Roman Catholic Diocese of Punalur

Diocese of Punalur Dioecesis Punalurensis പുനലൂർ രൂപത
St Mary's Cathedral in Punalur
Location
Country	India
Ecclesiastical province	Trivandrum
Metropolitan	Trivandrum
Statistics
Area	5,052 km2 (1,951 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2004) 2,482,100 46,708 (1.9%)
Parishes	41
Information
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Archdiocese	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Trivandrum
Cathedral	St. Mary's Cathedral, Punalur
Patron saint	St Thérèse of Lisieux
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Selvister Ponnumuthan
Metropolitan Archbishop	Thomas J. Netto
Vicar General	Vincent D’Cruz
Episcopal Vicars	Johnson Joseph, Jude Thaddeus Ambattur
Website
Website of the Diocese

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Punalur (Latin: Punaluren(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Punalur in the ecclesiastical province of Trivandrum in India.

History

• December 21, 1985: Established as Diocese of Punalur from the Diocese of Quilon

Belgian Carmelite missionaries were the First Fathers of Punalur and of places around Punalur. During the Second World War the First Fathers had to go back, entrusting the church work to the diocesan clergy of Quilon (Kollam).

Punalur was separated from the Diocese of Quilon (Kollam) and created into a separate unit by the Bull “Verba Christi” of Pope John Paul II, issued on 21 December 1985.

Territory

Present Diocese of Punalur extended to the entire taluks of Punalur, Pathanapuram, Kottarakkara, Kunnathur, Mavelikara, Adoor, Konni, Pathanamthitta, Kozhencherry, and several pakuthies of the taluks of Karunagappally, Karthikapally, and Chengannur.

Leadership

• Bishops of Punalur (Roman Church)
  • Bishop Selvister Ponnumuthan (May 8, 2009 – present)
  • Bishop Joseph Kariyil (March 12, 2005 – May 8, 2009)
  • Bishop Mathias Kappil (December 21, 1985 – March 12, 2005)

External links

• GCatholic.org ^{[self-published]}
• Catholic Hierarchy ^{[self-published]}