Diocese of Cochin Diœcesis Coccinensis കൊച്ചി രൂപത | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| Episcopal conference | Catholic Bishops' Conference of IndiaKerala Catholic Bishop's Council |
| Ecclesiastical province | Verapoly |
| Residence | Bishop's House Bp Joseph Kureethara Road, P.B. No. 11 Fort Kochi, Kochi - 682001 |
| Headquarters | Fort Kochi, Kerala |
| Coordinates | 9°57′53″N76°14′34″E / 9.964774°N 76.242738°E /9.964774; 76.242738 |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 236 km2 (91 sq mi)[1] |
Population
|
|
| Parishes | 51[a] |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 4 February 1557; 468 years ago (4 February 1557) |
| Cathedral | Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica,Fort Cochin |
| Patron saint | |
| Secular priests | 164 Diocesan Priests 116 Religious Priests 545 Religious Sisters |
| Language |
|
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Bishop Designate | Antony Kattiparambil |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Joseph Kalathiparambil |
| Vicar General | Msgr Shaiju Pariathussery |
| Bishops emeritus | |
| Website | |
| dioceseofcochin | |
 | |
TheDiocese of Cochin (Latin:Diœcesis Coccinensis) is aLatin Churchdiocese of theCatholic Church inCochin, Kerala, India. A constituent of thesui iurisLatin Church, the diocese was established in 1557 after the domination of thePortuguese-speaking missionaries. The diocese is asuffragan diocese in theecclesiastical province of themetropolitanArchdiocese of Verapoly
The diocese is situated with theArabian Sea in the west, the Archdiocese of Verapoly in both north and east, and theDiocese of Alleppey in the south. TheSanta Cruz Cathedral Basilica inFort Cochin is the diocese's cathedral where the Diocesan Administrator resides. Pope Francis appointedJames Raphael Anaparambil, Bishop ofDiocese of Alleppey, as apostolic administratorsede plena to the diocese on 11 October 2024[2] and his term has ended on 8th December by the installation ofAntony Kattiparambil as the Bishop of Cochin.
On 25 October 2025,Pope Leo XIV appointedAntony Kattiparambil as the bishop- of theDiocese of Cochin. His episcopal ordination was on 7th December 2025 at the Basilica Nagar- Parade ground Fort Cochin and he was installed as the bishop of Cochin by the next day atSanta Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Kochi.
The Diocese of Cochin, now diminutive in size due to successive bifurcations in the course of time, once used to be the Mother Diocese of many a bishopric in the Sub-continent. The erstwhile Mother Diocese extended in the west coast fromMalabar, down south toCape Comorin (the presentKanya Kumari and still further down,Ceylon ( now,Sri Lanka ) and stretched along the east coast all the way up, encompassingNepal,Bangladesh and beyondBurma ( now,Myanmar ) and still further east toHong Kong,Malacca andMacau.
| Date | Event | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 February 1557 | Erected | Archdiocese of Goa[3] | Diocese of Cochin[4][5][6] was erected as asuffragan diocese (other beingDiocese of Malacca) to theArchdiocese of Goa[3] |
| 1599 | Territory Lost | Diocese of Cochin | Archdiocese of Angamalé (erected)(Later name changed to[7]Archdiocese of Cranganore and suppressed toVicariate Apostolic of Verapoly) |
| 9 January 1606 | Territory Lost | Diocese of Cochin | Dioceses of Saint Thomas of Mylapore (Tamil Nadu) United To:Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor)[8] |
| 1606 | Territory Lost | Diocese of Cochin | as Mission "sui iuris" of Madura (Tamil Nadu[9]) Later Suppressed. |
| 1659 | Territory Lost | Diocese of Cochin | Vicariate Apostolic of Malabar (erected) (Later namechanged toVicariate Apostolic of Verapoly and Later toArchdiocese of Verapoly[10]) |
| 3 Dec 1834 | Territory Lost | Diocese of Cochin | Vicariate Apostolic of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Later changed toArchdiocese of Colombo[11] |
| 19 June 1952 | Territory Lost | Diocese of Cochin | Diocese of Alleppey (erected) |
| 19 September 1953 | Metropolitan Changed | Archdiocese of Goa | Archdiocese of Verapoly |
| 1955 | Territory Lost | Diocese of Cochin | Diocese of Trivandrum[12] |
The early Christian missionaries arrived in India fromPortugal in 1550, pioneering the Portuguese mission in the country. Subsequently, the Christians of Kochi began practicing theLatin liturgical rite.St. Francis Xavier often visited the land of Kochi, where he offered holy mass at the St. Francis Church, in which lies the body ofVasco da Gama buried in 1524.[13] The Order of the Franciscans built a monastery in 1518 and two more, of the Jesuit Order, in 1550 and 1561. In 1553 the Dominicans sisters started a college and Monastery in Kochi, and before 1557, publication began and book printing began in Kochi. The Society of Jesus was then founded by Father Balthazar Gago, S.J. in 1550 and in 1560, the King of Portugal built for the Society of Jesus, the college of Kochi, and in 1562, a novitiate of the Society was established there. Following the rising of the land,Pope Leo X, in 1514 erected theDiocese of Funchal, and in 1534, theDiocese of Goa which was joined by the people in Kochi. The diocese of Cochin was elected byPope Paul IV on 4 February 1557, in his decree"Pro Excellenti Praeeminentia"[13] for the two newsuffragan dioceses (the other beingDiocese of Malacca).[14][1] After its erection as a diocese, it was the second and preceded southern and eastern India, Burma, andCeylon (nowSri Lanka). It was later reorganized following the Concordat of 23 June 1886, betweenLeo XIII and King Luiz of Portugal.[citation needed]
Before the missionaries, people of Malabar practiced Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Three out of the eight Franciscan friars, who sailed fromLisbon to India died in the 1500 masacre in Kozhikode. The survivors then settled at Kochi and from there began the foundation of the Diocese of Cochin. They also received support from other missionaries working from the city which was a centre. Vasco da Gama, a messenger from Portugal who had arrived at Cochin accepted the writings of the early converted Christians for the King of Portugal. The Syrian Bishop of those Christians promised obedience to the pope through the Franciscan missionaries and two Nestorian priests, who later accompanied Gama to Lisbon en route forRome. The pioneer priests of the diocese, Franciscans João d'Elvas and Pedro d'Amarante until 1507, preached the Gospel atVypin,Pallippuram, andKodungallur. Father Vincent de Lagos established the College of Kodungallur in 1540 to train the Nestorian Christians.[citation needed]
The Papal Bull ofPope Paul IV, which was used earlier in erecting the diocese was also utilised in raising the collegiate church of the Holy Cross, and the parish church of Cochin to a cathedral of the diocese with the first Bishop of Cochin, a Dominican Father Jorge Tremudo. In 1577, Brother João Gonsalves, S.J. was engraved at Cochin for the first time, thus, outlined the first Malealam bookOutlines of Christian Doctrine, which was written inPortuguese by St. Francis Xavier to aid children. Cochin was taken on 6 January 1663, by the Dutch after a siege of six months. The city was reduced in size; the clergy were expelled; the monasteries and colleges, bishop's palace, etc., were razed to the ground. The church of St. Francis of Assisi, belonging to the Franciscan monastery was spared by the conquerors and converted for their religious use. After the English overthrew the Dutch, they kept the church which was turned into a merchandise to serve as a witness to the past four centuries, as well as an existing oldest church in India.[13]
The Diocese Of Cochin is blessed with fifty one independent parishes with resident priests under six ecclesiastical districts as follows
| Name Of The Parish | Year Established | |
| First District – Fort Cochin Forane | ||
| Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica Fort Kochi | 1505 | |
| Church of Our Lady of Life Mattancherry | 9th century | |
