Agra (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Bishop(s)

Raphy Manjaly, Archbishop
Albert D’Souza, Archbishop Emeritus

General Information

Type of Jurisdiction: Archdiocese
Elevated: 1 September 1886
Metropolitan See
Rite: Latin (or Roman)
Country: India
Square Kilometers: 69,162 (26,713 Square Miles)
Description: consists of the following districts in Uttar Pradesh: Agra, Aligarh, Auraiya, Budaun, Bulandshahr, Etah, Etawah, Farrukabad, Fathegarh, Firozabad, Gautambudha Nagar, Hathras, Kannauj, Mainpuri, Mathura and in Rajasthan, Bharatpur and Dholpur.
Official Web Site: http://www.agraarchdiocese.com
Mailing Address: Archbishop's House, Wazirpura Road, Agra-282003, U.P., India
Telephone: (0562) 2851.318; 2526.397

Historical Details

Mission "Sui Iuris" of Hindustan
- Erected: 17 May 1784
- Country: India
Vicariate Apostolic of Tibet-Hindustan
- Elevated: 1820
- Vicariate
- Country: India
Vicariate Apostolic of Agra
- Name Changed: 1846
- Vicariate
- Country: India

Past and Present Ordinaries

Zenobio Maria Benucci, O.F.M. Cap. † (29 Aug 1820 Appointed - 23 Jun 1824 Died)
Antonino Pezzoni, O.F.M. Cap. † (27 Jan 1826 Appointed - 1842 Resigned)
Giuseppe Antonio Giacomo Borghi, O.F.M. Cap. † ( 1842 Succeeded - 5 Nov 1849 Appointed, Bishop of Cortona)
Gaetano Carli, O.F.M. Cap. † (5 Nov 1849 Succeeded - 7 Dec 1856 Resigned)
Andjelik Juraj Bedenik, O.F.M. Cap. † (1 Jun 1861 Appointed - 2 Nov 1866 Died)
Michael Angelus Jacobi (Jacopi), O.F.M. Cap. † (3 Mar 1868 Appointed - 14 Oct 1891 Died)
Emmanuel Alfonso van den Bosch, O.F.M. Cap. † (2 May 1892 Appointed - 5 May 1897 Resigned)
Carlo Giuseppe Gentili, O.F.M. Cap. † (27 Aug 1898 Appointed - 30 Dec 1916 Died)
Angelo Raffaele Bernacchioni, O.F.M. Cap. † (7 Aug 1917 Appointed - 21 Aug 1937 Died)
Evangelista Latino Enrico Vanni, O.F.M. Cap. † (21 Aug 1937 Succeeded - 21 Nov 1955 Retired)
Dominic Romuald Basil Athaide, O.F.M. Cap. † (29 Feb 1956 Appointed - 26 Jun 1982 Died)
Cecil DeSa † (11 Nov 1983 Appointed - 16 Apr 1998 Retired)
Vincent Michael Concessao (5 Nov 1998 Appointed - 7 Sep 2000 Appointed, Archbishop of Delhi)
Oswald Gracias (7 Sep 2000 Appointed - 14 Oct 2006 Appointed, Archbishop of Bombay)
Albert D’Souza (16 Feb 2007 Appointed - 12 Nov 2020 Retired)
Raphy Manjaly (12 Nov 2020 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Mission "Sui Iuris" of Hindustan
17 May 1784	Erected	Vicariate Apostolic of Great Mogul (Mughals)	Mission "Sui Iuris" of Hindustan (erected)
Vicariate Apostolic of Tibet-Hindustan
1820	Elevated	Mission "Sui Iuris" of Hindustan	Vicariate Apostolic of Tibet-Hindustan
12 September 1834	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Tibet-Hindustan	Vicariate Apostolic of Sardhana (erected)
7 February 1845	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Tibet-Hindustan	Vicariate Apostolic of Patna (erected)
27 March 1846	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Tibet-Hindustan	Vicariate Apostolic of Lhassa (erected)
Vicariate Apostolic of Agra
1846	Name Changed	Vicariate Apostolic of Tibet-Hindustan	Vicariate Apostolic of Agra
1880	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Agra	Vicariate Apostolic of Punjab (erected)
Archdiocese of Agra
1 September 1886	Elevated	Vicariate Apostolic of Agra	Archdiocese of Agra
1890	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Agra	Mission "Sui Iuris" of Rajputana (erected)
13 September 1910	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Agra (Simla, Ambala, Hissar, Karnal, Patiala, Nakha, Jind, Loharu, and Maler Kotla) Diocese of Lahore (Mandi, Suket, Kulu, Lahul, and Spiti)	Archdiocese of Simla (erected)
13 April 1937	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Agra (Delhi and Punjab) Archdiocese of Simla	Archdiocese of Delhi and Simla (and Name Change)
12 January 1940	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Agra (Shahjahanpur and Piltbhit) Diocese of Allahabad (Lucknow, Unnao, Barabanki, Gonda, Hardoi, Sitapur, Baliraichj Kheri, Nainital, and Almora)	Diocese of Lucknow (erected)
21 June 1951	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Agra (Bandikui and Alwar)	Diocese of Ajmer
8 November 1951	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Agra (Bareilly)	Diocese of Lucknow
5 July 1954	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Agra (Datia and Gwalior) Prefecture Apostolic of Jhansi	Diocese of Jhansi
20 February 1956	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Agra (Meerut, Moradabad, Rampur, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Garhwal, Tehri, and Dehra Dun)	Diocese of Meerut (erected)

