KANDY, DIOCESE OF
At the center of the island of Ceylon, it was first an apostolic vicariate, erected on 20 April 1883 by separation from the then apostolic vicariate of Colombo and entrusted to the Sylvestrine Benedictine Congregation. On 1 September 1886, Leo XIII established the Catholic hierarchy on the island of Ceylon, and the apostolic vicariate of Kandy was elevated to a diocese. It comprises the "Central and Uva Provinces" and borders the dioceses of Jaffna, Chilaw, Trincomalee, and 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 resident priests, and 25 secondary stations. There are 39 churches and 182 chapels. The workforce includes 33 Sylvestrine fathers, 18 of whom are Ceylonese, 10 indigenous secular priests, and about forty brothers from various institutes. There are 175 sisters: 100 indigenous and 75 foreign. The diocesan schools include 59 elementary schools with 5,919 boys and 4,898 girls, 26 middle schools with about 4,700 students, and 15 high schools with nearly 1,100 pupils. The charitable works include 7 orphanages with a total of 420 orphans and 1 poorhouse. There is a minor and a scholastic seminary of the Sylvestrines. In 1893, a pontifical seminary was opened in Kandy, inaugurated the following year. Initially under the supervision of the Apostolic Delegate in India, on 31 May 1905 it was entrusted to the Jesuits for both direction and administration.
PONTIFICAL ATHENAEUM OF KANDY
In the aforementioned seminary, on 27 July 1926, the faculties of philosophy and theology were established. To date, about 600 priests have graduated from this Athenaeum, several of whom have been elevated to the episcopal dignity. The transfer of the faculties to Bangalore, a more central city in India, is under consideration.