Roman Catholic Diocese of Ahmedabad

Diocese of Ahmedabad
Dioecesis Ahmedabadensis
अहमदाबाद के सूबा Hindi
અમદાવાદ ડાયોસિઝ Gujarati
Location
Country  India
Ecclesiastical province Gandhinagar
Metropolitan Gandhinagar
Statistics
Area 14,791 km2 (5,711 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		 (as of 2012)
10,143,092
70,038 (0.7%)
Parishes 42
Information
Rite Latin Rite
Established 5 May 1949
Cathedral Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Ahmedabad
Patron saint St Francis Xavier
Sacred Heart
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Bishop Athanasius Rethna Swamy Swamiadian
Metropolitan Archbishop Thomas Ignatius MacWan

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ahmedabad (Latin: Ahmedabaden(sis)) is a Latin rite suffragan diocese in the Gujurati Ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan of Gandhinagar, yet depends on the Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Its (Marian) cathedral episcopal see is (Our Lady of) Mount Carmel Cathedral, in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, western India.

Statistics

As per 2014, it pastorally served 71,800 Catholics (0.7% of 10,274,000 total) on 14,791 km² in 45 parishes and 2 missions with 164 priests (74 diocesan, 90 religious), 455 lay religious (130 brothers, 325 sisters) and 11 seminarians.

History

  • Established in 1934 as Mission sui iuris of Ahmedabad from the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bombay[1]
  • Elevated on 5 May 1949 as Diocese of Ahmedabad / Ahmedabadensis (Latin adjective)
  • Lost territory on 1977.02.26 to establish the Diocese of Rajkot
  • Lost territory on 2002.10.11 to establish the Archdiocese of Gandhinagar, which became its Metropolitan.

Prelates

Ecclesiastical superior of Ahmedabad
  • Fr. Joaquin Vilallonga, SJ
Bishops of Ahmedabad

(all Latin Rite, native Indians except the first)

  • Edwin Pinto, Society of Jesus (Jesuits, S.J.) (born 1901 in present Pakistan, then also British India) (May 5, 1949 – retired 1973), died 1978
  • Charles Gomes, S.J. (July 1, 1974 – May 21, 1990), died 2002
  • Stanislaus Fernandes, S.J. (May 21, 1990 – November 11, 2002), next Metropolitan Archbishop of Gandhinagar (India) (2002.10.11 – 2015.06.12), Apostolic Administrator sede plena of Diocese of Baroda (Gujurat, India) (2016.05.23 – ...)
  • Thomas Ignatius MacWan (November 11, 2002 – 2015.06.12), next Metropolitan Archbishop of above Gandhinagar (2015.06.12 – ...)
  • Athanasius Rethna Swamy Swamiadian (2018.01.29 – ...).

References

Coordinates: 23°01′51″N 72°35′05″E / 23.0307°N 72.5847°E / 23.0307; 72.5847

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