Our History

From a missionary outpost in the nineteenth century to a thriving local Church today, the Diocese of Mysore has been on a long pilgrimage of faith across the southern lands of Karnataka.

From Pro-Vicariate to Diocese (1845–1886)

The Catholic faith in the region traces back to the labours of the Paris Foreign Missions Society (Missions Étrangères de Paris — M.E.P.), which began organised pastoral work in the Mysore territory in the early nineteenth century.

• 16 March 1845 — The territory was canonically erected as the Pro-Vicariate of Mysore-Bangalore.
• 3 April 1850 — The Pro-Vicariate was promoted to the Apostolic Vicariate of Mysore-Bangalore; Bishop Étienne-Louis Charbonnaux, M.E.P. became its first Vicar Apostolic.
• 1 September 1886 — Pope Leo XIII elevated the Vicariate to a full diocese, the Diocese of Mysore, suffragan to Pondicherry. Bishop Jean-Yves-Marie Coadou, M.E.P., became the first Bishop of the new diocese.

Boundary Changes

Over the decades the original territory of Mysore-Bangalore was progressively divided as new dioceses were erected to better serve the growing Church in southern India:

• 12 June 1923 — Territory ceded to the Diocese of Calicut.
• 26 May 1930 — Territory ceded to the Diocese of Salem.
• 13 February 1940 — Bangalore was separated as its own diocese (later raised to an archdiocese), to which the Diocese of Mysore became a suffragan.
• 3 July 1955 — Territory ceded to the Diocese of Ootacamund.
• 16 November 1963 — Territory ceded to the Diocese of Chikmagalur.

An Indian Local Church (1963–Present)

The episcopal succession of Mysore was, until 1963, entrusted to French missionaries of the M.E.P. With the appointment of Bishop Sebastião Francisco Mathias Fernandes in 1963, the Diocese received its first Indian-born bishop. Since then the diocese has been led by Indian bishops drawn from the local Church.

For the complete episcopal succession from 1850 to the present day, please see the Bishops of Mysore page.

Today

Today the Diocese of Mysore is a vibrant local Church serving over 117,000 Catholic faithful in 80 parishes, with the assistance of more than 200 priests and over 1,100 men and women religious. Through its parishes, schools, healthcare ministries and social service institutions, the diocese continues the mission entrusted to it by Christ — to be salt of the earth and light of the world.