GALLE, diocese of. — On the Island of Ceylon; it comprises two civil provinces, namely the Southern Province and Sabaragamuwa. It was erected by a brief of Leo XIII dated 16 August 1893, which detached its territory from the archdiocese of Colombo, of which it is a suffragan diocese. It has an area of 10,110 sq. mi. and is situated in the central and southern regions of the island of Ceylon. It borders the Indian Ocean to the south and west, the archdiocese of Colombo and the diocese of Kandy to the north, and the diocese of Trincomalee to the east. It is entrusted to the Society of Jesus.
The population amounts to 1,708,115 inhabitants (1946 census), of whom 1,511,000 are Buddhists, namely the Sinhalese of Aryan stock, who came from northern India; 398,000 are Hindus, namely the Tamils, who came from southern India; 38,000 are Muslims, namely people of Arab descent; 9,952 are Protestants; and 20,206 are Catholics (1949 statistics). The climate is generally healthy and temperate in the hilly interior, while it is hot and humid in the plains and along the coasts. The soil is for the most part fertile and produces rice, tea, rubber, coconuts, cinnamon, and fine timber.
The apostolate is exercised there by 44 priests, of whom 25 are Jesuits and 19 secular priests; the indigenous clergy, both secular and regular, number 25. There are also 5 Jesuit brothers, all Europeans, and 145 sisters belonging to various institutes, nearly one third of whom are native.
Charitable institutions: 12 orphanages with 500 boys and girls, a home for the elderly with 21 residents, and two hospitals.
Instruction is provided in 15 elementary schools, attended by 2,500 boys and girls; 31 middle schools with a total of 8,808 pupils; 8 upper schools with 2,577 boys and 2,052 girls; and 8 vocational schools with 212 female pupils.
Ecclesiastically, the diocese is divided into 4 districts, 15 parishes, 4 primary stations, and 32 secondary stations. There is no seminary. The few young men destined for the priesthood generally come from St. Louis College (Galle), directed by the Jesuits, and are sent for higher studies to the Pontifical Seminary of Kandy or to the regional seminary of Trichinopoly (India). At present (1949), the diocese has 7 seminarians studying philosophy and theology.