KANDY, Diocese of. - In the center of the island of Ceylon, it was first an apostolic vicariate, erected on April 20, 1883, by detachment from the then apostolic vicariate of Colombo and entrusted to the Sylvestrine Benedictine Congregation. On September 1, 1886, Leo XIII established the Catholic hierarchy on the island of Ceylon, and the apostolic vicariate of K. was elevated to a diocese. It comprises the "Central and Uva Provinces" and borders on the dioceses of Jaffna, Chilaw, Trincomalie and on the archdiocese of Colombo.
Its territory has an area of 13,917 sq. km.; the population exceeds 1,600,000 inhabitants, of whom 46,500 are Catholics, 20,000 Protestants, 900,000 Buddhists, 550,000 Hindus and 90,000 Muslims. It is divided into 4 districts, 12 parishes, 16 primary stations with residence of the priest and 25 secondary stations. There are 39 churches and 182 chapels. Working there are 33 Sylvestrine fathers, 18 of them Ceylonese, 10 indigenous secular priests, and about forty brothers of various institutes. The sisters number 175: 100 indigenous and 75 foreign. The diocesan schools: 59 elementary, with 5919 boys and 4898 girls, 26 middle schools with ca. 4700 students, 15 higher schools with almost 1100 pupils. The works of charity are represented by 7 orphanages with a total of 420 orphans, and 1 almshouse. There is a minor seminary and a scholasticate of the Sylvestrines. In 1893 a pontifical seminary was opened in K., inaugurated the following year. Having remained at first under the superintendence of the apostolic delegate in India, on May 31, 1905, it was entrusted to the Jesuits both for its direction and for its administration.
PONTIFICAL ATHENAEUM OF KANDY
In the aforementioned Seminary, the faculties of philosophy and theology were erected on 27 July 1926. So far about 600 priests have come out of this Athenaeum, not a few of whom have been elevated to the episcopal dignity. The transfer of the faculties to Bangalore, a more central city of India, is being planned.
Bibliography3 works
Pompeo Borgna