Roman Catholic Diocese of Cochin

The Diocese of Cochin, now diminutive in size due to successive bifurcations in the course of time, once used to be the mother diocese of many a bishopric in the Sub-continent. The erstwhile mother diocese extended in the west coast from Malabar, down south to Cape Comorin (the present Kanya Kumari and still further down, Ceylon ( now, Sri Lanka ) and stretched along the east coast all the way up, encompassing Nepal, Bangladesh and beyond Burma ( now, Myanmar ) and still further east to Hong Kong, Malacca and Macau.

The history of the Diocese of Cochin[5][6] begins with the arrival of the Portuguese Missionaries in India. These neo-apostles reached Kappad near Kozhikode on 20 May 1498, along with Vasco Da Gama.

A second expedition under Captain Álvares Cabral, comprising 13 ships and 18 priests, anchored at Cochin on 26 Nov. 1500. Cabral soon won the goodwill of the Raja of Cochin. He allowed four priests to do apostolic work among the early Christian communities, St. Thomas Christians scattered in and around Cochin. Thus Portuguese missionaries established a Portuguese Mission in 1500.

During the reign of the Catholic emperor of Portugal John III, more Franciscan friars and priests reached Goa. Along with them a highly trained team of Jesuit missionaries led by Father Francis Xavier reached Cochin. Later, he requested the help of Jesuit General St. Ignatius and the emperor for more missionaries from Portugal. Francis Xavier visited Cochin several times and stayed more than 120 days. He used to offer mass at St. Antony's Church. This church is still at Cochin, known as Lenthapally (Dutch church). At present this church is under the department of the Archaeological Survey of India as an historical monument.

A monastery of the Franciscans, "Santo Antonino", was established in Cochin in 1518 and two others of the Jesuits in 1550 and 1561. In 1553 the Dominicans founded their college and monastery in Cochin.

The whole of the east was under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Lisbon. On 12 June 1514, Cochin and Goa became two prominent mission stations under the newly created Funchal diocese in Madeira. Pope Paul III by the Bull Quequem Reputamus raised Funchal as an archdiocese and Goa as its suffragan, deputing the whole of India under the Diocese of Goa.

When the Diocese of Goa was established in 1534, Cochin became part of the new diocese.

The diocese of Cochin was established by the papal bull pro excellenti praeeminentia issued by Pope Paul IV on 4 February 1558 as one of two new suffragan dioceses (the other being Diocese of Malacca) to the Archdiocese of Goa.[7] The Pope also declared the Portuguese Church of Santa Cruz as the Cathedral of the new diocese. At that time, Cochin was the second diocese in India and had the jurisdiction over the whole of South, East India, Burma and Ceylon.

The first bishop of Cochin was a Dominican priest Dom George Temudo (1557-1567).

In 1663, the Dutch conquered Cochin and destroyed all the catholic churches and institutions except the cathedral and the Church of St. Francis Assisi. During the British conquest of Cochin, the cathedral was destroyed.

Since 1646, the administration of the diocese was difficult. It was often affected by the conquests of Cochin by the Dutch. Bishops who were consecrated as the bishops of the diocese could not reach here. As a result, fractions, rebellions and schisms erupted in the diocese. In order to bring the dissidents back to the mother church, Holy See sent Carmelite Missionaries. Thus was established the Vicariate of Malabar in 1657. In 1709 it was changed into the Vicariate of Verapoly. In 1838, the Diocese of Cochin was annexed to the Vicariate of Verapoly. From 1838 and 1886, the Diocese of Cochin was governed by the Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly.

On 23 June 1886, Pope Leo XIII promulgated the famous Concordat called Humane Salutis Auctor by which the Diocese of Cochin was restored to its original condition and placed again as a suffragan under the Diocese of Goa. Simultaneously, the Vicariate of Verapoly was elevated as an archdiocese and the Diocese of Quilon was erected as its suffragan.

After the reorganization in 1886, five Portuguese bishops ruled the diocese. In 1950 the diocese was handed over to the native clergy. Dr. Alexander Edezhath (1951-1975) was the first Indian bishop. He was succeeded by Bishop Joseph Kureethara (1975-1999). After his demise, in 2000 Bishop John Thattumkal was appointed as the bishop of the diocese and he was suspended from his responsibilities over a scandal. Bishop Joseph Kariyil was appointed as the new bishop of Cochin on 8 May 2009 and was installed as the bishop of Cochin on 5 July 2009.

