The Roman Catholic Diocese of Vijayapuram ( la, Viiayapuramen(sis)) is a

diocese In 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 provinces were administratively associa ...

located in the city of

Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south- ...

in the

Ecclesiastical province An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian Churches with traditional hierarchical structure, including Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity. In general, an ecclesiastical province consists of seve ...

of Verapoly in India.

History

The Diocese of Vijayapuram was established on 14 July 1930 from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Verapoly.

Leadership

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

s of Vijayapuram ( Roman Rite) ** Bishop Sebastian Thekethecheril (8 May 2006 – present) ** Bishop Peter Thuruthikonam (5 May 1988 – 8 May 2006) ** Bishop Cornelius Elanjikal (later Archbishop) (16 January 1971 – 26 January 1987) ** Bishop John Ambrose Abasolo y Lecue, O.C.D. (25 December 1949 – 16 January 1971) ** Bishop Domenico Grassi, P.I.M.E. (3 December 1938 – 9 May 1951) ** Bishop Domenico Grassi, P.I.M.E. (Apostolic Administrator 13 April 1937 – 3 December 1938) ** Bishop Domenico Grassi, P.I.M.E. (1933 – 13 April 1937) ** Bishop

Juan Vicente Arana Idígoras ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...

, O.C.D. (24 March 1931 – 14 June 1946)

History

By the apostolic

Bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions, includin ...

''Ad Christi Nomen'', Pope Pius XI bifurcated the Archdiocese of Verapoly and erected the Diocese of Vijayapuram on 14 July 1930. The headquarters of the diocese is in Kottayam Municipal Town. As there is an Oriental Catholic Diocese named Kottayam since 1887, the formators decided to name the new diocese Vijayapuram, because it was the name of the Panchayath adjacent to Kottayam town and it was the centre of the Church activities of the Diocese. Vijayapuram is characterized by its multiple specialties. It comprises the entire civil districts of

, Idukki and partial portions of the districts of

Alleppey Alappuzha or Alleppey () is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha district in state of Kerala, India. The Backwaters of Alappuzha are one of the most popular tourist attractions in India which attracts millions of domestic and internat ...

, Pathanamthitta, and Ernakulam. Many factors facilitated the formation of this diocese. The presence of Roman Catholics in this area is due to rapid migration from within and outside the state. The first phase of the migration started in the middle of the 18th century when Latin Catholics from the

Diocese of Cochin The Diocese of Cochin ( la, Dioecesis Coccinensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the city of Cochin, India. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdio ...

came to Vaisiambhagom,

Nedumudy Nedumudi is a village in the Alappuzha district of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the birthplace of Malayalam actor Nedumudi Venu. Nedumudi sits on the banks of the river Pamba. It was the first village in Kerala to attain 100% Literacy. ...

, Kanjpadam and its vicinities. The second phase began at the first half of the 19th century, when people from different parishes of

Quilon Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city ...

reached

Maramon Maramon is a small town on the Pampa River, in Thiruvalla Sub-District & Taluk opposite to Kozhencherry in the state of Kerala, India. It is 16 km from the Thiruvalla Town headquarters, the town of Thiruvalla. Maramon Convention M ...

Ranny Ranni or Ranny is a town in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, India, and the 16th largest ''taluk'' (administrative division) in Kerala, located on both sides of the Pamba River.It Is Located 30 km From Thiruvalla Railway Station & NH 183 i ...

, Vanavathukkara,

Thiruvalla Thiruvalla, alternately spelled Tiruvalla, is a town in Kerala and the Headquarters of the Taluk of the same name located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of . It lies on the banks of ...

Changanacherry Changanassery or Changanacherry is a municipal town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India. History The first recorded history on the origin of Changanacherry is obtained from Sangam period literature. According to Sangam era d ...

and Poovam. The third phase started by the second half of the 19th century when the high ranges of the eastern side began to be used for cultivation

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...

. People from Verapoly, Cochin and from different parts of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

settled down in this area for different jobs. The arrival of Brother Rockey Palackal, OCD, at the end of the 19th century geared upon the fourth phase of the history of the Diocese of Vijayapuram. Brother Rockey, as a zealous father, worked hard in Kottayam, Thellakom, Chengalam and Kumarakom and preached the Good News to the native people. He opted to serve the poor, sidelined, marginalized and downtrodden and thus secured the name "Apostle of the Outcastes". The area Church work of the Archdiocese of Verapoly entrusted to the

Carmelites , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Ca ...

was created to be the Diocese of Vijayapuram. The administration was in the hands of the Carmelites of the Navara Province. Languages spoken:

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...

and

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

Revenue districts: Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Alleppey, Pathanamthitta

Statistics

* Diocesan Clergy: 100 * Religious Priests: 39 * Religious Brothers: 14 * Religious Women: 429 * No. of Parishes: 73 * Houses of Women Religious: 58 * Houses of Men Religious: 16

Formation Houses

* Minor Seminaries: 05

Educational Institutions

* B. Ed. Colleges: 01 * Students: 120 * Colleges: 01 * Students: 123 * Technical Institutions: 01 * Students: 25 * Collegiates (P.U.C.): 01 * Students: 73 * Sr. Secondary Schools (10+2): 04 * Students: 1,206 * High Schools (10th std.): 14 * Students: 13,235 * Primary Schools: 39 * Students: 24,909 * Hospitals: 05 * Beds: 250 * Dispensaries: 06 * Beneficiaries (Annual): 80200 * Other Institutions: 39 * Beneficiaries (Annual): 2929

References

External links

*
Vijayapuram Corporate Educational Agency

Vijayapuram Social Service Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vijayapuram Roman Catholic dioceses in India Dioceses in Kerala Christian organizations established in 1930 Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century 1930 establishments in India Churches in Kottayam district