Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore

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Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore

Archidioecesis Madraspolitanus et Meliaporensis

சென்னை-மயிலை உயர்மறைமாவட்டம்
Santhome Basilica.jpg
Location
Country India
TerritoryTamil Nadu
Ecclesiastical province Madras and Mylapore
Metropolitan Chennai
Statistics
Area3,160 km2 (1,220 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics
(as of 2018)
9,760,300
661,740 (5.6%)
Information
Denomination Roman Catholic
Rite Latin Rite
Established13 November 1952 (Papal Bull, ‘Ex Primaevae Ecclesiae’ by Pope Pius XII)
Cathedral St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, Santhome
Co-cathedralSt. Mary of the Angels Co-Cathedral, Georgetown
Secular priests 152
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Metropolitan Archbishop George Antonysamy
Vicar GeneralFr. Stanley Sebastian
Bishops emeritus Malayappan Chinnappa (2005-2012)

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore/Madras and Myliapor (Latin : Madraspolitan(us) et Meliaporen(sis)) is an archdiocese based in the city of Madras (now Chennai), in India. It took also the name of the ancient diocese of Mylapore, now a part of Chennai. [1]

Contents

History

Leadership

Archbishop George Antonysamy the present Archbishop of Chennai and Mylapore Chennai Bishop.jpg
Archbishop George Antonysamy the present Archbishop of Chennai and Mylapore

George Antonysamy is appointed as the Archbishop of Historical Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras–Mylapore on 21st November 2012. He was installed as the 6th Archbishop of Madras–Mylapore on 27th January 2013.

Episcopal ordinaries

Archbishops of Madras and Mylapore (Latin Rite)

Metropolitan Archbishops of Madras (Latin Rite)

Vicars Apostolic of Madras

Seat of Power

Santhome Cathedral

Santhome church Santhome spire and church sideview.jpg
Santhome church

San Thome Church, officially known as St Thomas Cathedral Basilica and National Shrine of Saint Thomas, is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church and the Seat of power of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore in India, at the Santhome neighbourhood of Chennai, in Tamil Nadu. The present structure dates to 1523 AD, when it was rebuilt by the Portuguese over what was believed to be the tomb of Thomas the Apostle. In 1896, it was renovated in the Madras province according to neo-Gothic designs, as was favoured by British architects in the late 19th century.

St.Mary's Co-Cathedral

St. Mary's Co-cathedral Church, Armenian Street, Chennai. St. Mary's Co-cathedral Church, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in India.jpg
St. Mary's Co-cathedral Church, Armenian Street, Chennai.

St. Mary's Co-Cathedral is a Catholic church in Armenian StreetChennaiIndia. Constructed by Capuchins in 1658, it is one of the oldest churches in the former British India. For a long time Cathedral of the diocese it received the title of co-cathedral when the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore was transferred to San Thome Basilica.

Archbishop House

Madras-Mylapore Archbishop House located in Santhome, Chennai. Santhome bishop house.jpg
Madras-Mylapore Archbishop House located in Santhome, Chennai.

The Archbishop House is located in Santhome, Mylapore in Chennai next to the San Thome Basilica. The Archbishop house is the residence of the head and Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore.

Ecclesiastical province

Patron Saints

Saint Thomas the Apostle

Saint Thomas the Apostle, is the primary patron of this Archdiocese. According to tradition, Saint Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ walked on the sands of Mylapore and preached the Gospel to the people who embraced Christianity. This great Apostle was martyred on St.Thomas Mount, near Mylapore in the year 72 AD and his mortal remains were buried in Santhome in the Church built by him.

Saints and causes for canonisation

Religious congregations, societies and institutes

Religious institutes of men

Related Research Articles

A co-cathedral is a cathedral church which shares the function of being a bishop's seat, or cathedra, with another cathedral, often in another city. Instances of this occurred in England before the Protestant Reformation in the dioceses of 'Bath and Wells', and of 'Coventry and Lichfield'. These two dioceses were each named for both cities that served as bishop's seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mylapore</span> Neighbourhood of Chennai

Mylapore, or Thirumayilai, is a neighbourhood in the central part of the city of Chennai, India. It is one of the oldest residential parts of the city. The locality is claimed to be the birthplace of the celebrated Tamil philosopher Valluvar, and the Hindu saint and philosopher, Peyalvar. It is also believed by Christians to be the place of martyrdom of St. Thomas the Apostle, who preached along the Malabar Coast, and established the Malankara Nasrani community.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Church in India</span>

