The Roman Catholic Diocese of Jammu–Srinagar () 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, prov ...
located in the cities of
Jammu
Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...
and
Srinagar
Srinagar (; ) is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary ...
in the
ecclesiastical province
An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian churches, including those of both Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity, that have traditional hierarchical structures. An ecclesiastical province consist ...
of
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
in India.
History
Catholicism dates back to 1887 in Jammu and Kashmir. The
Apostolic Prefecture of Kafirstan and Kashmir was erected from the
Diocese of Lahore in 1887. The Prefecture, composed of
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...
,
Kashmir
Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...
and
Ladakh
Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a Kashmir#Kashmir dispute, dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India an ...
, was looked after by the
Mill Hill Missionary. Msgr. Ignatius Brouwer MHM was appointed as the first Prefect Apostolic with Rawalpindi as his headquarters. The Apostolic prefecture of Kashmir and Jammu was created on 17 January 1952. Msgr. George Shanks MHM was appointed as the Prefect Apostolic. On 4 May 1968 the Prefecture was renamed as Apostolic Prefecture of Jammu and Kashmir. The Prefecture was entrusted to the Capuchins of St. Joseph's Province, Kerala in 1978 and Rev.
Fr. Hippolytus Kunnunkal OFM Cap., was appointed as the first Indian Prefect Apostolic. Prefecture was converted into a Diocese in 1986 and Fr. Hippolytus Kunnunkal OFM Cap was appointed the first Bishop.
Present
The diocese currently comprises four regions:
# Jammu Region
# Kashmir Region
# Ladakh Region
# Poonch Region
Leadership
**Msgr. Ignatius Brouwer MHM, Prefect of Kafristan & Kashmir - (1887 - 1894)
**Msgr. Reyndes MHM, Prefect Of Kafristan & Kashmir - (1894 - 1899)
**Msgr. Wagener MHM, Prefect Of Kafristan & Kshmir - (1899 - 1914)
**Msgr. Winkley MHM, Prefect Of Kafristan & Kashmir - (1914 - 1933)
**Msgr. O' Donhoe MHM, Prefect of Kafristan & Kashmir - (1933 - 1943)
**Msgr. Mayer MHM, Pro-Prefect Of Kafristan & Kashmir - (1943 - 1952)
**Msgr. George shanks MHM, Prefect Apostolic of Kashmir & Jammu - (1952 - 1962)
**Msgr. John Boerkamp MHM, Prefect Apostolic of Kashmir & Jammu - (1962 - 1978)
**
Msgr. Hippolytus Kunnankal OFM Cap. Prefect Apostolic of Kashmir & Jammu - (1978 - 1986)
**
Most Rev. Hippolytus, Kunnunkal OFM Cap., Bishop of Jammu - Srinagar Diocese - (1986 - 1998)
**
Most Rev. Peter Celestine OFM Cap., Bishop of Jammu - Srinagar Diocese - (1998 - 2014)
**
Most Rev. Ivan Pereira, Bishop of Jammu - Srinagar Diocese - (2014–present)
References
GCatholic.org
External links
Catholic Diocese of Jammu–Srinagar website
Roman Catholic dioceses in India
Christianity in Jammu and Kashmir
Christian organizations established in 1952
Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century
1952 establishments in India
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