholic but has st ...

was introduced into Pakistan in 1968 via the Faisalabad diocese by Father Juliano Ricchiardi, an Italian priest serving at the National Catechists' Training Centre in Khushpur. As of 2008, according to local sources, the movement in Pakistan counted 18 Focolarinas, 11 Focolarinos and about 400 other affiliated members including lay people, nuns and priests. Focolare is a Catholic lay movement whose name means "family hearth" present in more than 180 countries and involving more than 2 million people. The movement was recognized by the Catholic Church under the official name "Work of Mary." The

St. Thomas the Apostle Minor Seminary St. Thomas the Apostle Minor Seminary is the preparatory seminary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad in Pakistan. It was started in 1981 at the initiative of Bishop Paul Andreotti OP in a rented property at Nalka Kohala on Sargodha Road ...

is the preparatory seminary of the diocese.

Joseph Coutts Joseph Coutts (born 21 July 1945) is a Pakistani prelate of the Catholic Church, who served as Archbishop of Karachi from 2012 to 2021. He served as Bishop of Faisalabad from 1998 to 2012. Pope Francis created Coutts a cardinal on 28 June ...

, appointed in 1998, was bishop until June 2012, when he was named Archbishop of Karachi.

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

created Coutts a cardinal priest in the consistory of 28 June 2018, assigning him the titular church of San Bonaventura da Bagnoregio. The biggest Catholic village in Pakistan, Khushpur, is also located in the diocese. It celebrated its centenary in 2001. Father Parvez Emmanuel was the parish priest at the time. The village has about 7,000 Catholics and produced one bishop, John Joseph of Faisalabad, 20 priests and more than 100 nuns. On New Year’s Day 2008 the diocese inaugurated a Quit Drugs Treatment Center, which offered free treatment and residential facilities to heroin users. The Center accommodates twenty recovering addicts, located beside Holy Rosary Church in Faisalabad. It is the only Church-affiliated drug treatment center in Faisalabad diocese. The center employs 15 people full- or part-time including the doctor, a physical therapist, two nurses, and clerical and maintenance staff. ''The Universal Living Rosary Association of St. Philomena USA'' (ULRA) is also located in the diocese. Rosaries, Medals, Scapulars, Holy Oil, St. Philomena Cord and other printed material are given free of cost. A quarterly newsletter is published by ULRA Pakistan. Afzaal Anwar Khokhar is the ULRA representative for Pakistan. The head office in Pakistan is in Barkatpura, Faisalabad. On 30 July 2009, tensions arose in the Christian village of Korian after pages containing Islamic inscriptions were found in front of a Christian home. Muslims accused a family there of blasphemy against Islam. On 1 Aug. 2009, a Muslim mob raided a Christian settlement in Gojra vandalizing and looting houses and causing the deaths of eight people and injuries to many others. Fifty Christian homes were destroyed. Pope

Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

expressed profound sorrow in 2009 at anti-Christian riots in Pakistan and appealed to everyone to renounce violence and take up again the path of peace. He communicated this message in a telegram to Bishop Coutts. On 4 August 2009, Fr.

Rufin Anthony Rufin Anthony (12 February 1940 – 17 October 2016) was a Pakistani Roman Catholic bishop. Early life Anthony was born in Khushpur, Lyallpur District, British India (now in Faisalabad District, Pakistan). He completed his primary and secondary ...

, the former vicar general of Faisalabad diocese, was appointed coadjutor bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi. On 17 April 2010 the diocese organized a ceremony to celebrate its Golden Jubilee. Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan, Bishop

(Faisalabad), Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha (Lahore), and Bishop Andrew Francis (Multan) spoke on the occasion. On 29 April 2010 Pope Benedict XVI elevated the

Apostolic Prefecture of Quetta The Apostolic Vicariate of Quetta ( la, Vicariatus Apostolicus Quettensis), originally the Apostolic Prefecture of Quetta, is a Latin Church missionary territory or apostolic vicariate of the Catholic Church in Pakistan. It comprises the civil pr ...

to the rank of apostolic vicariate. He appointed Fr.

Victor Gnanapragasam Father Victor Gnanapragasam O.M.I. (21 November 1940 – 12 December 2020) was the first prefect of the Catholic Apostolic Prefecture of Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. Early life and education He was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka to Sri Lankan Tamil ...

OMI as apostolic vicar of the new ecclesiastical circumscription and the titular bishop of Timida. Fr. Victor was parish priest in Toba Tek Singh in this Diocese from 1978 to 1980, 1982- to 1986 and 1992 to 1993. In 2014 Faisalabad diocese had 46 priests working in 23 parishes.

on 3 July 2013 appointed Fr. Joseph Arshad as the bishop of the Faisalabad Diocese. On June 29, 2019

appointed Father Joseph Indrias Rehmat (born in the Diocese of Faisalabad), at the time Dean of the National Catholic Institute of Theology, as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad.Agenzia Fides 1 July 2019
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Educational institutions

The Diocese has over 2,000 teachers working in 62 educational Institutions. * La Salle High School Faisalabad *St. Catherine's High School, Faisalabad * St. Peter's High School *St. Albert's High School, Gojra * Convent of Jesus and Mary *

St. Joseph's Technical Institute, Faisalabad St. Joseph's Technical Institute is a Pakistani vocational school for motor mechanics, welders and electricians in Faisalabad, Punjab. History and operations The institute to train school dropouts was the dream of Father Clement Sethupathy, a S ...

*Convent Girls High School 6/4-L, Okara *Convent Boys High School 6/4-L, Okara *Convent degree College 6/4-L, Okara

Hospitals

St. Raphael's Hospital St. Raphael's Hospital is the largest general and maternity hospital in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad. It was founded by Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth in 1907. History In December 1947, Bi ...

Ordinaries

*Francesco Benedetto Cialeo, O.P. † (13 Apr 1960 Appointed - 8 Sep 1976 Retired) *Paolo Vieri Andreotti, O.P. † (8 Sep 1976 Appointed - 9 Jan 1984 Resigned) * John Joseph † (9 Jan 1984 Appointed - 6 May 1998 Died) *

(27 June 1998 Appointed - 25 January 2012) *Rufin Anthony † (Diocesan Administrator) (26 January 2012 – 2 July 2013) *

Joseph Arshad Joseph Arshad (born August 25, 1964) is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi in Pakistan. Biography Arshad was born on August 25, 1964, in Lahore. After completing school, he began his priestly education at St. Mary's Minor Semi ...

(3 July 2013 – 8 December 2017); transferred to Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi *

Joseph Indrias Rehmat Joseph Indrias Rehmat (born 1 July 1966) is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Faisalabad in Pakistan. On June 29, 2019 Pope Francis appointed Father Joseph Indrias Rehmat, of the Diocese of Faisalabad, currently Dean of the National Catholic Institu ...

(29 June 2019 - )

References

External links