• Jorge Temudo, O.P. (4 Feb 1558 – 13 Jan 1567), appointed Archbishop of Goa
• Henrique de Távora e Brito, O.P. (13 Jan 1567 – 29 Jan 1577), appointed Archbishop of Goa
• Mateus de Medina, O. Carm. (29 Jan 1577 – 19 Feb 1588), appointed Archbishop of Goa
• Andrés de Santa Maria, O.F.M. (1588 - 1615), Resigned
• Sebastião de São Pedro, O.S.A. (16 Feb 1615 – 7 Oct 1624), appointed Archbishop of Goa
• Luis de Brito de Menezes, O.S.A. (27 May 1627 – 29 Jul 1629), Died
• Miguel Da Cruz Rangel, O.P. (10 Nov 1631 – 14 Sep 1646), Died
• Pedro da Silva, O.S.A. (8 Jan 1689 – 15 Mar 1691) Died
• Pedro Pacheco, O.P. (4 Jan 1694 - Sep 1714) Died
• Francisco de Vasconcellos, S.J. (12 Feb 1721 – 30 Mar 1743) Died
• Clemente José Colaço Leitão, S.J. (8 Mar 1745 – 31 Jan 1771) Died de:Clemens Joseph Colaco Leitao
• Emmanuel Felix Soares (de Santa Catarina), O.C.D. (20 Jul 1778 – 18 Jul 1783), appointed Archbishop of Goa
• Josephus Marques da Silva, O.C.D. (18 Jul 1783 - )
• Tomas Manoel de Noronha e Brito, O.P. (17 Dec 1819 – 23 Jun 1828), appointed Bishop of Olinda
• João Gomes Ferreira (14 Mar 1887 – 4 May 1897) Died
• Matheus de Oliveira Xavier (11 Oct 1897 – 26 Feb 1909), appointed Archbishop of Goa
• José Bento Martins Ribeiro (28 Feb 1909 – 21 May 1931) Died
• Abílio Augusto Vaz das Neves (4 Dec 1933 – 8 Dec 1938), appointed Bishop of Bragança e Miranda
• José Vieira Alvernaz (13 Aug 1941 – 23 Dec 1950), appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Goa e Damão
• Alexander Edezhath (19 Jun 1952 – 29 Aug 1975) Resigned
• Joseph Kureethara (29 Aug 1975 – 6 Jan 1999) Died
• John Thattumkal, S.S.C. (10 May 2000 – 8 May 2009) Resigned
• Joseph Kariyil (8 May 2009 - )

Among the fifty parish[8][9][10][11][12][13] churches, six district churches namely, Santa Cruz Basilica Cathedral, St Antony's Forane Church Kannamaly, St Sebastian's Church Thoppumpady, Sacred Heart Church Kumbalanghi, St Augustines Church Aroor and St Mary's Forane Church Thankey serve as Forane Churches.

Pilgrim Centres Of The Diocese

• 1, Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica Fortcochin
• 2, Our Lady Of Hope Church Vypeen
• 3, Our Lady Of Life Church - Holy Cross Shrine Mattancherry
• 4,St Antony's Shrine Chullikal
• 5, Our Lady Of Good Health Church Maruvakad, Chellanam
• 6,St Antony's Forane Church Kannamaly, St Joseph's Miraculous Shrine Kannamaly
• 7, St Jude Thadeus Church Judanagar Kattiparmbu
• 8, St Louis Church Mundamvely
• 9, St Lawrence Church Edacochin
• 10, Santa Cruz Church Perumpadappu
• 11, St George Church Pazangad
• 12, St Augustine Church Aroor
• 13,St Antony's Church Arookutty
• 14, Our Lady Of Assumption Church Poomkavu
• 15, St Mary's Forane Church Thankey

1st District[8]

• Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica,(Estd.1505), Fortcochin
• Our Lady Of Hope Church (Estd. 1605), Vypeen
• Our Lady of Life Church, (Estd.9th Century), Mattancherry
• SS. Peter & Paul, (Estd. 1857), Amaravathy, Fortkochi
• Holy Family Church, (Estd. 1901), Nazreth
• St. Joseph's Bethlehem Church, (Estd. 1974), Chullickal
• Stella Maris Church, (Estd. 1955), Willington Island
• St. Mary's Church,(Estd) Kochery

