TIRUCHIRAPALLY, DIOCESE of. — It is situated in south-eastern India and borders the dioceses of Madhurai, Coimbatore, Salem, Kumbakonam, and Tanjore.
It was erected in 1886, when the Catholic hierarchy was established in India, with the territories that then constituted the apostolic vicariate of Maduré, founded by Fr. Roberto de Nobili, S.J. During its seventy years of existence it underwent various divisions. In fact, the territories of Tanjore and Pudukottah were detached from it, partly in 1893 and partly in 1929 (Convention between the Holy See and Portugal, 29 June 1929), and transferred to the diocese of St. Thomas of Meliapor; the territories of the Pescheria coast were detached as well and erected into a diocese in 1923, with its see at Tuticorin. In 1938, that part of the territory which constitutes the present diocese of Madhurai was again detached and in fact passed to the Indian secular clergy. It is suffragan to the archdiocese of Bombay.
It has an area of 3,098 sq. km. and a population of 1,700,000 inhabitants. Of these, 120,000 are Catholics, 10,000 Protestants, 1,431,525 Hindus, and 105,406 Muslims. The diocesan territory is ecclesiastically divided into 2 vicariates forane, 33 primary stations with the priest in residence, and 404 secondary stations without a residence; there are about eighty churches and twice as many chapels. Carrying out their apostolate there are 55 secular priests and 41 foreign priests, 11 brothers of the Society of Jesus, 500 sisters, mostly indigenous and belonging to various institutes, and 30 catechists. The schools, which have about a thousand teachers, are flourishing. Of these, 105 are elementary schools, 20 are secondary, teacher-training, and vocational schools, and 2 are university colleges (St. Joseph’s and Holy Cross), which are very well attended. In 7 different houses, moreover, almost one thousand orphans are maintained. There is also 1 hospital, and 2 dispensaries are actively operating. In the city of T. is the regional Seminary of St. Paul, whose direction is entrusted to the Society of Jesus and which is attended for philosophical and theological studies by seminarians from the surrounding dioceses. There are many Marian congregations for young people, Catholic Action associations, charitable works, and confraternities. The number of conversions, on the other hand, is proportionally small.