Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor) (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]

Bishop(s)

George Antonysamy, Archbishop
Malayappan Chinnappa, S.D.B., Archbishop Emeritus

General Information

Type of Jurisdiction: Archdiocese
United: 13 November 1952
Metropolitan See
Rite: Latin (or Roman)
Country: India
Square Kilometers: 3,160 (1,220 Square Miles)
Official Web Site: https://archdioceseofmadrasmylapore.in/
Mailing Address: Archbishop's House, 41 Santhome High Road, Chennai-600004, India
Telephone: (044)2464.1102

Historical Details

Vicariate Apostolic of Fort Saint George
- Erected: 1642
- Vicariate
- Country: India
Vicariate Apostolic of Madras
- Name Changed: 4 July 1832
- Vicariate
- Country: India
Archdiocese of Madras
- Latin Name: Madraspolitana
- Elevated: 1 September 1886
- Metropolitan See
- Country: India

Past and Present Ordinaries

Daniel O’Connor, O.E.S.A. † (25 Apr 1834 Appointed - 4 Apr 1840 Resigned)
Patrick Joseph Carew † (4 Apr 1840 Succeeded - 30 Nov 1840 Appointed, Vicar Apostolic of Bengal)
John Fennelly † (30 Apr 1841 Appointed - 23 Jan 1868 Died)
Stephen Fennelly † (7 Jul 1868 Appointed - 3 May 1880 Died)
Joseph Colgan † (19 May 1882 Appointed - 13 Feb 1911 Died)
John Aelen, M.H.M. † (13 Feb 1911 Succeeded - 28 Feb 1928 Retired)
Claude Eugène Mederlet, S.D.B. † (3 Jul 1928 Appointed - 12 Dec 1934 Died)
Louis Mathias, S.D.B. † (25 Mar 1935 Appointed - 3 Aug 1965 Died)
Anthony Rayappa Arulappa † (1 Feb 1966 Appointed - 26 Jan 1987 Retired)
Casimir Gnanadickam, S.J. † (26 Jan 1987 Appointed - 10 Nov 1993 Died)
James Masilamony Arul Das † (11 May 1994 Appointed - 30 Aug 2004 Died)
Malayappan Chinnappa, S.D.B. (1 Apr 2005 Appointed - 21 Nov 2012 Retired)
George Antonysamy (21 Nov 2012 Appointed - )

Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Vicariate Apostolic of Fort Saint George
1642	Erected	Diocese of São Tomé of Meliapore	Vicariate Apostolic of Fort Saint George (erected)
Vicariate Apostolic of Madras
4 July 1832	Name Changed	Vicariate Apostolic of Fort Saint George	Vicariate Apostolic of Madras
3 April 1850	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Madras	Vicariate Apostolic of Vizagapatnam (erected)
1851	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Madras	Vicariate Apostolic of Hyderabad (erected)
Archdiocese of Madras
1 September 1886	Elevated	Vicariate Apostolic of Madras	Archdiocese of Madras
15 June 1928	Territory Lost	Diocese of Hyderabad (Raichur and Gulbarga) Archdiocese of Madras (Bellary)	Mission "Sui Iuris" of Bellary (erected)
3 July 1928	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Madras (Nellore, Ananthapur, Chitoor, Cuddapah, Kurnool, and Guntur)	Diocese of Nellore (erected)
3 July 1928	Territory Added	Archdiocese of Pondicherry (North Arcot)	Archdiocese of Madras
3 July 1929	Territory Lost	Diocese of Kumbakonam (Mayavaram, Shiyaly, and part of Nannuam and Ghidambaram (Thanjavur)) Archdiocese of Madras (Part of city of Madras) Diocese of Trichinopoly (Alangudi and Thirumayam)	Diocese of São Tomé of Meliapore
3 July 1929	Territory Added	Diocese of São Tomé of Meliapore (Assumpçao, Goraçao de Jesus, S. Joâo, Befugio, and Rayapuram)	Archdiocese of Madras
13 November 1952	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Madras (North Arcot and Chittoor)	Diocese of Vellore (erected)
Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor)
13 November 1952	United	Archdiocese of Madras Diocese of São Tomé of Meliapore	Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor)
1 September 1969	Territory Added	Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore (Maduran-takam and Kancheepuram (lower))	Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor)
1 September 1969	Territory Added	Diocese of Vellore (Tiruttani)	Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor)
19 July 2002	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor) (Kancheepuram except Saint Thomas)	Diocese of Chingleput (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 Madras

1950 70,040 4,000,000 1.8% 38 66 104 673 76 248 41 ap1951

Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor)