2nd District[9]

• St. Thomas The Apostle Church, ( Estd. 1990), Santhome
• St. Louis Church, (Estd.9th Century), Mundamveli
• St. Francis Assisi Church ( Estd. 1980), Kaattipparambu
• St. Joseph'S Church, ( Estd. 1968), Cheriyakadavu
• St. Antony's Church, ( Estd. 1873), Kannamaaly
• St. Sebastian'S Church, ( Estd. 1832), Chellanam
• St.John The Baptist Church Anjilathara,

3rd District[10]

• St. Sebastian's Church, (Estd. 1833), Thoppumpady
• St. Joseph's Church, ( Estd. 1965), Chirackal
• St. Lawrence Church, (Estd. 1986), Palluruthy
• St. Thomas More Church, ( Estd. 1991), Palluruthy
• Santa Cruz Church, ( Estd. 1965), Perumpadappu
• St. Mary's Church, (Estd. 1978), Edakochi
• St. Lawrence Church, (Estd.9th Century), Edakochi
• St.Joseph's Church Maduracompany, Palluruthy
• Santa Maria Church Perumpadappu.

4th District[11]

• St. Joseph's Church, ( Estd. 1967), Kumbalangy North
• Martin D' Pores Church, (Estd. 1996), Kallencherry
• Sacred Heart Church, (Estd. 1994), Kumbalangy
• St. Peter's Church, (Estd. 1875), Kumbalangy
• St. George's Church, (Estd. 1869), Pazhangaad, Kumbalangy South
• Immaculate Conception Church, (Estd. 1977), Ezhupunna
• St. Sebastian's Church, (Estd. 1977), Neendakara
• Holy Maries Church Azhikakam
• San Jos Church Kumbalanghi

5th District[12]

• St. Augustine's Church, (Estd. 1901), Aroor
• St. Joseph's Church, (Estd. 1977), Kumbalam
• St. Antony's Church, (Estd. 1978), Arookutty
• St. Francis Xavier's Church, (Estd. 1843), Eramallore
• St. Joseph's Church, ( Estd. 1986), Vallethode
• Our Lady of Fatima Church, Kodamthuruth
• Our Lady of Ransom Church, (Estd. 2004), Chandiroor
• Little Flower Church Perumbalam
• St Sebastian's Church Kaarunyapuram

6th District[13]

• St. George Church, (Estd. 2017), Arasupuram
• St. Antony's Church (Estd. 2015), Pathirapally
• St. Sebastian's Church, ( Estd. 2016), Areeparambu
• Our Lady of Assumption Church, (Estd. 1860), Poomkavu
• St. Francis Xavier's Church, (Estd. 1936), Vayalar
• St. George Church, (Estd. 1866), Arthumkal
• St. Mary's Church, (Estd. 1832), Thankey

In 9th century there were only 3 parishes in West Kochi They are 1) St.Lawrence Church Edakochi, 2) Our Lady Of Life Church Mattancherry, 3) St.Louis Church Mundamveli

• Servant of God Lawrence Puliyanath[14]

Seminaries

• Mount Carmel Petit Seminary Fortcochin (Estd 1960)
• Holy Cross Study House Alwaye (Estd 2001)

Colleges

• Aquinas College Edacochin
• Avila College Of Teacher Education Edacochin
• Siena College Of Professional Studies Edacochin
• Aquinas Institute Of Management (AIM) Fortcochin
• St Joseph's College , Thoppumpady
• Jubilee Memorial Private ITI Fortcochin Veli

Schools

• Santa Cruz Public School Eramallore
• St Paul's Public School Fortcochin
• St John De Brittos Anglo Indian Boys High School Fortcochin

Hospitals

• Fatima Hospital and Research Centre Perumpadappu
• CULTES Perumpadappu

Pastoral Service Centres

• Alpha Pastoral Centre Edacochin
• Catholic Centre Thoppumpady
• Cochin Social Service Society Fortcochin Veli

Press

• Cochin Institute Of Printing Technology (CIPT) Thoppumpady

• Diocesan directory | www.ucanews.com
• GCatholic ^{[self-published]}
• Catholic Hierarchy ^{[self-published]}
• Diocese website