Roman Catholic Diocese of Malacca Johor

Updated on Sep 24, 2024

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Parishes 23 Rite Roman Rite Pope Francis Country Malaysia		Sui iuris church Latin Church Established 18 December 1972 Area 20,364 km²

Population - Total - Catholics (as of 2013) 3,643,000 38,970 (1.2%) Ecclesiastical province Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan archbishop Julian Leow Beng Kim (2014-current) Cathedrals Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Johor Bahru, Johor Bahru

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Malacca-Johor (Latin: Dioecesis Melakanus-Giohoranus) is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the Ecclesiastical province of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. It is located in the southern region of Malaysia, administering two peninsular states, namely Malacca and Johor(e).

The mother church is the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Johor Bahru, Johor(e); there is also a former Cathedral, now Church of St. Peter, in Melaka.

History

Established on 4 February 1558 as the Diocese of Malacca–Johor(e) Diocese of Malacca on territory split off from the then Diocese of Goa, within the Portuguese colonial empire.

It became suffragan (other being Roman Catholic Diocese of Cochin) to the promoted Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Goa

Lost territory on 23 January 1576 to establish the Roman Catholic Diocese of Macau 澳門(continental China)

Lost territory in 1712 to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Islands of the Indian Ocean

1838: Suppressed, its territory being joined with Siam

Restored on 10 September 1841, albeit again with pre-diocesan status and exempt, as the Apostolic Vicariate of Western Siam, on territory split off from the then Apostolic Vicariate of Siam

Promoted on 19 August 1888 as the [1] Diocese of Malacca

Promoted on 19 September 1953 as (non-metropolitan) Archdiocese of Malacca

25 February 1955: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Malacca-Singapore, having lost territories to establish the Dioceses of Kuala Lumpur (now its Metropolitan) and of Penang

On 18 December 1972, the diocese was demoted and renamed as the Diocese of Malacca-Johor, when the Archdiocese of Malacca-Singapore was split into the Archdiocese of Singapore and this diocese. Rt. Rev James Chan was appointed as the first Bishop.

On 27 May 1985, its name was changed to the Diocese of Melaka-Johor. The diocese is suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.

On 13 February 2003, Rt. Rev Paul Tan Chee Ing, SJ was appointed as the second Bishop of the Melaka-Johor Diocese.

On 19 November 2015, the Vatican appointed Rt. Rev Anthony Bernard Paul as the third Bishop of this Diocese.

Ordinaries

Suffragan bishops of the (First) Diocese of Malacca

Jorge de Santa Luzia, Dominican Order (O.P.) (1558-1576)

João Ribeiro Gaio (1589 - death 1601)

Gonçalvo (Gonzalo) da Silva (1613-1632), later Bishop of Ceuta (Spain) (1632.09.06 – 1645) and Apostolic Prefect of Marocco (Morocco) (1632.09.06 – death 1649.02.16)

Gregório dos Anjos (? – 1677.08.30 not possessed), later Bishop of São Luís do Maranhão (Brazil) (1677.08.30 – death 1689.05.11)

Antonio a S. Theresia, Friars Minor (O.F.M.) (1691-????)

? Emmanuel a S. Antonio, O.P. (1701-1738)

Antonius de Castro (1738.09.03 – death 1743.08.09)

Miguel de Bulhões e Souza, O.P. (1746.03.28 – 1747.12.08), later Coadjutor Bishop of Belém do Pará (Brazil) (1747.12.08 – 1748.05.18), succeeding as Bishop of Belém do Pará (1748.05.18 – 1760.03.24), finally Bishop of Leiria (Portugal) (1760.03.24 – death 1779.09.14)

Gerardus a S. Joseph, O.P. (1748.02.19 – death 1760.01)

Alexandre da Sagrada Familia Ferreira da Silva, O.F.M. (1782.12.16 – 1785.02.14), later Bishop of São Paulo de Loanda (Angola) (1785.02.14 – 1787.11.23), Bishop of Angra (Portugal) (1815.12.18 – death 1818.04.23)

