Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaffna
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Diocese of Jaffna Dioecesis Jaffnensis யாழ்ப்பாண மறை மாவட்டம் | |
|---|---|
 Interior of St. Mary's Cathedral, Jaffna | |
| Location | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Ecclesiastical province | Colombo |
| Metropolitan | Colombo |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 4,400 km2 (1,700 sq mi) |
| Population - Catholics | 247,315 |
| Parishes | 59 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 17 February 1845 |
| Cathedral | St. Mary's Cathedral, Jaffna |
| Secular priests | 162 |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Justin Gnanapragasam |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Malcolm Ranjith |
| Website | |
| jaffnadiocese.org | |
The Diocese of Jaffna (
History
The
Origins
In 1548, Francis Xavier visited Mannar and came to Jaffna to persuade the king to cease his persecutions against the Christians.[2]
In 1580, under the protection of the Portuguese, the first Catholic church was built at Jaffna. The whole peninsula having surrendered in 1591 to André Furtado de Mendonça, almost the entire population embraced Christianity. When the fort of Jaffna capitulated to the Dutch in 1658 there were in the peninsula 50 priests, 1 Jesuit college, 1 Franciscan and 1 Dominican convent, and 14 churches. For safety the famous miraculous Statue of Our Lady of Miracles, Jaffna patao ( புதுமை மாதா / Puthumai Matha 1614-1658) was smuggled out of the island by Portuguese prisoners. Since 1658, the statue has been kept in the church of Sao Pedro situated along the Mandovi river in Bainguinim, Goa, India.
Dutch period
The Dutch immediately manifested the most hostile disposition towards the Catholics. The priests and monks were banished, and giving them shelter was declared a capital offence. From that time dates the long persecution which ended only with the surrender of Ceylon to the British in 1796. To this diocese belongs the
British period
In 1845, Ceylon was divided into the two vicariates of Colombo and Jaffna, with Bishop Orazio Bettachini as
20th century
In the early twentieth century, the diocese had 45,500 Catholics out of a total population of 499,200. It was managed by 46 oblate missionaries, with three secular priests helping in the parochial ministry.
Attached to the cathedral is St. Martin's seminary for the education of junior students aspiring to the priesthood. St. Patrick's college and boarding school is the most flourishing institution of the northern province. It has a staff of 6 European fathers, 1 native father, 2 brothers, and 15 native professors. The average number of students is 450. It is especially devoted to higher English education, and prepares its students for the Cambridge Junior and Senior examinations and for the London University Intermediate.
Some years ago it was thought expedient to come into closer contact with non-Catholics and especially with the higher classes of Hindus. For this purpose a Hindu boarding school was attached to St. Patrick's College. The boarders number 100, with good prospects for the future. Jaffna convent, conducted by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux, follows the same junior and senior courses, for the
The native Brothers of St. Joseph are occupied in teaching at Jaffna, Kayts, Mannar and Mullaitivu. The native Sisters of St. Peter conduct primary schools in all the important stations of the diocese. There are 127 schools under the control of the missionaries, for the vernacular and primary English education. At the two industrial schools of Colombogam and Mullaitivu 125 orphan boys are taught agriculture and useful trades.
The diocese has conferences of St. Vincent de Paul and young men's associations for the working classes. St. Joseph's Catholic Press is the home of the Jaffna Catholic Guardian, a weekly paper devoted to the interests of the diocese. A Catholic Club has just been founded for the purpose of interests of the Catholic community.
