MYSORE, DIOCESI. — Suffragan of Pondicherry and entrusted to the Society for the Foreign Missions of Paris.
The first missionaries in the region were the Dominicans, around the middle of the fourteenth century, but thus far no other monument to the introduction of Christianity has been discovered apart from certain inscriptions in the village of Anekal. Toward the end of the sixteenth century the Franciscans entered the region and founded Christian communities at Kollegal and Seringapatam, whose vestiges were discovered a century later by the Jesuits. In the territories of Sattianangalam, Coimbatore, Panganur, and elsewhere, the Gospel was preached by the Portuguese Jesuits and later by the French Jesuits. The suppression of the Society of Jesus (1773) and the persecution by Prince Tippu Sahib (1749–99), sultan of M., brought desolation upon the mission. After the suppression of the Society of Jesus, Propaganda extended, by a letter of 30 May 1785, the jurisdiction of the Superior of the Pondicherry mission also over the territory of M. and the other Jesuit missions. But because of the shortage of missionary personnel, the Society for the Foreign Missions of Paris could not work there effectively until after 1833. In 1845, the mission of M. was separated from the Apostolic Vicariate of Coromandel, and on 3 April 1850 it was erected into an apostolic vicariate; then, on 1 September 1886, into a diocese, and declared suffragan of Pondicherry in 1887. In 1923 it ceded a small part of its territory in order, together with the dioceses of Mangalore and Coimbatore, to contribute to the formation of the diocese of Calicut, and in 1930 it contributed, together with the diocese of Kumbakonam, to the formation of the diocese of Salem. In 1940 it underwent a profound transformation with the erection of the new diocese of Bangalore. A considerable part of its territory, clergy, and faithful was incorporated into the new diocese, while in compensation a part of the territory, clergy, and faithful of the neighboring diocese of Coimbatore was added to II.
At present the diocese of M. has an area of 51,537 sq. km. and numbers approximately 4 million inhabitants, including 65,000 Catholics, 12,000 Protestants, 181,500 Muslims, and 3,700,000 Hindus. Civilly, it comprises the provinces of M., Coorg, and Nilgiris and part of the district of Coimbatore. The languages most commonly used are Kanara, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Konkani, Tulu, and Hindustani. Ecclesiastically, it is divided into 8 districts, 45 quasi-parishes, 17 primary stations, and 64 secondary stations, with 42 churches and 72 chapels. There are approximately 80 priests, 46 of whom are indigenous secular clergy and the others French missionaries. The nuns, belonging to various foreign and indigenous congregations, number 300; there are about one hundred catechists. Education is provided in 42 elementary schools, 29 middle schools, 18 secondary schools, 2 vocational schools, and 1 university college. There are also a major and a minor seminary. The diocese also has 2 hospitals, 8 orphanages, 3 kindergartens, 7 dispensaries, and 1 printing press, where 4 propaganda periodicals with a substantial circulation are printed. The confraternities, pious associations, and Catholic Action organizations are numerous and fairly well organized.