Roman Catholic Diocese of Batticaloa

Roman Catholic diocese in Sri Lanka

Diocese of Batticaloa

Dioecesis Batticaloaensis

மட்டக்களப்பு மறைமாவட்டம்

St. Mary's Cathedral, Batticaloa

Location
Country| Sri Lanka
Ecclesiastical province| Colombo
Metropolitan| Colombo
Statistics
Area| 7,269 km2 (2,807 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics| (as of 2012)
1,199,966
55,225 (4.6%)
Information
Denomination| Roman Catholic
Rite| Latin Rite
Established| 3 July 2012
Cathedral| St. Mary's Cathedral, Batticaloa
Current leadership
Pope| Francis
Bishop| Joseph Ponniah
Metropolitan Archbishop| Malcolm Ranjith
Map

The Diocese of Batticaloa (Latin: Dioecesis Batticaloaensis,Tamil: மட்டக்களப்பு மறைமாவட்டம்) is a Roman Catholic diocese for south-eastern Sri Lanka. The current bishop is Joseph Ponniah.

## History

[edit]

The Diocese of Batticaloa was created on 3 July 2012 from parts of the Diocese of Trincomalee-Batticaloa.[1] The first and oldest church of this diocese is Church of Our Lady of Presentation.[2]

## Parishes and Churches

[edit]

The diocese has 19 parishes in Batticaloa deanery and 7 in Kalmunai deanery.[3] It has 7 shrines such as St. Antony's shrine (Puliyanthivu), Our Lady of Fátima shrine (Inginiyagala), Our Lady of the Rosary shrine (Periya Pullumalai), Our Lady of Perpetual Help shrine (Aayithiyamalai), Our Lady of Little Lourdes shrine (Navatkudah), Holy Cross shrine (Sorikkalmunai) and St. Judas Thaddaeus shrine (Thettathivu).[4]

## Bishops

[edit]

#  | Bishop  | Took office  | Left office

|
|
|

1st | Joseph Ponniah | 2012 |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Diocese of Batticaloa". GCatholic.
2. ^ "Newsletter: The Two New Dioceses of Batticaloa & Trincomalee" (PDF). Roman Catholic Diocese of Batticaloa. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
3. ^ "Parishes". Diocese of Batticaloa. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
4. ^ "Shrines". Diocese of Batticaloa. Retrieved 27 April 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* Diocese of Batticaloa

Authority control databases |

* VIAF

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7°42′45″N 81°41′46″E﻿ / ﻿7.7124°N 81.6961°E﻿ / 7.7124; 81.6961