Ecclesiastical Details

Diocese of Quilon
Heirarchy of the Diocese
Rite:
Latin
Population:
4,879,553
 
Status:
Diocese
Catholics:
217797
 
Founded:
1 September 1886
Diocesan Priests:
103
  Total area:
9675 sq. kms.
Religious Priests:
20
 
Province:
Trivandrum-Latin
Religious Sisters:
130
 
Region:
Kerala
Seminarians:
  Patron:
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
  Languages: Malayalam and Tamil.
  Civil States: Kerala: Kollam district the taluk of Karthikapally portions of the taluks of Mavelikara and Chengannur which lie south of the river Pamba in Alappuzha district
Contact Diocese Office :
Bishop's House Tangasseri P.O. Quilon - 691 007. KERALA.
Telephone 1:
0474-27 96 140 27 99 060 / 0474-27 91 850
Fax:
27 91 850
 
E-Mail Office:
quilondiocese@gmail.com
Website:
 
Most Rev. Paul Antony Mullassery, Bishops of Quilon
Name:
Most Rev. Paul Antony Mullassery
Designation:
Bishops   Canonical Possession: 2018-
Telephone (P):
E-mail (P):
 
Other Present & Retired Ordinaries of the Diocese of Quilon
 
Bishops NameDesignationPeriod
Retired 2001-2018
Pilgrim Centres in theDiocese of Quilon
 
Ecclesiastical Institutions
 
Social / Charitable Institutions / Care Centres
Educational Institutions
Parishes:
65
 
Hospitals:
4
   
Degree Colleges:
2
Major Seminaries:
 
Orphanages:
7
   
Technical Training Centres:
10
Minor Seminaries:
 
Special Schools:
1
   
High Schools:
15
Monastries:
 
Crèches:
   
Lower Primary Schools:
43
Convents:
 
Counselling Centres:
   
Presses & Media Centres:
Formation Houses:
15
 
Social Centres:
10
   
Professional Colleges:
Retreat Centres:
3
 
Dispensaries / Clinics:
1
   
Parallel Colleges:
 
Physically Challenged:
   
Higher Secondary :
12
       
Boarding Houses:
   
Upper Primary Schools:
14
       
HIV / AIDS Centres:
   
Nurseries/Pre-Primary :
6
       
De-addiction Centres:
1
       
          Aged & Destitute: 3        
     
       
History of the Diocese of Quilon
 

The Diocese of Quilon comprises the major part of the civil district of Kollam the taluk of Karthikapally portions of the taluks of Mavelikara and Chengannur which lie south of the river Pamba in the civil district of Alappuzha.


Quilon was one of the seven churches founded by the Apostle St. Thomas and of the two Bishops who tradition says were appointed by the Apostle one had his See at Quilon (the other being at Cranganore or Angamaly).


The Syrian Christian immigrants from Persia in the 4th century had Quilon as one of their main centres of settlement. In the year about 922 (hundred years after the foundation of kollam city) two Bishops Mar Seberius and Mar Protasius (also called Apor and Aport) arrived at Quilon with a large following of Christians.


Since the latter half of the 12th century Quilon became the chief centre of Franciscan and Dominican Fathers.


In 1329 Pope John XXII by a Bull "In Perpetuam Memoriam" dated August 9 1329 constituted Quilon as an Episcopal See the First diocese in the Indies and at the time the only one in the country as Suffragan to the Archdiocese of Sultany in Persia.


By a Bull "Venerabili Fratri Jordano" the same Pope John XXII on August 21 1329 appointed the Dominican Friar Jordanus Catalani de Severac Bishop of Quilon.


With the settlement of the Portuguese at Quilon in 1502 together with their Franciscan Friars the territory was under the Franciscans until 1533 when it became part of the Diocese of Goa re-established as Suffragan to Goa. On April 24 1838 the territory was placed under the Vicariate of Malabar (Verapoly).


The separation of Quilon as a new Vicariate Apostolic suffragan to Verapoly was decreed and was provisionally executed on May 12 1845 entrusting it to the Belgian Carmelite Fathers and finally confirmed as a separate Vicariate Apostolic on March 15 1853. With the establishment of the Hierarchy in India Quilon again became a diocese on September 1 1886.

On May 26 1930 the southern most part of the diocese was cut off and erected as a separate diocese - the Diocese of Kottar. Later by another decree of the Holy See dated July 1 1937 the diocese was again divided and the Diocese of Trivandrum was created and entrusted to the Carmelite Fathers while the remaining portion the most ancient part of the Diocese of Quilon was entrusted to the diocesan clergy. The diocese was again divided in 1986 and the eastern portion of the Diocese was separated and erected as the Diocese of Punalur.-

 
Prelates of the Diocese of Quilon
Bishops NamePrelate's StatusPeriodBishops NamePrelate's StatusPeriod
Bishop 1978-2001 Bishop 1937-1978
Bishop 1937-1978 Bishop 1936-1937
Bishop 1906-1931 Bishop 1883-1906
Bishop 1871-1883 Bishop 1866-1870
Bishop 1854-1864 Bishop 1854
Bishop 1853 Bishop 1845-1853
Bishop 1329