1970 153,289 4,050,000 3.8% 107 85 192 798 178 908 66 ap1971

1980 245,745 5,904,952 4.2% 129 113 242 1,015 243 1,278 105 ap1981

1990 328,143 7,780,000 4.2% 137 166 303 1,082 444 1,452 117 ap1991

1999 480,000 8,500,000 5.6% 157 234 391 1,227 501 2,030 133 ap2000

2000 400,000 8,750,000 4.6% 165 232 397 1,007 506 2,155 135 ap2001

2001 500,000 9,000,000 5.6% 177 243 420 1,190 548 2,165 150 ap2002

2002 350,000 6,894,871 5.1% 98 210 308 1,136 472 1,420 83 ap2003

2003 341,314 6,894,871 5.0% 128 308 436 782 536 2,169 95 ap2004

2004 343,103 6,984,614 4.9% 133 319 452 759 553 2,230 99 ap2005

2013 309,976 7,103,545 4.4% 152 238 390 794 487 1,170 132 ap2014

2016 440,525 8,002,269 5.5% 145 313 458 961 705 1,538 138 ap2017

2019 461,740 8,760,300 5.3% 160 294 454 1,017 635 1,551 128 ap2020

2021 471,440 8,944,700 5.3% 157 221 378 1,247 515 1,912 129 ap2022

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Archdiocese of Madras
1950	70,040	4,000,000	1.8%	38	66	104	673	76	248	41	ap1951
Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor)
1970	153,289	4,050,000	3.8%	107	85	192	798	178	908	66	ap1971
1980	245,745	5,904,952	4.2%	129	113	242	1,015	243	1,278	105	ap1981
1990	328,143	7,780,000	4.2%	137	166	303	1,082	444	1,452	117	ap1991
1999	480,000	8,500,000	5.6%	157	234	391	1,227	501	2,030	133	ap2000
2000	400,000	8,750,000	4.6%	165	232	397	1,007	506	2,155	135	ap2001
2001	500,000	9,000,000	5.6%	177	243	420	1,190	548	2,165	150	ap2002
2002	350,000	6,894,871	5.1%	98	210	308	1,136	472	1,420	83	ap2003
2003	341,314	6,894,871	5.0%	128	308	436	782	536	2,169	95	ap2004
2004	343,103	6,984,614	4.9%	133	319	452	759	553	2,230	99	ap2005
2013	309,976	7,103,545	4.4%	152	238	390	794	487	1,170	132	ap2014
2016	440,525	8,002,269	5.5%	145	313	458	961	705	1,538	138	ap2017
2019	461,740	8,760,300	5.3%	160	294	454	1,017	635	1,551	128	ap2020
2021	471,440	8,944,700	5.3%	157	221	378	1,247	515	1,912	129	ap2022

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

Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

John Aelen, M.H.M. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 2 Dec 1901; Coadjutor Archbishop: 21 Jul 1902; Archbishop: 13 Feb 1911 to 28 Feb 1928)
Anthony Rayappa Arulappa † (Archbishop: 1 Feb 1966 to 26 Jan 1987)
James Masilamony Arul Das † (Archbishop: 11 May 1994 to 30 Aug 2004)
Savarinathan Michael Augustine † (Auxiliary Bishop: 30 Jan 1978 to 19 Jun 1981)
Patrick Joseph Carew † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 6 Mar 1838; Vicar Apostolic: 4 Apr 1840 to 30 Nov 1840)
Francis Arthur Carvalho † (Auxiliary Bishop: 13 Dec 1952 to 1965)
Joseph Colgan † (Vicar Apostolic: 19 May 1882; Archbishop: 25 Nov 1886 to 13 Feb 1911)
John Fennelly † (Vicar Apostolic: 30 Apr 1841 to 23 Jan 1868)
Stephen Fennelly † (Vicar Apostolic: 7 Jul 1868 to 3 May 1880)
Casimir Gnanadickam, S.J. † (Archbishop: 26 Jan 1987 to 10 Nov 1993)
Joseph Anthony Irudayaraj, S.D.B. †
Louis Mathias, S.D.B. † (Archbishop: 25 Mar 1935 to 3 Aug 1965)
Theophilus Mayer, M.H.M. † (Auxiliary Bishop: 31 Jul 1894 to 9 Sep 1900)
Claude Eugène Mederlet, S.D.B. † (Archbishop: 3 Jul 1928 to 12 Dec 1934)
Daniel Murphy † (Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: 16 Dec 1845 to 20 May 1851)
Daniel O’Connor, O.E.S.A. † (Vicar Apostolic: 25 Apr 1834 to 4 Apr 1840)
Peter Paul Prabhu † (Priest: 20 Dec 1955 to 13 Nov 1993)
Ambrose Papaiah Yeddanapalli, O.F.M. †

Source(s)

Vicariate Apostolic of Madras
- Series Episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Volume 1, Page 119
Archdiocese of Madras
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 21, Page 465, to Page 467
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 22, Page 121, to Page 123
Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor)
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Volume 61, Page 801, and Page 802

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Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore (Meliapor)

Archidioecesis Madraspolitana et Meliaporensis