The Catholic Church in India is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the leadership of the Pope. There are over 20 million Catholics in India, representing around 1.55% of the total population, and the Catholic Church is the single largest Christian church in India. There are 10,701 parishes that make up 174 dioceses and eparchies, which are organised into 29 ecclesiastical provinces. Of these, 132 dioceses are of the Latin Church, 31 of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and 11 of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. Despite the very small population that Indian Catholics make up percentage wise, India still has the second-largest Christian population in Asia after the Catholic Church in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, Chennai</span> Church in Tamil Nadu, India

San Thome Church, officially known as St Thomas Cathedral Basilica and National Shrine of Saint Thomas, is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church in India, at the Santhome neighbourhood of Chennai, in Tamil Nadu. The present structure dates back to 1523 AD, when it was built by the Portuguese over the tomb of Thomas the Apostle. In 1896, it was renovated in the Madras province according to neo-Gothic designs, as was favoured by British architects in the late 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santhome</span> Neighbourhood in Chennai District, Tamil Nadu, India

Santhome is a locality in Mylapore in Chennai city in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Perth</span> Catholic ecclesiastical territory

The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Perth is a Latin Church metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia covering the Greater Perth, Goldfields-Esperance, Peel and Wheatbelt regions of Western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore</span> Catholic archdiocese in Pondicherry and Cuddalore, India

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shillong</span> Roman Catholic archdiocese in Meghalaya, India

The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Shillong is a Roman Catholic archdiocese with its jurisdiction in the two district of Ri Bhoi and East khasi Hills State of Meghalaya, in northeastern India. The Archdiocese of Shillong is also the metropolitan diocese of the Province of Shillong, an ecclesiastical province in Northeast India. It serves 346,060 followers in 43 parishes under 7 zones in the 2 districts. The rural parishes are usually divided into sub districts and further into "balang shnong" or village churches while urban parishes are divided into CMCs and balang dong in the district. The Archdiocese usually organised programmes,teaching and worship at Diocese level, Zonal Level, Parish level, CMC/ village level and Small Christian communities or Kynhun Balang barit (KBB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Vellore</span> Roman Catholic diocese in Tamil Nadu, India

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Vellore is a diocese located in the city of Vellore in the ecclesiastical province of Madras and Mylapore in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Light Church, Chennai</span> Catholic shrine in India

Church of Our Lady of Light is a Catholic shrine in Chennai, India. The locals commonly call it Luz Church, which derives from the Portuguese name Nossa Senhora da Luz. Built in 1516 by the Portuguese, it is one of the oldest Churches in the city and its foundation stone marks as one of the oldest European monuments in India. The history of the church dates back to the 16th-century legend of safe arrival to land by missionaries. The church is located very near to the Santhome Basilica, where Apostle Thomas is believed to be buried.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in Tamil Nadu</span>

Christianity in the state of Tamil Nadu, India is the second largest religion in the state. According to tradition, St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles, landed in Malabar Coast in AD 52. In the colonial age many Portuguese, Dutch, British and Italian Christians came to Tamil Nadu. Priests accompanied them not only to minister the colonisers but also to spread the Christian faith among the non-Christians in Tamil Nadu. Currently, Christians are a minority community comprising 6% of the total population. Christians are mainly concentrated in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu - Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conference of Catholic Bishops of India</span> Assembly of Latin Catholic bishops

The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) is the national episcopal conference of the bishops of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in India, functioning in accordance with canon 447. There are 132 Latin Catholic dioceses in the country, and 190 active and retired bishops are the members of the CCBI. This is the largest bishops' conference in Asia and the fourth-largest in the world. The CCBI is a member of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Mathias</span>

Louis Mathias was the first Catholic bishop of Shillong who later became the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore (1935-1952). He belonged to Salesian congregation and came as a missionary to India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's Co-Cathedral, Chennai</span>

St. Mary's Co-Cathedral is a Catholic church in Armenian Street, Chennai, India. Constructed by Capuchins in 1658, it is one of the oldest churches in the former British India. For a long time Cathedral of the diocese it received the title of co-cathedral when the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore was transferred to San Thome Basilica.

Ephrem de Nevers was a native of Nevers, France. He was a Capuchin Franciscan priest and the first Christian missionary in Madras (Chennai), Tamil Nadu, India. De Nevers founded the first Christian mission in Madras on June 8, 1642, and was appointed the first Prefect Apostolic of Madras Capuchin Mission. Initially, it was known under the name the Apostolic Prefecture of Fort St. George. He served for 53 years as a missionary and died in Madras on October 13, 1695.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antony Devotta</span> Roman Catholic bishop (1943–2019)

Antony Devotta was the ninth bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tiruchirappalli of the Ecclesiastical Province of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.

References

  1. "Rinuncia dell'arcivescovo di Madras and Mylapore (India) e nomina del successore" (in Italian). The Vatican. Archived from the original on 28 November 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Saints & Blessed – CCBI" . Retrieved 17 October 2019.

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