Ecclesiastical Details

Archdiocese of Bangalore
Heirarchy of the Diocese
Rite:
Latin
Population:
16131589
 
Status:
Archdiocese
Catholics:
425000
 
Founded:
19-Sep-53
Diocesan Priests:
129
  Total area:
27123 Sq kms
Religious Priests:
 
Province:
Bangalore
Religious Sisters:
 
Region:
Karnataka
Seminarians:
39
  Patron:
St. Francis Xavier
  Languages: Kannada Tamil English Telugu Malayalam and Konkani
  Civil States: Karnataka: Bangalore Kolar Bangalore rural Chikbulapur Ramanagara and Tumkur
Contact Archdiocese Office :
Archbishop's House 75 Miller's Road Benson Town Post Bag No. 2 Bengaluru - 560 046 KARNATAKA
Telephone 1:
080-23 33 04 38 23 33 19 99 / 23 53 16 00
Fax:
23 53 16 00
 
E-Mail Office:
archbishop@bangalorearchdiocese.com
Website:
 
Most Rev. Peter Machado, Archbishop of Bangalore
Name:
Most Rev. Peter Machado
Designation:
Archbishop   Canonical Possession: 2018-
Telephone (P):
E-mail (P):
 
Other Present & Retired Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Bangalore
 
Bishops NameDesignationPeriod
Retired 1986-1998
Retired 1998-2004
Retired 2004-2018
Pilgrim Centres in theArchdiocese of Bangalore
 
Ecclesiastical Institutions
 
Social / Charitable Institutions / Care Centres
Educational Institutions
Parishes:
194
 
Hospitals:
9
   
Degree Colleges:
17
Major Seminaries:
10
 
Orphanages:
25
   
Technical Training Centres:
3
Minor Seminaries:
120
 
Special Schools:
9
   
High Schools:
118
Monastries:
151
 
Crèches:
   
Lower Primary Schools:
Convents:
378
 
Counselling Centres:
6
   
Presses & Media Centres:
31
Formation Houses:
 
Social Centres:
   
Professional Colleges:
Retreat Centres:
16
 
Dispensaries / Clinics:
12
   
Parallel Colleges:
9
 
Physically Challenged:
   
Higher Secondary :
32
       
Boarding Houses:
59
   
Upper Primary Schools:
124
       
HIV / AIDS Centres:
6
   
Nurseries/Pre-Primary :
48
       
De-addiction Centres:
       
          Aged & Destitute: 17        
     
       
History of the Archdiocese of Bangalore
 

The Diocese of Bangalore was formerly a part -of the Mysore Mission which was separated from Pondicherry in 1845 and entrusted to the Fathers of the PARIS FOREIGN MISSION SOCIETY (Missions Etrangeres de Paris). The Mysore mission was erected into a Vicariate Apostolic in 1850 and entrusted to Msgr Charbonnaux MEP. who was at that time coadjutor Bishop of Pondicherry.

In 1886 the Bull "Humanae Salutis Auctor" elevated the Vicariate of Mysore to the rank of a Diocese. Mysore was the title and Bangalore was the headquarters of the Mission. All along the second part of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th the Foreign Mission Society under successive Bishops developed a network of churches schools convents and colleges. Thus they prepared Bangalore to become an Archdiocese a great capital and a cosmopolitan city.

The Christian infrastructure of Bangalore owes much to the French Fathers SERVANTON Circle in Cantonment area and Briand Square near City Market perpetuate the memory of the Founders. The above two along with the following viz. SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER'S CATHEDRAL whose first Parish Priest was Fr. Jarrige in 1842 and SAINT JOSEPH'S CHURCH built by Fr. Bigot-Beauclair in 1851-1852 SAINT MARY'S BASILICA started as the first church in Bangalore was built as we see it now by Fr. Kleiner between 1875 and 1882 before he was made Bishop. The SACRED HEART CHURCH was completed in 1895 by Fr. Combret. The then Cathedral SAINT PATRICK'S CHURCH was completed by Fr. Gailhot in 1844 and renovated by the illustrious Fr. Tabard who was its Parish Priest from 04.12.1891 till 12.04.1925. He is buried inside the church. The ST PETER'S SEMINARY at Malleswaram now a Philosophy and Theology faculty and centre for Canon Law was established in Pondicherry in1777 by Bishop Brigot first MEP Superior of the Malabar Mission. The Seminary was shifted to Bangalore in 1934. SAINT JOSEPH'S COLLEGE was founded 1882 by MEP Fathers. It was handed over to the Society of Jesus on 1 June 1937.

Subsequently the Diocese was bifurcated and thus the Diocese of Bangalore was erected on 13th February 1940. It became an Archdiocese on 19th September 1953. On 14th November 1988 the Diocese of Shimoga was created to which Bangalore Archdiocese ceded the civil district of Chitradurga. Thus the Archdiocese of Bangalore now comprises six civil districts of Bengaluru Urban Bengaluru Rural Chickballapur Kolar Ramnagara and Tumkur.-

 
Prelates of the Archdiocese of Bangalore
Bishops NamePrelate's StatusPeriodBishops NamePrelate's StatusPeriod
Archbishop 1998-2004 Archbishop 1986-1998
Archbishop 1971- 1986 Archbishop 1967 - 1971
Archbishop 1943-1967 Bishop 1940-1942