Metropolitan Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore, India

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2012.11.21 – ...):

Archbishop George Antonysamy (71)

Vice-President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India

Vice-President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Madras and Mylapore (Roman Rite)

Archbishop George Antonysamy (71)
(2012.11.21 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Madras and Mylapore (India)
Vice-President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India
Vice-President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India

Lumen fidei

Born:	1952.02.15 (Tiruchirapalli, India)
Ordained Priest:	1980.11.19
Consecrated Bishop:	2005.09.21

Apostolic Nuncio to Guinea (2005.08.04 – 2008.09.08)

Titular Archbishop of Sulci (2005.08.04 – 2012.11.21)

Apostolic Nuncio to Gambia (2005.08.04 – 2012.11.21)

Apostolic Nuncio to Liberia (2005.08.04 – 2012.11.21)

Apostolic Nuncio to Sierra Leone (2005.09.20 – 2012.11.21)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Madras and Mylapore (India) (2012.11.21 – ...)

Vice-President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (2017.02.06 – ...)

Vice-President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (2022.11.11 – ...)

Archbishop Malayappan Chinnappa, S.D.B. (85)
(2005.04.01 – 2012.11.21)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Madras and Mylapore (India)

To serve my life for many

Born:	1937.07.23 (Ayandur-Mugaiyur, India)
Ordained Priest:	1972.12.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1994.01.25

Bishop of Vellore (India) (1993.11.17 – 2005.04.01)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Madras and Mylapore (India) (2005.04.01 – 2012.11.21)

Archbishop James Masilamony Arul Das
(1994.05.11 – 2004.08.30)

Born:	1930.01.14 (India)
Ordained Priest:	1955.12.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1974.02.20
Died:	2004.08.30 († 74)

Bishop of Ootacamund (India) (1973.12.21 – 1994.05.11)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Madras and Mylapore (India) (1994.05.11 – 2004.08.30)

Archbishop Casimir Gnanadickam, S.J.
(1987.01.26 – 1993.11.10)

Born:	1925.04.25 (India)
Ordained Priest:	1957.07.28
Consecrated Bishop:	1985.06.16
Died:	1993.11.10 († 68)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Madurai (India) (1984.12.03 – 1987.01.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Madras and Mylapore (India) (1987.01.26 – 1993.11.10)

Vice-President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (1993 – 1993.11.10)

Archbishop Anthony Rayappa Arulappa
(1966.02.01 – 1987.01.26)

Born:	1912.10.02 (India)
Ordained Priest:	1938.03.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1966.03.25
Died:	1996.08.02 († 83)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Madras and Mylapore (India) (1966.02.01 – 1987.01.26)

Archbishop Louis Mathias, S.D.B.
(1952.11.13 – 1965.08.02)

Born:	1887.07.20 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1913.07.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1934.11.10
Died:	1965.08.02 († 78)

Prefect Apostolic of Assam (India) (1922.12.15 – 1934.07.09)

Bishop of Shillong (India) (1934.07.09 – 1935.03.25)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Madras (India) (1935.03.25 – 1952.11.13)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Madras and Mylapore (India) (1952.11.13 – 1965.08.02)

Metropolitan Archbishops of Madras (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Louis Mathias, S.D.B.
(1935.03.25 – 1952.11.13)

(see above)

Archbishop Eugène Mederlet, S.D.B.
(1928.07.03 – 1934.12.12)

Born:	1867.11.15 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1894.07.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1928.10.28
Died:	1934.12.12 († 67)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Madras (India) (1928.07.03 – 1934.12.12)

Archbishop Giovanni Aelen, M.H.M.
(1911.02.13 – 1928.02.25)

Born:	1854.12.24 (Netherlands)
Died:	1929.02.11 († 74)

Titular Archbishop of Themisonium (1901.12.02 – 1911.02.13)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Madras (India) (1901.12.02 – 1911.02.13)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Madras (India) (1911.02.13 – 1928.02.25)

Titular Archbishop of Nicopolis (1928.02.25 – 1929.02.11)

Archbishop Joseph Colgan
(1886.09.01 – 1911.02.13)

Born:	1821.01.02
Died:	1911.02.13 († 90)

Titular Bishop of Aureliopolis (1882.05.19 – 1886.09.01)

Vicar Apostolic of Madras (India) (1882.05.19 – 1886.09.01)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Madras (India) (1886.09.01 – 1911.02.13)

Vicars Apostolic of Madras (Roman Rite)

Bishop Joseph Colgan (later Archbishop)
(1882.05.19 – 1886.09.01)

(see above)

Bishop Stephen Fennelly
(1868.03.01 – 1880.05.03)

Born:	(Ireland)
Consecrated Bishop:	1868.10.04
Died:	1880.05.03

Vicar Apostolic of Madras (India) (1868.03.01 – 1880.05.03)

Titular Bishop of Thermopylæ (1868.07.07 – 1880.05.03)

Bishop John Fennelly
(1841.04.30 – 1868.01.23)

