Ecclesiastical Details

Archdiocese of Pondicherry - Cuddalore
Heirarchy of the Diocese
Rite:
 Latin
Population:
 6152000
 
Status:
 Archdiocese
Catholics:
385085
 
Founded:
Diocesan Priests:
 203
  Total area:
7086 sq kms
Religious Priests:
 49
 
Province:
Pondicherry-Cuddalore
Religious Sisters:
 1021
 
Region:
Tamil Nadu
Seminarians:
 30
  Patron:
Our Lady of Immaculate Conception
  Languages: Tamil English and French
  Civil States: Pondicherry and Karaikal in Pondicherry state Cuddalore and Villupuram in Tamil Nadu state
Contact Archdiocese Office :
 Archbishops House 206 Cathedral StreetPondicherry - 605 001
Telephone 1:
 0413-23 34 748 23 39 911 / 42 01 503
Fax:
42 01 503
 
E-Mail Office:
 archbishoppondicherry@yahoocoin
Website:
 
Most Rev. Rev Francis Kalist, Archbishop of Pondicherry - Cuddalore
Name:
 Most Rev. Rev Francis Kalist
Designation:
 Archbishop   Canonical Possession: 2022
Telephone (P):
E-mail (P):
 
Other Present & Retired Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Pondicherry - Cuddalore
 
Pilgrim Centres in theArchdiocese of Pondicherry - Cuddalore
 
Ecclesiastical Institutions
  
Social / Charitable Institutions / Care Centres
Educational Institutions
Parishes:
103
  
Hospitals:
9
    
Degree Colleges:
13
Major Seminaries:
 
Orphanages:
25
    
Technical Training Centres:
10
Minor Seminaries:
2
  
Special Schools:
1
    
High Schools:
41
Monastries:
 
Crèches:
2
    
Lower Primary Schools:
99
Convents:
149
  
Counselling Centres:
   
Presses & Media Centres:
Formation Houses:
6
  
Social Centres:
8
    
Professional Colleges:
Retreat Centres:
 
Dispensaries / Clinics:
23
    
Parallel Colleges:
 
Physically Challenged:
   
Higher Secondary :
41
       
Boarding Houses:
24
    
Upper Primary Schools:
15
       
HIV / AIDS Centres:
   
Nurseries/Pre-Primary :
       
De-addiction Centres:
       
          Aged & Destitute: 5        
     
       
History of the Archdiocese of Pondicherry - Cuddalore
  

The great ancestor of our Archdiocese is the Carnatic Church work which was started around the year 1700 This Carnatic Church work was known as Church work of the Coromandel Coast and also as the Malabar Church work

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Before the establishment of the Carnatic Church work in 1700 the Jesuit Fathers of the Madurai Church work especially St John de Britto came into the Gingee Kingdom after 1660 and preached the Gospel up to the Palar river South of Madras Also some religious belonging to various orders looked after the spiritual needs of the European communities to a certain extent in their trading centres along the coastal area like Cuddalore Porto Novo etc The French Capuchins first settled in Pondicherry in 1674 and the French Jesuits expelled from Siam (Thailand) also took refuge in Pondicherry in 1693 But in 1693 the Dutch chased away all the religious from Pondicherry and they could come back only in 1699 While the Capuchins were looking after the Europeans in Pondicherry the French Jesuits organized the Carnatic Church work for the Indian people -

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Boundaries of Carnatic Church work


The boundaries of the Carnatic Church work were as follows: on the south and west the Pennaiyar River beyond which were the Madurai Church work and the Mysore Church work - on the east the Bay of Bengal and on the north Kurnool including the Krishna and Godavari areas near the sea shore

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The Church work affected badly

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The continual wars in the 18th century the ruin of Pondicherry town in 1761 and the suppression of the Society of Jesus in 1773 hit badly this vast Carnatic Church work -

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Jesuits replaced by Foreign Church work Fathers

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In 1776 the French Jesuit fathers were replaced at the order of Rome by the Foreign Church work French Fathers Although the bishop of these new Fathers had all the power of jurisdiction he was not titled --Vicar Apostolic- but only --Superior of the Church work of the Coromandel Coast- Rome successively gave him jurisdiction over the other Church work in the Madurai Coimbatore and Mysore areas affected by the suppression of the Society of Jesus -So around 1800 the extent of the Carnatic Church work was immense although the workers were very few

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Reorganization

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The Carnatic Church work was reorganized when new Vicariates Apostolic were created: Vicariate Apostolic of Madras in 1832 of Madurai in 1836 - 46 and the Vicariates of Visakapattnam Mysore and Coimbatore in1845 - 50 -

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The First Vicar Apostolic and First Archbishop-

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Pondicherry became a Vicariate Apostolic of the Coromandel Church work on September 1 1836 with Msgr Bonnand as the first Vicar Apostolic This Vicariate Apostolic was raised to an Archbishopric on June 17 1887 with Msgr Laouenan as the first Archbishop

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Subdivisions of the Archdiocese -

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Subsequently subdivisions of the Archdiocese took place erecting the new Dioceses of Kumbakonam in1899 of Vellore in 1928 and Salem in 1930 On a reorganization of the diocese by Rome in1969 Kanjeevaram and Madurantagam taluks of Chinglepet district were transferred to the Archdiocese of Madras and the Tiruvannamalai Taluk to Vellore

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The New Name

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As the Archdiocese of Pondicherry extended over the Pondicherry Union territory and the South Arcot district of Madras state it was given a new title by Rome: -Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore- on August 7 1953

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The extent of the present Archdiocese

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Originally this Archdiocese was looking after the ex -French settlements of the Pondicherry Union territory namely Karaikal Chandranagore Mahe Yanam another ex-French settlement which was always looked after by the MSFS Fathers of Vizagapattinam -Chandranagore was re-allocated to the Archdiocese of Calcutta and Mahe to the Diocese of Calicut in Kerala in 1949 The present Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore extends over the Pondicherry and Karaikal districts of the Pondicherry union territory and the taluks of Cuddalore Panruti Vridhachalam Tittagudi and Chidambaram (exclusive of area south of the river Vellar) of the south Arcot district and the Villupuram Gingee Tindivanam Vanur Tirukovilur Ulundurpet Kallakurichi and Sankarpuram taluks of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu-
 
Prelates of the Archdiocese of Pondicherry - Cuddalore
Bishops NamePrelate's StatusPeriodBishops NamePrelate's StatusPeriod
Archbishop 2004-2021 Archbishop 1992-2004
Archbishop 1973-1992 Archbishop 1955-1973
Bishop 1954-1955 Bishop 1953-1954
Bishop 1948-1953 Archbishop 1930-1955
Archbishop 1909-1929 Archbishop 1892-1909
Archbishop 1886-1892 Bishop 1883-1889
Bishop 1868-1886 Bishop 1861-1867
Bishop 1857-1861 Bishop 1836-1861
Bishop 1833-1836 Bishop 1810-1835
Bishop 1791-1810 Bishop 1786-1791
Bishop 1776-1791