Diocese of Varanasi
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Varanasi is a Latin suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Agra in northern India's vast state Uttar Pradesh. Its cathedral episcopal see is St. Mary's Cathedral in the city of Varanasi.
History
- Established on 11 July 1946 as Apostolic Prefecture of Gorakhpur, on territory split off from the Diocese of Allahabad, exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See
- 17 September 1958: Renamed as Apostolic Prefecture of Benares-Gorakhpur
- Promoted on 5 June 1970 as Diocese of Banaras, losing its exempt status by becoming a suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Agra
- 14 May 1971: Renamed as Diocese of Varanasi.
Ordinaries
; Apostolic Prefects of Gorakhpur- Father Joseph Emil Malenfant, OFMCap
- Joseph Emil Malenfant, OFMCap
; Bishops of Varanasi
- Patrick Paul D'Souza, Vice-President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India
- Raphy Manjaly, later Bishop of Allahabad
- Eugene Joseph