Consecrated Bishop:	1841.06.27
Died:	1868.01.23

Titular Bishop of Castoria (1841.04.30 – 1868.01.23)

Vicar Apostolic of Madras (India) (1841.04.30 – 1868.01.23)

Bishop Patrick Joseph Carew (later Archbishop)
(1840.04.04 – 1840.11.30)

Born:	1800? (Ireland)
Died:	1855.11.02 († 55)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Madras (India) (1838.03.06 – 1840.04.04)

Titular Bishop of Philadelphia (1838.03.06 – 1840.11.30)

Vicar Apostolic of Madras (India) (1840.04.04 – 1840.11.30)

Vicar Apostolic of Bengal (India) (1840.11.30 – 1850.02.15)

Titular Archbishop of Edessa (1840.11.30 – 1855.11.02)

Vicar Apostolic of Western Bengal (India) (1850.02.15 – 1855.11.02)

Bishop Daniel O’Connell, O.E.S.A.
(1834.04.23 – 1840.04.04)

Born:	1786.07.06 (Ireland)
Ordained Priest:	1810?
Consecrated Bishop:	1834.08.03
Died:	1867.07.10 († 81)

Vicar Apostolic of Madras (India) (1834.04.23 – 1840.04.04)

Titular Bishop of Saldæ (1834.04.25 – 1867.07.10)

Bishop-elect John Bede Polding, O.S.B. (later Archbishop)
(1832.07.04 – 1833.06.03)

Adjutor Deus

Born:	1794.10.18 (England)
Ordained Priest:	1819.03.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1834.06.29
Died:	1877.03.16 († 82)

Titular Bishop of Hierocæsarea (1832.07.03 – 1842.04.05)

Vicar Apostolic of Madras (India) (1832.07.04 – 1833.06.03)

Vicar Apostolic of New Holland and Van Diemen’s Land (Australia) (1833.06.03 – 1842.04.05)

Vicar Apostolic of Sydney (Australia) (1842.04.05 – 1842.04.22)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Sydney (Australia) (1842.04.22 – 1877.03.16)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop Giovanni Aelen, M.H.M. (1901.12.02 – 1911.02.13)
Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: Bishop Daniel Murphy (later Archbishop) (1845.12.16 – 1851.05.20)
Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: Bishop Patrick Joseph Carew (later Archbishop) (1838.03.06 – 1840.04.04)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Lawrence Pius Dorairaj (68) (1998.11.28 – 2012.01.13)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Savarinathan Michael Augustine (later Archbishop) (1978.01.30 – 1981.06.19)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Francis Arthur Carvalho (1952.12.13 – 1965)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Theophilus Mayer, M.H.M. (1894.07.31 – 1900.09.09)

Contact Info

Website:

Statistics

Area: 3,160 km²

Population: 471,440 Catholics (5.3% of 8,944,700 total) (2020)

Statistics: 129 parishes, 238 missions, 378 priests (157 diocesan, 221 religious), 2,427 lay religious (515 brothers, 1,912 sisters), 24 seminarians (2020)

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Thomas

History

1642: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Fort Saint George (from Diocese of São Tomé de Meliapor)
1832.07.03: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Madras / Madraspolitan(us) (Latin) (gained territory from Mission sui juris of Coromandel Coast)
1838.04.24: Gained territory from the suppressed Diocese of São Tomé de Meliapor
1845.03.16: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Pro-Vicariate of Vizagapatam
1851.05.20: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Hyderabad
1886.09.01: Promoted as Archdiocese of Madras / Madraspolitan(us) (Latin) (lost territory to establish Diocese of São Tomé de Meliapor)
1887.06.07: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Madras / Madraspolitan(us) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Hyderabad and Vizagapatam)
1887.07.11: Gained suffragan see Nagpur
1928.06.15: Lost territory to establish Mission sui juris of Bellary and gained suffragan see Bellary
1928.07.03: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Nellore and gained suffragan see Nellore
1929.07.03: Exchanged territory with Diocese of São Tomé de Meliapor
1932.07.18: Gained suffragan see Jubbulpore
1937.04.13: Gained suffragan see Bezwada
1937.06.01: Gained suffragan see Cuttack
1940.02.13: Gained suffragan see Guntur
1952.11.13: Renamed as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore (English) / Madras and Myliapor (English) / Madraspolitan(us) et Meliaporen(sis) (Latin) (gained territory from the suppressed Diocese of São Tomé de Meliapor, lost territory to establish Diocese of Tanjore and Diocese of Vellore and gained suffragan sees Tanjore and Vellore)
1952.12.22: Gained suffragan see Warangal
1953.09.19: Lost suffragan sees Bellary, Cuttack, Guntur, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Nellore, Tanjore, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Warangal and Jabalpur
1953.12.11: Gained suffragan see Coimbatore
1955.07.03: Gained suffragan see Ootacamund
1969.08.01: Gained territory from Diocese of Vellore
1969.09.01: Gained territory from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore
2002.06.28: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Chingleput and gained suffragan see Chingleput

Papal Visits

Pope John Paul II (1986.02)