VERAPOLY, ARCHDIOCESE OF. - Located in southwestern India, in the State of Cochin-Travancore. It borders the dioceses of Calicut, Coimbatore, Vijayapuram, and Coccino.
After the erection of the diocese of Coccino (4 Feb. 1558), all Latin-rite Catholics residing within the boundaries of the archdiocese of Goa and Cape Comorin—including those in the territory of V.—were placed under the jurisdiction of Coccino, while those of the Syro-Malabar rite depended on the archdiocese of Cranganore (formerly the diocese of Angamale). In 1653, during the tenure of Archbishop Garcia of Cranganore, a schism arose among the St. Thomas Christians of the Syro-Malabar rite. Pope Alexander VII then dispatched (1656) the Carmelite Fr. Giuseppe di S. Maria (Girolamo Sebastiani) as apostolic commissioner to Malabar, accompanied by four confreres. Having succeeded in reconciling 84 of the 116 dissenting parishes to the Church, though they refused to return to Archbishop Garcia’s jurisdiction, Fr. Giuseppe was consecrated titular Bishop of Gerapolis to care for both the Syro-Malabar and Latin Catholics of Malabar. Thus arose, in 1659, the Apostolic Vicariate of Serra del Malabar for those faithful who, due to adverse circumstances or the persecution of the Dutch (who had seized Coccino), could not avail themselves of the ordinary jurisdiction of Cranganore and Coccino.
On 24 Apr. 1838, the jurisdiction of these two dioceses was suspended, and their entire territory was assigned to the Apostolic Vicariate of Serra del Malabar until Portuguese Padroado influence ceased to be obstructed by the Dutch.
On 10 Apr. 1840, the apostolic vicar of Serra del Malabar was promoted to titular archbishop (with particular regard for Syro-Malabar faithful), and on 15 Mar. 1853, the division of the apostolic vicariate—already effected in practice in 1845 by Pope Gregory XVI—into three vicariates was confirmed: V., Canarese (or Mangalore), and Quilon. On 1 Sept. 1886, the Apostolic Vicariate of V. was elevated to an archdiocese, with its see established as metropolitan and Quilon as its suffragan. In 1930, the diocese of Vijayapuram was detached from its territory. Within the territory of the archdiocese of V. also lies that of the archdiocese of Ernakulam for Syro-Malabar Catholics. As of 1953, it has four suffragan dioceses: Kottar, Quilon, Trivandrum (Latin), and Vijayapuram.
The archdiocese is entrusted to indigenous clergy and covers an area of 4,800 sq. km., with a population of 1,614,120, distributed as follows: 134,066 Latin Catholics, 349,500 Syro-Malabar Catholics, 155,500 dissenting Eastern-rite Christians, 17,700 Protestants, 2,151 Jews, 130,300 Muslims, and 924,000 pagans. Approximately 150 priests—nearly all Indian, belonging to the secular clergy (90) and the Carmelite Order (the rest)—exercise the sacred ministry there, assisted by about twenty brothers and 282 sisters from various religious institutes. There is a seminary with 46 students. About thirty clerics pursue philosophical and theological studies at the regional seminary in Alwaye, Tiruchirappalli, and the Urban College of Propaganda Fide in Rome. The diocese is divided into 5 districts or deaneries, 45 parishes, 20 primary stations, and 33 secondary stations; there are 51 churches and 47 chapels.
The archdiocese has 74 elementary schools with 11,000 pupils (boys and girls), 14 middle schools with over 2,000 students, 11 high schools with 6,000 pupils, and 6 vocational schools with 358 apprentices. It also has two university colleges: St. Albert’s College with 750 students and St. Teresa’s College with 500 students. Charitable works include 1 hospital with 35 beds, 11 orphanages housing a total of 560 orphans, and 3 homes for the elderly with 71 residents. The diocese also owns 3 printing presses, where, among other things, about ten periodicals with a respectable circulation are printed. Confraternities, charitable associations, and Catholic Action circles are flourishing and numerous.