Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Roman Catholic Diocese of Kottar

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Metropolitan
  
Madurai

Denomination
  
Roman Catholic

Established
  
26 May 1930

Phone
  
04652 279 752

Patron saint
  
Francis Xavier

Parishes
  
170

Rite
  
Latin Rite

Area
  
1,665 km²

Country
  
India

Roman Catholic Diocese of Kottar

Population - Total - Catholics
  
(as of 2004) 1,720,250 477,174 (27.7%)

Address
  
Bishop's House PB 17, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari District, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 629001

Cathedral
  
St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar

Ecclesiastical province
  
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madurai

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kottar (Latin: Kottaren(sis), Tamil: கோட்டாறு மறைமாவட்டம்) is a diocese located at Kottar in the town of Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu. It comes under the ecclesiastical province of Madurai.

Contents

History

Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier (Kottar) was built by St. Francis Xavier in 1544 AD. The cathedral was rebuilt in 1603, expanded in both 1713 and 1806. The Kottar parish was a constituent of Malabar Vicariate since 1657 AD and came under Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Verapoly. Again it became the southern center of Diocese of Quilon when it was formed in 1853 AD. Diocese of Kollam was again bifurcated and the Diocese of Kottar was established on May 26, 1930 AD. Due to linguistic reasons as per reorganization of States, Kottar diocese was formally detached from Archdiocese of Verapoly (Kerala) and attached with Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madurai (Tamil Nadu) in 1963. Devasahayam Pillai, a martyr of the christian faith, was born (1712 AD) and martyred (1752 AD) here.

Oldest churches

  • Amalagiri church dedicated to Mother Mary in Thiruvithancode built by Thomas the Apostle in 57 AD. It is also called Thiruvithamcode Arappally which is, however, under the administration of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church at present.
  • St. Xavier′s Church, Kottar -the Cathedral Church of Kottar diocese built in 1600 AD, over the small chapel originally built by St. Francis Xavier in 1544 AD.

    • List of bishops of Kottar

  • Bishop Peter Remigius (June 30, 2007 – present)
  • Bishop Leon Augustine Tharmaraj (November 14, 1988 – January 16, 2007)
  • Bishop Marianus Arokiasamy (later Archbishop) (November 23, 1970 – July 3, 1987)
  • Bishop Thomas Roch Agniswami, S.J. (January 5, 1939 – November 23, 1970)
  • Bishop Lorenzo Pereira (May 26, 1930 – January 7, 1938)
  • Bishop Aloysius Benziger

    • References

    Roman Catholic Diocese of Kottar Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA