Diocese of Coimbatore

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Bishop(s) Thomas Aquinas Lephonse, Bishop Ambrose Mathalaimuthu, Bishop Emeritus

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese Erected: 1 September 1886 Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor) Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: India Square Kilometers: 28,490 (11,004 Square Miles) Official Web Site: http://www.coimbatorediocese.com/ Mailing Address: Bishop's House, P.O. Box 6, Coimbatore-641001, Tamil Nadu, India Telephone: (0422)2305.084 Fax: 2394.530

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Melchior-Marie-Joseph de Marion-Brésillac, M.E.P. † (16 Mar 1845 Appointed - 18 Mar 1855 Resigned)
• Claude-Marie Dépommier, M.E.P. † (17 Feb 1865 Appointed - 8 Dec 1873 Died)
• Etienne-Auguste-Joseph-Louis Bardou, M.E.P. † (30 Apr 1874 Appointed - 7 Feb 1903 Died)
• Jacques-Denis Peyramale, M.E.P. † (23 May 1903 Appointed - 17 Aug 1903 Died)
• Augustine-Antoine Roy, M.E.P. † (12 Feb 1904 Appointed - 4 Dec 1930 Retired)
• Marie-Louis-Joseph-Constantin Tournier, M.E.P. † (12 Jan 1932 Appointed - Jan 1938 Resigned)
• Ubagaraswani Bernadotte † (9 Apr 1940 Appointed - 5 Feb 1949 Died)
• Francis Xavier Muthappa † (25 Dec 1949 Appointed - 23 Nov 1971 Died)
• Manuel Visuvasam † (3 Feb 1972 Appointed - 2 Jun 1979 Died)
• Ambrose Mathalaimuthu (6 Dec 1979 Appointed - 10 Jul 2002 Retired)
• Thomas Aquinas Lephonse (10 Jul 2002 Appointed - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
1 September 1886	Erected		Diocese of Coimbatore (erected)
12 June 1923	Territory Lost	Diocese of Coimbatore Diocese of Mangalore Diocese of Mysore	Diocese of Calicut (erected)

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Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
1950	46,200	3,000,000	1.5%	47	4	51	905		6	142	33	ap1951
1970	87,541	3,482,941	2.5%	70	17	87	1,006		41	564	45	ap1971
1980	96,875	4,353,000	2.2%	76	9	85	1,139		42	623	50	ap1981
1990	125,200	4,217,500	3.0%	92	12	104	1,203		55	809	60	ap1991
1999	212,763	7,163,297	3.0%	107	14	121	1,758		25	902	67	ap2000
2000	218,930	8,292,785	2.6%	104	14	118	1,855		24	889	67	ap2001
2001	225,773	9,422,273	2.4%	104	16	120	1,881		48	590	67	ap2002
2002	245,479	10,113,414	2.4%	105	14	119	2,062		44	605	68	ap2003
2003	250,139	11,011,709	2.3%	113	14	127	1,969		43	611	69	ap2004
2004	255,220	11,813,004	2.2%	109	20	129	1,978		60	656	68	ap2005
2006	258,600	12,124,000	2.1%	117	20	137	1,887		54	647	72	ap2007

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

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Affiliated Bishops

• Etienne-Auguste-Joseph-Louis Bardou, M.E.P. † (Vicar Apostolic: 30 Apr 1874; Bishop: 25 Nov 1886 to 7 Feb 1903)
• Ubagaraswani Bernadotte † (Bishop: 9 Apr 1940 to 5 Feb 1949)
• Claude-Marie Dépommier, M.E.P. † (Vicar Apostolic: 17 Feb 1865 to 8 Dec 1873)
• Thomas Aquinas Lephonse (Bishop: 10 Jul 2002 - )
• Melchior-Marie-Joseph de Marion-Brésillac, M.E.P. † (Pro-Vicar Apostolic: 16 Mar 1845; Vicar Apostolic: 3 Apr 1850 to 18 Mar 1855)
• Ambrose Mathalaimuthu (Bishop: 6 Dec 1979 to 10 Jul 2002)
• Francis Xavier Muthappa † (Bishop: 25 Dec 1949 to 23 Nov 1971)
• Antony Padiyara † (Priest: 19 Dec 1945 to 3 Jul 1955)
• Jacques-Denis Peyramale, M.E.P. † (Bishop: 23 May 1903 to 17 Aug 1903)
• Ambrose Rayappan † (Priest: 16 Dec 1923 to 8 Jan 1953)
• Augustine-Antoine Roy, M.E.P. † (Bishop: 12 Feb 1904 to 4 Dec 1930)
• Marie-Louis-Joseph-Constantin Tournier, M.E.P. † (Bishop: 12 Jan 1932 to Jan 1938)
• Manuel Visuvasam † (Bishop: 3 Feb 1972 to 2 Jun 1979)