Diocese of Kottar
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Diocese of Kottar Dioecesis Kottarensis கோட்டாறு மறைமாவட்டம் |
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Cathedral of St Francis Xavier, The Mother Church of the Diocese
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| Location | |
| Country | India |
| Ecclesiastical province | Madurai |
| Metropolitan | Madurai |
| Coordinates | 8°11′00.9″N 77°24′42.7″E / 8.183583°N 77.411861°ECoordinates: 8°11′00.9″N 77°24′42.7″E / 8.183583°N 77.411861°E |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 1,665 km2 (643 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2004) 1,720,250 477,174 (27.7%) |
| Parishes | 170 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Established | 26 May 1930 |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of St Francis Xavier in Kottar |
| Patron saint | St. Francis Xavier |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | His Holiness Francis |
| Bishop | Peter Remigius |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Peter Fernando |
| Vicar General | Solomon S |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kottar (Latin: Kottaren(sis), Tamil: கோட்டாறு மறைமாவட்டம்) is a Latin rite suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Madurai, southern Indiayet depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
Its episcopal see is Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier at Kottar in the town of Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu. It was built by St. Francis Xavier in 1544 AD, rebuilt in 1603 over the small chapel original chapel, expanded in both 1713 and 1806.
The Kottar parish was a constituent of Malabar Vicariate since 1657 AD and came under Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Verapoly. Again it became the southern center of Diocese of Quilon at its erection in 1853 AD.
(all Roman Rite natives)
As per 2014, it pastorally served 260,484 Catholics (29.4% of 885,865 total) on 750 km² in 81 parishes with 230 priests (193 diocesan, 37 religious), 556 lay religious (88 brothers, 468 sisters) and 89 seminarians.
Its oldest churches are the cathedral and Amalagiri church, dedicated to Mother Mary in Thiruvithancode built by Thomas the Apostle in 57 AD., also called Thiruvithamcode Arappally which is, however, under the administration of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church at present.
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Wikipedia