Francisco de São Damazo Abreu Vieira, O.F.M. (1804.10.29 – 1815.03.15), later Metropolitan Archbishop of São Salvador da Bahia (Brazil) (1815.03.15 – 1816.11.18)

Apostolic Vicars of Malacca-Singapore

Jean-Paul-Hilaire-Michel Courvezy, Paris Foreign Missions Society (M.E.P.) (1841.09.10 – 1844.09.07), Titular Bishop of Bitha (1832.04.05 – death 1857.05.01); previously Coadjutor Apostolic Vicar of Siam (Thailand) (1832.04.05 – 1834.03.30) succeeded as Apostolic Vicar of Siam (1834.03.30 – 1841.09.10)

Jean-Baptiste Boucho, M.E.P. (1845.06.03 – 1871.03.06), Titular Bishop of Attalia (1845.06.10 – 1871.03.06)

Michel-Esther Le Turdu, M.E.P. (1871.03.06 – death 1877.05.10), Titular Bishop of Corycus (1871.01.23 – 1877.05.10), succeeding as former Coadjutor Apostolic Vicar of Western Siam (1871.01.23 – 1871.03.06)

Edouard Gasnier, M.E.P. (1878.03.28 – 1888.08.19 see below), Titular Bishop of Eucarpia (1878.03.28 – 1888.08.19)

Suffragan Bishops of the (Second) Diocese of Malacca

Edouard Gasnier, M.E.P. (1888.08.19 – death 1896.04.08)

René-Michel-Marie Fée, M.E.P. (1896.07.21 – death 1904.01.20)

Marie-Luc-Alphonse-Emile Barillon, M.E.P. (1904.05.10 – 1933.01.10), emeritate as Titular Bishop of Thaumacus (1933.01.10 – 1935.07.27)

Adrien Pierre Devals, M.E.P. (1933.11.27 – death 1945.01.17)

Michel Olçomendy, M.E.P. (1947.01.21 – 1953.09.19 see below)

Archbishop of Malacca

Michel Olçomendy, M.E.P. (see above 1953.09.19 – 1955.02.25 see below)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Malacca-Singapore

Michel Olçomendy, M.E.P. (see above 1955.02.25 – 1972.12.18), also President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei (1964 – 1969); later Archbishop of Singapore (Singapore) (1972.12.18 – 1976)

Suffragan Bishop of Malacca-Johor

James Chan Soon Cheong (1972.12.18 – 1985 see below)

Suffragan Bishops of Melaka-Johor

James Chan Soon Cheong (see above 1985 - retired 2001.12.10)

Paul Tan Chee Ing, SJ (2003.02.13 – retired 2015.11.19), also President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei (2011.01.01 – 2012.08)

Anthony Bernard Paul (12 January 2016–present)

List of parishes

There are 3 districts: South Johor, North Johor and Malacca. There are currently 20 churches being administered under 17 parishes.

South Johor Vicariate Forane

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Johor Bahru

Church of the Immaculate Conception, Johor Bahru

Church of Christ the King, Kulai

Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Pekan Nanas

Church of St. Joseph, Plentong, Masai, Johor Bahru

Church of St. Theresa, Masai, Johor Bahru

Church of the Holy Family, Ulu Tiram

Church of St. Elizabeth, Kota Tinggi

Church of St. Peter, Mersing

North Johor Vicariate Forane

Church of St. Louis, Kluang

Church of St. Philip, Segamat

Church of St. Anthony, Cha'ah

Church of St. Simon, Labis

Church of St. Henry, Batu Pahat

Church of St. Andrew, Muar

Church of St. Matthew, Tangkak

Malacca Vicariate Forane

Church of St. Francis Xavier, Malacca Town

St. Peter's Church, Malacca

Church of St. Theresa, Gajah Berang

Church of St. Mary, Ayer Salak

References

Roman Catholic Diocese of Malacca-Johor Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Contents

History

Ordinaries

List of parishes

References