Diocese of Tiruchirapalli
diocese of the Catholic Church in India
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tiruchirapalli/Trichy (Latin: Tiruchirapolitan(us)) is a diocese located in the city of Tiruchirapalli in the ecclesiastical province of Madurai in India. The episcopal seat is St. Mary's Cathedral, Tiruchirappalli, also known as the Cathedral of the Mother of Good Health.
History
1606: Established as Mission “sui iuris” of Madura from the Diocese of Cochin
1773: Suppressed
1836: Restored as the Apostolic Vicariate of Madura and Coromandel Coast from the Diocese of São Tomé of Meliapore
1 September 1886: Promoted as Diocese of Madurai
7 June 1887: Renamed as Diocese of Trichinopoly
21 October 1950: Renamed as Diocese of Tiruchirapalli
Special churches
Basilica of the Holy Redeemer, Tiruchirapalli, a minor basilica
Leadership
Bishops of Tiruchirapalli
Savarimuthu Arokiaraj (15 August 2021 - Incumbent)
Apostolic Administrator of Tiruchirapalli - Devadass Ambrose Mariadoss (14 July 2018 - 15 August 2021)
Antony Devotta (28 January 2001 – 14 July 2018)
Gabriel Lawrence Sengol (30 December 1990 – 14 October 1997)
Thomas Fernando (24 January 1971 – 30 December 1990)
James Mendonça (24 July 1938– 24 January 1971)
John Peter Leonard, S.J. (later Archbishop) (15 March 1936 – 8 January 1938)
Ange-Auguste Faisandier, S.J. (20 February 1914 – 25 May 1935 )
Jean-Marie Barthe, S.J. (15 June 1890 – 19 December 1913)
Alexis Canoz, S.J. (7 June 1887 – 2 December 1888)
Bishops of Madurai
Alexis Canoz, S.J. (1 September 1886 – 7 June 1887)
Vicars Apostolic of Madura and Coromandel Coast
Alexis Canoz, S.J. (25 April 1846 – 1 September 1886)
Clément Bonnand, M.E.P. (3 October 1836 – 3 April 1850)
Louis-Charles-Auguste Hébert, M.E.P. (8 July 1836 – 3 October 1836)
Saints and causes for canonisation
Servant of God Annammal Selvanayagam Pillai
Servant of God Rev. Fr.
The public source identifies “Diocese of Tiruchirapalli” as diocese of the Catholic Church in India. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Diocese, Tiruchirapalli and diocese.
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Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 5, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q604540. Authority coordinates are 10.805, 78.692. 2 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1606, 1773, 1836 and 1886.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Diocese of Tiruchirapalli” 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.