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 Agra

1950 12,200 12,000,000 .1% 6 34 40 305 6 86 22 ap1951

1959 3,205 11,000,000 .0% 3 8 11 291 3 36 6 ap1960

1969 4,965 12,200,000 .0% 3 15 18 275 21 90 4 ap1971

1980 4,961 14,504,961 .0% 11 7 18 275 13 125 5 ap1981

1990 8,100 16,863,000 .0% 31 5 36 225 12 166 6 ap1991

1999 11,116 27,003,487 .0% 37 10 47 236 18 211 6 ap2000

2000 11,804 27,008,973 .0% 41 14 55 214 21 211 7 ap2001

2001 11,940 27,024,295 .0% 44 17 61 195 26 224 7 ap2002

2002 12,084 27,053,045 .0% 46 15 61 198 22 224 7 ap2003

2003 12,925 27,088,913 .0% 37 13 50 258 20 229 7 ap2004

2004 12,500 27,130,781 .0% 48 10 58 215 17 234 7 ap2005

2006 12,647 27,228,264 .0% 69 11 80 158 17 248 8 ap2007

2012 17,032 29,188,000 .1% 66 17 83 205 22 294 35 ap2013

2015 11,585 27,180,800 .0% 78 20 98 118 26 321 38 ap2016

2018 13,215 27,845,000 .0% 87 16 103 128 22 393 43 ap2019

2020 13,665 28,300,300 .0% 92 22 114 119 29 356 45 ap2021

2022 13,685 29,568,500 .0% 103 21 124 110 29 350 45 ap2023

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Archdiocese of Agra
1950	12,200	12,000,000	.1%	6	34	40	305	6	86	22	ap1951
1959	3,205	11,000,000	.0%	3	8	11	291	3	36	6	ap1960
1969	4,965	12,200,000	.0%	3	15	18	275	21	90	4	ap1971
1980	4,961	14,504,961	.0%	11	7	18	275	13	125	5	ap1981
1990	8,100	16,863,000	.0%	31	5	36	225	12	166	6	ap1991
1999	11,116	27,003,487	.0%	37	10	47	236	18	211	6	ap2000
2000	11,804	27,008,973	.0%	41	14	55	214	21	211	7	ap2001
2001	11,940	27,024,295	.0%	44	17	61	195	26	224	7	ap2002
2002	12,084	27,053,045	.0%	46	15	61	198	22	224	7	ap2003
2003	12,925	27,088,913	.0%	37	13	50	258	20	229	7	ap2004
2004	12,500	27,130,781	.0%	48	10	58	215	17	234	7	ap2005
2006	12,647	27,228,264	.0%	69	11	80	158	17	248	8	ap2007
2012	17,032	29,188,000	.1%	66	17	83	205	22	294	35	ap2013
2015	11,585	27,180,800	.0%	78	20	98	118	26	321	38	ap2016
2018	13,215	27,845,000	.0%	87	16	103	128	22	393	43	ap2019
2020	13,665	28,300,300	.0%	92	22	114	119	29	356	45	ap2021
2022	13,685	29,568,500	.0%	103	21	124	110	29	350	45	ap2023

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

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

Dominic Romuald Basil Athaide, O.F.M. Cap. † (Archbishop: 29 Feb 1956 to 26 Jun 1982)
Andjelik Juraj Bedenik, O.F.M. Cap. † (Vicar Apostolic: 1 Jun 1861 to 2 Nov 1866)
Zenobio Maria Benucci, O.F.M. Cap. † (Vicar Apostolic: 29 Aug 1820 to 23 Jun 1824)
Angelo Raffaele Bernacchioni, O.F.M. Cap. † (Archbishop: 7 Aug 1917 to 21 Aug 1937)
Giuseppe Antonio Giacomo Borghi, O.F.M. Cap. † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 14 Aug 1838; Vicar Apostolic: 1842 to 5 Nov 1849)
Gaetano Carli, O.F.M. Cap. † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 23 Aug 1842; Vicar Apostolic: 5 Nov 1849 to 7 Dec 1856)
Cecil DeSa † (Archbishop: 11 Nov 1983 to 16 Apr 1998)
Giuseppe Angelo di Fazio, O.F.M. Cap. † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 26 Apr 1836 to 5 Dec 1837)
Joseph Bartholomew Evangelisti, O.F.M. Cap. † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 10 Jul 1952 to 29 Feb 1956)
Carlo Giuseppe Gentili, O.F.M. Cap. † (Archbishop: 27 Aug 1898 to 30 Dec 1916)
Michael Angelus Jacobi (Jacopi), O.F.M. Cap. † (Vicar Apostolic: 3 Mar 1868; Archbishop: 25 Nov 1886 to 14 Oct 1891)
Antonino Pezzoni, O.F.M. Cap. † (Vicar Apostolic: 27 Jan 1826 to 1842)
Emmanuel Alfonso van den Bosch, O.F.M. Cap. † (Archbishop: 2 May 1892 to 5 May 1897)
Evangelista Latino Enrico Vanni, O.F.M. Cap. † (Coadjutor Archbishop: Jul 1928; Archbishop: 21 Aug 1937 to 21 Nov 1955)