Archdiocese of Colombo

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Bishop(s) Oswald Thomas Colman Gomis, Archbishop Vincent Marius Joseph Peiris, Auxiliary Bishop Nicholas Marcus Fernando, Archbishop Emeritus Suffragan Dioceses Anuradhapura Badulla Chilaw Galle Jaffna Kandy Kurunegala Mannar Ratnapura Trincomalee-Batticaloa

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Archdiocese Name Changed: 22 May 1972 Metropolitan See Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: Sri Lanka Square Kilometers: 3,838 (1,482 Square Miles) Official Web Site: http://www.archdioceseofcolombo.com/ Mailing Address: Archbishop's House, 976 Gnanartha Pradeepaya Mawatha, Colombo 8, Sri Lanka Telephone: (011)2695-471/2/3 Fax: 2692-009

Historical Details

• Diocese of Ceylon
  • Erected: 3 December 1834
  • Country: Sri Lanka

• Diocese of Colombo
  • Latin Name: Columbensis
  • Name Changed: 17 February 1845
  • Country: Sri Lanka

• Archdiocese of Colombo
  • Latin Name: Columbensis
  • Elevated: 1 September 1886
  • Metropolitan See
  • Country: Sri Lanka

• Archdiocese of Colombo in Ceylon
  • Latin Name: Columbensis in Ceylon
  • Name Changed: 6 December 1944
  • Metropolitan See
  • Country: Sri Lanka

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Hilarion Silani † (17 Sep 1863 Appointed - 1879 Died)
• Clemente Pagnani, O.S.B. † (12 Nov 1879 Appointed - 20 Apr 1883 Appointed, Vicar Apostolic of Kandy)
• Christophe-Etienne Bonjean, O.M.I. † (20 Apr 1883 Appointed - 3 Aug 1892 Died)
• André-Théophile Mélizan, O.M.I. † (15 Apr 1893 Appointed - 27 Jun 1905 Died)
• Antoine Coudert, O.M.I. † (28 Jan 1905 Succeeded - 31 Mar 1929 Died)
• Pierre-Guillaume Marque, O.M.I. † (16 Dec 1929 Appointed - 4 Jun 1937 Died)
• Jean-Marie Masson, O.M.I. † (13 Jun 1938 Appointed - 28 Jul 1947 Died)
• Thomas Benjamin Cooray, O.M.I. † (26 Jul 1947 Succeeded - 2 Sep 1976 Retired)
• Nicholas Marcus Fernando (21 Mar 1977 Appointed - 6 Jul 2002 Resigned)
• Oswald Thomas Colman Gomis (6 Jul 2002 Appointed - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Diocese of Ceylon
3 December 1834	Erected		Diocese of Ceylon (erected)
Diocese of Colombo
17 February 1845	Name Changed	Diocese of Ceylon	Diocese of Colombo
Archdiocese of Colombo
1 September 1886	Elevated	Diocese of Colombo	Archdiocese of Colombo
7 June 1887	Elevated		Archdiocese of Colombo (became a Metropolitan)
Archdiocese of Colombo in Ceylon
6 December 1944	Name Changed	Archdiocese of Colombo	Archdiocese of Colombo in Ceylon
Archdiocese of Colombo
22 May 1972	Name Changed	Archdiocese of Colombo in Ceylon	Archdiocese of Colombo

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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
Archdiocese of Colombo in Ceylon
1950	291,210	1,876,904	15.5%	38	128	166	1,754		130	933	70	ap1951
1969	395,610	2,840,110	13.9%	102	118	220	1,798		307	1,101	82	ap1971
Archdiocese of Colombo
1980	491,303	3,696,000	13.3%	109	73	182	2,699	3	273	1,133	93	ap1981
1990	553,610	4,320,000	12.8%	156	109	265	2,089		240	1,099	105	ap1991
1999	547,565	4,605,527	11.9%	205	139	344	1,591	1	288	1,020	120	ap2000
2000	557,387	4,615,349	12.1%	210	141	351	1,587	1	284	1,035	123	ap2001
2001	567,833	5,027,268	11.3%	209	138	347	1,636		345	1,013	123	ap2002
2002	629,173	5,361,042	11.7%	234	138	372	1,691		335	939	123	ap2003
2003	629,173	5,455,679	11.5%	237	135	372	1,691		213	1,051	123	ap2004
2004	648,184	5,522,956	11.7%	248	153	401	1,616		248	1,104	123	ap2005
2006	700,000	5,692,004	12.3%	255	268	523	1,338		382	1,161	123	ap2007

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

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Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Frank Marcus Fernando (Auxiliary Bishop: 6 Jul 1965 to 8 Jun 1968)
• Nicholas Marcus Fernando (Priest: 20 Dec 1959; Archbishop: 21 Mar 1977 to 6 Jul 2002)
• Oswald Thomas Colman Gomis (Priest: 3 Feb 1958; Auxiliary Bishop: 9 Apr 1968 to 2 Nov 1995; Archbishop: 6 Jul 2002)
• Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don (Auxiliary Bishop: 17 Jun 1991 to 2 Nov 1995)
• Vincent Marius Joseph Peiris (Priest: 25 Jan 1972; Auxiliary Bishop: 16 Nov 2000)
• Harold Anthony Perera (Priest: 5 Jul 1980 to 29 Jan 2003)

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Christophe-Etienne Bonjean, O.M.I. † (Vicar Apostolic: 20 Apr 1883; Archbishop: 1 Sep 1886 to 3 Aug 1892)
• Thomas Benjamin Cooray, O.M.I. † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 14 Dec 1945; Archbishop: 26 Jul 1947 to 2 Sep 1976)
• Antoine Coudert, O.M.I. † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 18 Jul 1898; Archbishop: 28 Jan 1905 to 31 Mar 1929)
• Edmund Joseph Fernando, O.M.I. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 9 Apr 1968 to 5 Dec 1983)
• Pierre-Guillaume Marque, O.M.I. † (Archbishop: 16 Dec 1929 to 4 Jun 1937)
• Jean-Marie Masson, O.M.I. † (Archbishop: 13 Jun 1938 to 28 Jul 1947)
• André-Théophile Mélizan, O.M.I. † (Archbishop: 15 Apr 1893 to 27 Jun 1905)
• Clemente Pagnani, O.S.B. † (Vicar Apostolic: 12 Nov 1879 to 20 Apr 1883)
• Anthony de Saram † (Priest: 25 Mar 1941; Auxiliary Bishop: 27 Dec 1962 to 22 Mar 1965)
• Hilarion Silani † (Vicar Apostolic: 17 Sep 1863 to 1879)