| Church of Our Lady of Hope Fort Vypeen | 1605 | |
| St Peter and Paul Church Amaravathy | 1857 | |
| Holy Family Church Nazareth | 1901 | |
| Stella Maris Church Willington Island | 1955 | |
| St Joseph's Bethlehem Church Chullicakal | 1974 | |
| St Mary's Church Kochery | 2016 | |
| Second District – Kannamaly Forane | ||
|---|---|---|
| St Antony's Forane Church Kannamaly | 1873 | |
| St Louis Church Mundamveli | 9th century | |
| St Sebastian's Church Chellaanam | 1832 | |
| St Joseph's Church Cheriyakadavu | 1968 | |
| St Francis Assisi Church Kaattiparambu | 1980 | |
| St Thomas Apostle Church Santhome | 1990 | |
| St John The Baptist Church Anjilithara | 2019 | |
| Third District – Edakochi Forane | ||
| St Lawrence Church Edakochi | 9th century | |
| St Sebastian's Church Thoppumpady | 1833 | |
| Santa Cruz Church Perumpadappu | 1965 | |
| St Joseph's Church Chirackal | 1965 | |
| St Mary's Church North Edakochi | 1978 | |
| St Lawrence Church Palluruthy | 1986 | |
| St Thomas More Church Palluruthy | 1991 | |
| St Joseph's Church Maduracompany | 2012 | |
| Santa Maria Church Perumpadappu | 2018 | |
| Fourth District – Kumbalanghi Forane | ||
| St George Church Pazhangad | 1869 | |
| St Peter's Church Kumbalanghi | 1875 | |
| St Joseph's Church North Kumbalanghi | 1967 | |
| Immaculate Conception Church Ezhupunna | 1977 | |
| St Sebastian's Church Neendakara | 1977 | |
| Sacred Heart Church Kumbalanghi | 1994 | |
| St Martin De Porres Church Kallencherry | 1996 | |
| Holy Maris Church Azheekakam | 2014 | |
| San Jose Church Ettumkal | 2014 | |
| Fifth District – Aroor Forane | ||
| St Augustine's Church Aroor | 1901 | |
| St Francis Xavier Church Eramalloor | 1843 | |
| St Joseph's Church Kumbalam | 1977 | |
| St Antony's Church Arookutty | 1978 | |
| St Joseph's Church Vallithod | 1986 | |
| Our Lady Of Fatima Church Kodamthuruth | 1991 | |
| St Mary's Church Chandiroor | 2004 | |
| St Sebastian's Church Karunyapuram | 2013 | |
| Little Flower Church Perumbalam | 2013 | |
| St Jude Church Eramalloor | 2020 | |
| Queen Of Peace Church Ezhupunna | 2024 | |
| Sixth District – Thankey Forane | ||
| St Mary's Forane Church Thankey | 1832 | |
| Our Lady Of Assumption Church, Poomkavu | 1860 | |
| St George Church Arthumkal | 1866 | |
| St Francis Xavier Church Vayalar | 1936 | |
| St Sebastian's Church Areeparambu | 2016 | |
| St George Church Arasupuram | 2017 | |
| St Antony's Church Pathirapally | 2019 | |
In the 9th century there were only three parishes in Kochi:
St. Lawrence Church Edakochi,
Our Lady Of Life Church Mattancherry, and
St. Louis Church Mundamveli.[16]
| Image | Name Of The Church | Veneration | Feast Day | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica Fortcochin | Holy Cross / Our Lady of Fatima | September 14 - The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and December 31 - Feast of Our Lady of Fatima |  |
 | Holy Cross Pilgrim Center (Coonan Kurisu) Mattancherry | Holy Cross | September 14 - Feast of the Exaltation of Holy Cross |  |
 | Our Lady of Assumption Church Poomkavu | Holy Week Pilgrimage & Infant Jesus | Holy Week |  |
 | St Mary's Forane Church Thankey | Holy Week Pilgrimage Special Veneration towards the miraculous pascal statue of Jesus Christ | Holy Week |  |
 | Our Lady Of Velankanni Shrine,Maruvakad, Chellanam | Our Lady Of Good Health | September 8 - The Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary |  |
 | St Joseph's Miraculous ShrineKannamaly | St Joseph the Worker | March 19 - Feast of St Joseph |  |
 | St Sebastian's Church Edacochin,Tomb Of Servant Of God Msgr.Lawrence Puliyanath | Msgr.Lawrence Puliyanath (Servant Of God) | February 20 - Death Anniversary of Msgr Lawrence Puliyanath |  |
1558, 4 de Fevereiro, Roma – Bula Pro excellenti praeeminentia, pela qual Paulo IV instituiu a diocese de Cochim, desmembrando o seu território da então criada arquidiocese de Goa e concedendo ao rei de Portugal o direito de padroado e de apresentação do bispo da nova diocese.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
