It was erected in 1886, when the Catholic hierarchy in India was established, from territories that at that time formed the Apostolic Vicariate of Maduré, founded by Fr. Roberto de Nobili, S.J. In seventy years of existence it underwent various dismemberments. In fact, parts of its territory were detached in 1893 and in 1929 (Convention between the Holy See and Portugal, 29 June 1929): the territories of Tanjore and Pudukottah, which passed to the Diocese of St. Thomas of Meliapor, and those of the Fishery Coast, which in 1923 were erected into a diocese with its see at Tuticorin. In 1938 another part of the territory was dismembered to form the present Diocese of Madhurai, which in fact passed to the Indian secular clergy. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Bombay.
It has an area of 3,098 km², with a population of 1,700,000. Of these, 120,000 are Catholics, 10,000 Protestants, 1,431,325 Hindus, and 105,406 Muslims. The diocesan territory is ecclesiastically divided into 2 deaneries, 33 primary stations with resident priests and 404 secondary stations without residence; there are about eighty churches and twice as many chapels. The apostolate is carried on by 55 secular priests and 41 foreign priests, 11 Brothers of the Society of Jesus, 500 sisters, mostly indigenous, belonging to various institutes, and 30 catechists. The schools are flourishing, with about a thousand teachers. Of these, 105 are elementary, 20 are secondary, normal, or professional schools, and 2 are university colleges (St. Joseph’s and Holy Cross), which are well attended. In 7 different houses, nearly a thousand orphans are maintained. There is also 1 hospital and 2 dispensaries are actively functioning. In the city of T. is the regional seminary of St. Paul, directed by the Society of Jesus, where philosophy and theology students from the surrounding dioceses come together for their studies. There are many Marian congregations for youth, Catholic Action associations, pious works, and confraternities. The number of conversions, however, is proportionally small.