Ecclesiastical Details - Catholics India

Diocese of Poona

Rite:

Latin

Population:

30000000

Status:

Diocese

Catholics:

77812

Founded:

Diocesan Priests:

Total area:

60814 Sqkm

Religious Priests:

113

Province:

Bombay

Religious Sisters:

456

Region:

Western

Seminarians:

Patron:

St Patrick

Languages:

Hindi Kongini Marathi Telugu

Civil States:

Maharashtra: Pune Sangli Satara and Solapur and the parish of Kolhapur

Contact Diocese Office :

Bishops House 1-B Prince of Wales Drive Pune - 411 001 MAHARASHTRA

Telephone 1:

020-26 36 00 65 26 36 13 18 / 020-26 34 35 10

Fax:

26 34 35 10

E-Mail Office:

punedioc@vsnl.com

Website:

poonadiocese.org

Most Rev John Rodrigues, Bishops of Poona

Name:

Most Rev John Rodrigues

Designation:

Bishops

Canonical Possession:

2023-

Telephone (P):

E-mail (P):

Other Present & Retired Ordinaries of the Diocese of Poona

Bishops Name	Designation	Period
	Retired	2009-2023

Pilgrim Centres in theDiocese of Poona

Ecclesiastical Institutions

Social / Charitable Institutions / Care Centres

Educational Institutions

Parishes:

Hospitals:

Degree Colleges:

Major Seminaries:

Orphanages:

Technical Training Centres:

Minor Seminaries:

Special Schools:

High Schools:

Monastries:

Crèches:

Lower Primary Schools:

Convents:

Counselling Centres:

Presses & Media Centres:

Formation Houses:

Social Centres:

Professional Colleges:

Retreat Centres:

Dispensaries / Clinics:

Parallel Colleges:

Physically Challenged:

Higher Secondary :

Boarding Houses:

Upper Primary Schools:

HIV / AIDS Centres:

Nurseries/Pre-Primary :

De-addiction Centres:

Aged & Destitute:

History of the Diocese of Poona

The Poona Diocese consists of the civil districts of Pune Satara Solapur Sangli Kolhapur Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg-

Around 1790 the Archbishop of Goa at the request of Dom Manuel Noronha a Portuguese officer working in the Peshwa--s army sent Fr Vincent Joaquim Menezes to minister to the Catholics working in the army of the Peshwas Fr Menezes resided and said Mass in the house of Dom Noronha In 1794 with the contribution of the Catholics in the army a small chapel was built at Nana Peth on a plot offered by the Peshwa The First Mass was celebrated in this chapel on Christmas Day These were the beginning of the Church of the Immaculate Conception commonly known as the City Church-

About 1800 the Vicar Apostolic of Bombay started sending his priests to minister to the Catholics in the Scindia--s army but he stopped this about 1804 In 1835 Fr Britto a Goan priest working under the Vicar Apostolic acted as Military Chaplain in a Chapel built at Right Flank Lines Wanowrie In 1850 St Patrick--s church the present Cathedral was built-

Poona was erected into a Vicariate Apostolic by dismemberment from Bombay on March 8 1854 and entrusted to the Society of Jesus The Vicar Apostolic of Bombay remained Administrator till the Hierarchy was established in 1886 Bp Bernard Beider -- Linden sj was appointed its First Bishop-

On October 20 1953 the Catholics of Ratnagiri District and those of the Church of the Immaculate Conception Pune who formerly belonged to the Archdiocese of Goa were placed under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Poona On November 30 1953 the districts of Dharwar and Bijapur formerly in the Poona diocese were attached to the newly constituted Diocese of Belgaum-

On June 9 1987 the Holy Father created the Diocese of Nashik comprising four districts Nashik Dhule Jalgaon and Ahmednagar of the Poona diocese and appointed Fr Thomas Bhalerao sj as its First Bishop-

The re-dedication of St Patrick--s Cathedral took place on October 22 1987 The roof of the old Cathedral collapsed shortly before midnight on July 15 1984 The outer walls and facade have been retained but there is now a vault roof of concrete-

His Holiness created the Eparchy of Kalyan on May 19 1988 which is contiguous with the Archdiocese of Bombay and the Diocese of Poona and Nashik On August 24 1988 Fr Paul Chittilapilly was ordained Eparch of Kalyan and the new diocese was formally inaugurated and all Catholics of the Syro-Malabar Rite in the diocese came under his jurisdiction

Prelates of the Diocese of Poona

Prelate's Status	Period	Prelate's Status	Period
Bishops	1977-2009	Bishop	1967-1976
Bishop	1949-1967	Bishop	1927-1949
Bishop	1907-1921	Bishop	1887-1907