TRIVANDRUM OF THE LATINS, DIOCESE OF. – Situated in south-western India, it borders the Arabian Sea and the dioceses of Quilon, Madura, and Kottar.
It was erected on 1 July 1937 by the territorial dismemberment of the diocese of Quilon and constituted a suffragan of the metropolitan see of Verapoly. In civil terms it formed part (apart from the small British territory of Anjengo) of the Kingdom of Travancore; after the independence of India, it is entirely included in the province of Cochin-Travancore. Over an area of 2,100 sq. km., it has 1,200,000 inhabitants, of whom 141,901 are Catholics, 2,000 dissenters, 31,000 Protestants, 120,000 Muslims, and 835,000 Hindus. The diocese is divided into 3 forane vicariates, comprising 184 churches, of which 157 are parishes, served by 35 diocesan priests and 27 religious; 1 male and 7 female religious congregations; 66 educational institutions and 5 charitable institutions. The diocese also has a retreat house for laypeople, 2 University Hostels, and 1 printing press. Confraternities, Catholic Action associations, charitable works, and Third Orders are numerous. The work of conversion is proceeding slowly and with difficulty.
By decree of 19 June 1952, the small coastal strip of territory bordering that diocese and the diocese of Kottar, and formerly belonging to the diocese of Cochin, was placed under the temporary administration of the Ordinary of T.
Its territory comprises the districts of T., Kottarakara, Adoor, Pathanamthitta, Mavelikara, Kayamkulam, and Chengannoor. It has 193 churches, 73 priests, and 54,588 faithful; total population: 3,000,000.