Diocese of Jaffna, Sri Lanka

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Jaffna / Iaffnen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Colombo

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1845.02.17: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Jaffna / Iaffnen(sis) (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Ceylon)
1886.09.01: Promoted as Diocese of Jaffna / Iaffnen(sis) (Latin)
1887.06.07: Became suffragan of Colombo
1893.08.25: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Trincomalee
1975.12.19: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Anuradhapura
1981.01.24: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Mannar

Present Prelates

Bishop (2015.10.13 – ...):

Bishop Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam (76)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Jaffna (Roman Rite)

Bishop Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam (76)
(2015.10.13 – ...)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka)

Pro vita et populo

Born:	1948.05.13 (Karampon, Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	1974.04.24
Consecrated Bishop:	2015.11.28

Priest of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1974.04.24 – 2015.10.13)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (2015.10.13 – ...)

Bishop Thomas Emmanuel Savundaranayagam Emmanuel (85)
(1992.07.06 – 2015.10.13)

Bishop emeritus of Jaffna (Sri Lanka)

Spiritus veritatis et pacis

Born:	1938.07.13 (Kayts, Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	1963.12.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1981.07.30

Priest of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1963.12.21 – 1981.01.24)

Bishop of Mannar (Sri Lanka) (1981.01.24 – 1992.07.06)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1992.07.06 – 2015.10.13)

Bishop Jacob Bastiampillai Deogupillai
(1972.12.18 – 1992.07.06)

Born:	1917.04.09 (Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	1941.12.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1967.05.11
Died:	2003.04.25 († 86)

Titular Bishop of Mozotcori (1967.02.09 – 1972.12.18)

Auxiliary Bishop of Trincomalee–Batticaloa (Sri Lanka) (1967.02.09 – 1972.12.18)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1972.12.18 – 1992.07.06)

Bishop Jerome Emilianus Pillai, O.M.I.
(1950.07.18 – 1972.07.17)

Born:	1901.07.20 (Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	1929.07.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1949.05.22
Died:	1972.07.17 († 70)

Titular Bishop of Bladia (1949.03.10 – 1950.07.18)

Coadjutor Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1949.03.10 – 1950.07.18)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1950.07.18 – 1972.07.17)

Bishop Alfred-Jean Guyomard, O.M.I.
(1924.01.16 – 1950.07.18)

Born:	1884.10.14 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1909.07.11
Consecrated Bishop:	1924.03.09
Died:	1956.02.27 († 71)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1924.01.16 – 1950.07.18)

Titular Bishop of Assava (1950.07.22 – 1956.02.27)

Bishop Jules-André Brault, O.M.I.
(1919.08.05 – 1923.01.20)

Born:	1867.03.22 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1890.09.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1920.02.14
Died:	1923.01.20 († 55)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1919.08.05 – 1923.01.20)

Bishop Henri Joulain, O.M.I.
(1893.07.20 – 1919.02.08)

Born:	1852.09.24 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1875.05.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1893.08.24
Died:	1919.02.08 († 66)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1893.07.20 – 1919.02.08)

Bishop André-Théophile Mélizan, O.M.I. (later Archbishop)
(1886.09.01 – 1893.04.15)

De cœlo robur et solatium

Born:	1844.09.27 (France)
Consecrated Bishop:	1880.01.24
Died:	1905.06.27 († 60)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1879.07.18 – 1883.04.20)

Titular Bishop of Adrana (1879.07.18 – 1886.09.01)

Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1883.04.20 – 1886.09.01)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1886.09.01 – 1893.04.15)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1893.04.15 – 1905.06.27)

Vicars Apostolic of Jaffna (Roman Rite)

Bishop André-Théophile Mélizan, O.M.I. (later Archbishop)
(1883.04.20 – 1886.09.01)

(see above)

Bishop Christophe-Etienne Bonjean, O.M.I. (later Archbishop)
(1868.07.24 – 1883.04.20)

Born:	1823.09.23 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1846.12.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1868.08.28
Died:	1892.08.03 († 68)

Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) ([1868.07.05] 1868.07.24 – 1883.04.20)

Titular Bishop of Medea (1868.07.24 – 1886.09.01)

Vicar Apostolic of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1883.04.20 – 1886.09.01)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1886.09.01 – 1892.08.03)

Bishop Jean-Etienne Sémeria, O.M.I.
(1857.07.26 – 1868.01.23)

Born:	1813.02.07 (Italy)
Consecrated Bishop:	1856.08.17
Died:	1868.01.23 († 54)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1856.05.04 – 1857.07.26)

Titular Bishop of Olimpus (1856.05.04 – 1868.01.23)

Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1857.07.26 – 1868.01.23)

Bishop Orazio Bettacchini, C.O.
(1849.08.13 – 1857.07.26)

Born:	(Italy)
Consecrated Bishop:	1846.02.08
Died:	1857.07.26

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1845.05.06 – 1847.09.17)

Titular Bishop of Torone (1845.05.06 – 1857.07.26)

Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1847.09.17 – 1849.08.13)

Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1849.08.13 – 1857.07.26)

Bishop Orazio Bettacchini, C.O.
(1847.09.17 – 1849.08.13)

(see above)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Jerome Emilianus Pillai, O.M.I. (1949.03.10 – 1950.07.18)
Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: Bishop André-Théophile Mélizan, O.M.I. (later Archbishop) (1879.07.18 – 1883.04.20)
Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: Bishop Jean-Etienne Sémeria, O.M.I. (1856.05.04 – 1857.07.26)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Leo Rajendram Antony (1968.08.03 – 1972.12.18)

Special Churches

Cathedral: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Jaffna, Northern

Sivagangai (←), Tanjore (↖), Trincomalee (↘), Mannar (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 3,910 km²

Population: 267,650 Catholics (16.4% of 1,637,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 71 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 205 priests (119 diocesan, 86 religious), 436 religious (107 brothers, 329 sisters), 12 seminarians