Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore


The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore is an archdiocese based in the city of Madras, in India. It merged with the ancient diocese of Mylapore which now a part of Chennai.
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History

  • 9 January 1606: erection of the diocese of Mylapore by pope Paul V separated from the Roman Catholic Diocese Of Cochin, by agreement with the king of Portugal who received power to appoint bishops and priests and, in a general way, to look after the evangelization of the area
  • 1642: Madras Capuchin Mission founded by French Capuchin Missionary Fr. Ephrem de Nevers was Established as Prefecture Vicariate of Fort Saint George This was an independent jurisdiction of the Propaganda Fide from the Padroado Diocese of São Tomé of Meliapore
  • 1832: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Madras
  • 1 September 1886: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Madras
  • 10 October 1950: The Padroado system is cancelled. The Diocese of Mylapore comes under the jurisdiction of the 'Propaganda Fide'.
  • 13 November 1952: Mylapore and Madras are merged into the renamed 'Metropolitan Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore'.

Leadership

George Antonysamy is appointed as the Archbishop of Historical Metropolitan Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras–Mylapore on 21 November 2012. He was installed as the 6th Archbishop of Madras–Mylapore on 27 January 2013.

Episcopal ordinaries

Archbishops of Madras and Mylapore (Latin Rite">Latin Church">Latin Rite)

Metropolitan Archbishops of Madras (Latin Rite)

Vicars Apostolic of Madras

Seat of Power

Santhome Cathedral

San Thome Church, officially known as St Thomas Cathedral Basilica and National Shrine of Saint Thomas, is a minor basilica of the Catholic Church and the Seat of power of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore in India, at the Santhome neighbourhood of Chennai, in Tamil Nadu. The present structure dates to 1523 AD, when it was rebuilt by the Portuguese over what was believed to be the tomb of Thomas the Apostle. In 1896, it was renovated in the Madras province according to neo-Gothic designs, as was favoured by British architects in the late 19th century.

St.Mary's Co-Cathedral

St. Mary's Co-Cathedral is a Catholic church in Armenian Street, Chennai, India. Constructed by Capuchins in 1658, it is one of the oldest churches in the former British India. For a long time Cathedral of the diocese it received the title of co-cathedral when the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore was transferred to San Thome Basilica.

Archbishop House

The Archbishop House is located in Santhome, Mylapore in Chennai next to the San Thome Basilica. The Archbishop house is the residence of the head and Archbishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore.

Ecclesiastical province

Statistics

The Archdiocese of Chennai-Mylapore is one of the oldest and largest diocese in India. At present there are about 128 parishes and 350+ sub stations in the diocese to enhance the Catholic faith. There are 75 Middle schools, 145 Higher Secondary Schools and 7 colleges are in the jurisdiction of the diocese to impart education to the children. And there are 39 Major and Minor seminaries in the diocese.
The Count of Religious men and women are
  • Diocesan Priest 173
  • Religious Priest 273
  • Religious Brothers 182
  • Religious sisters 1551

Patron Saints

Saint Thomas the Apostle

Saint Thomas the Apostle, is the primary patron of this Archdiocese. According to tradition, Saint Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ walked on the sands of Mylapore and preached the Gospel to the people who embraced Christianity. This great Apostle was martyred on St.Thomas Mount, near Mylapore in the year 72 AD and his mortal remains were buried in Santhome in the Church built by him.

Saints and causes for canonisation

Religious congregations, societies and institutes

Religious institutes of men