Diocese of Alleppey
diocese of the Catholic Church in India
The Diocese of Alleppey (Latin: Diœcesis Alleppeyensis) is the Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in the city of Alappuzha in the ecclesiastical province of Thiruvananthapuram in India. It lies along the Arabian Sea between the dioceses of Kochi and Kollam, covering an area of approx. 333 square kilometers.
The diocese was established from the Diocese of Cochin on June 19, 1952, by Pope Pius XII under the papal bull Ea Redemptoris Verba. The diocese is headed by Bishop James Raphael Anaparambil, who took charge in October 11, 2019. In addition to his role as bishop, he was appointed by Pope Francis on October 11, 2024, as the apostolic administrator sede plena of the Diocese of Cochin.
The episcopal see is the Bishop's House which is located near the Alappuzha Beach. The cathedral church of the diocese is the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral situated at Convent Square, Alappuzha. Arthunkal Basilica (Pilgrimage Shrine of Saint Sebastian) and Thumpoly Church (Marian Pilgrimage Shrine of the Mother of God) are the most significant pilgrimage shrine churches of the diocese.
Institutions
St.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Diocese of Alleppey” is diocese of the Catholic Church in India. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Diocese, Alleppey and diocese, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “diocese of the Catholic Church in India” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Oct 4, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q651606. Authority coordinates are 9.497, 76.329. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1952, 2019 and 2024.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Diocese of Alleppey”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Diocese of Alleppey primary sources, Diocese of Alleppey archive and Diocese research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Diocese of Alleppey”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Diocese of Alleppey” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.