Bishops, Vicars Apostolics and Pro-Vicar Apostolics [3]
| # | Pro-Vicar Apostolic | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Orazio Bettacchini | 1847 | 1849 |
| # | Vicar Apostolic | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Orazio Bettacchini | 1849 | 1857 |
| 2nd | Jean-Etienne Sémeria | 1857 | 1868 |
| 3rd | Christophe-Etienne Bonjean | 1868 | 1883 |
| 4th | André-Théophile Mélizan | 1883 | 1886 |
| # | Bishop | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | André-Théophile Mélizan | 1886 | 1893 |
| 2nd | Henri Joulain | 1893 | 1919 |
| 3rd | Jules-André Brault | 1919 | 1923 |
| 4th | Alfred-Jean Guyomard | 1924 | 1950 |
| 5th | Jerome Emilianuspillai | 1950 | 1972 |
| 6th | Bastiampillai Deogupillai | 1972 | 1992 |
| 7th | Thomas Savundaranayagam | 1992 | 2015 |
| 8th | Justin Gnanapragasam | 2015 |
Other officials [4]
- Vicar General: Pathinathan Josephdas Jebaratnam [4]
- Chancellor: S.V.B Mangalarajah[4]
- Judicial Vicar: T.J Kirubakaran[4]
- Financial Administrator: S. Nesanayagam[4]
Activities and organizations
Spiritual centers
- Divine retreat center, Jaffna
- Sangamam, Kopy
Catholic Educational Institutions
- St. Patrick's College, Jaffna [5]
- St. Don Bosco School[5]
- St. Henry's College, Illavalai.[5]
- St. Antony's College, Kayts.[5]
Major Catholic organizations
Notable churches
- St. Mary's Cathedral, Jaffna
- Our Lady of Refuge, Jaffna [6]
- St. Antony's Church, Jaffna
- St. James Church, Gurunagar, Jaffna
- Our Lady of Miracle, Gurunagar, Jaffna
- St. Sebastian Church, Gurunagar, Jaffna
- Our Lady of Velankani, Gurunagar, Jaffna
- St. Roche Church, Gurunagar, Jaffna
- Christ the King Church, Koiyathottam, Jaffna
- St. John's Church, Jaffna
- St. Theresa Church, Jaffna
- Our Lady of Rosary, Jaffna
- Infant Jesus Church, Jaffna
- St. Joseph Church, Jaffna
- St. Anne's Church, Jaffna
- St. Benedict's Church, Nallur
- St. Jude Church, Ariyalai
- Mount Carmel Church, Gurunagar
- Holy Redeemer Church, Maniyanthottam
- St. Nichlos Church, Navanturai
- St. Antony's Church, Manipay
- Our Lady of Fatima, Pandatheripu
- Kathirai Madha Church, Sillalai
- Our Lady of Lourdes, Point Pedro
- St. Thomas Church, Point Pedro
- Our Lady of Velankani, Point Pedro
- St. Joseph Church, Point Pedro
- St. Antony's Church, Nelliady
- St. Peter's Church, Navaly
- St. Joseph Church, Atchuvely
- St. Antony's Church, Atchuvely
- Mount Carmel Church, Vasavilan
- St. James Church, Vasavilan
- St. Antony's Church, Kayts
- St. Peter's Church, Kayts
- St. Thomas Church, Kayts
- St. Mary's Church, Kayts
- Holy Family Church, Uduvil
- St. Michel's Church, Urumpirai
- St. Theresa Church, Kilinocchi
- St. Jude Church, Kanagapuram
- Fatima Church, Uruthirapuram
- St. Antony's Church, Thondaman Nagar
- St. Peter's Church, Mullaitiv
- Our Lady of Velankani, Nachikuda
Religious congregations
Religious institutes of men
- Oblate of Mary Immaculate
- Rosarians
- Sons of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Claretians)
- De Monfort Brothers
Religious institutes of women
- Sisters of Holy Family
- Sisters of Holy Cross
- Sisters of Apostolic Carmel
- Rosarian Sisters
- Mother Teresa Sisters
- Sisters of St. Joseph Cluny
References
- ^ a b c d "Diocese of Jaffna". GCatholic.
- ^ Lortie, Joseph Francis Albert (1910). . Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8.
- ^ "Jaffna (Diocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
- ^ a b c d e "Other Officials of Jaffna Diocese". www.ucanews.com. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Diocese Activities and Organizations of Jaffna Diocese". www.ucanews.com. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
- ^ "Jaffna". jaffna.city.com. 9 April 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lortie, Joseph Francis Albert (1910). "Diocese of Jaffna". Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8.