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“The diocese of Bangalore was formerly a part of the
Mysore Mission which was separated from Pondicherry in 1845 and
entrusted to the Fathers of the PARIS FOREIGN MISSION
SOCIETY.(Missions Etrangeres de Paris). The Mysore mission was
erected into a Vicariate Apostolic in 1850 and entrusted to Msgr
Charbonnaux, MEP who was at that point of time coadjutor Bishop of
Pondicherry.
In 1886, the
Bull “Humanae Salutis Auctor” elevated the Vicariate of Mysore to
the rank of a Diocese. Mysore was the title and Bangalore was the
headquarters of the mission. All along the second part of the 19th
century and the first half of the 20th the Foreign Mission Society,
under successive Bishops, developed a network of churches, schools,
convents and colleges. Thus they prepared Bangalore to become an
Archdiocese, a great capital and a cosmopolitan city.
The Christian
infrastructure of Bangalore owes much to the French Fathers,
SERVANTON Circle in Cantonment area and Briand Square near City
Market, perpetuate the memory of the Founders. The above two along
with the following viz., SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER’S CATHEDRAL whose
first Parish Priest was Fr. Jarrige in 1842, and SAINT JOSEPH’S
CHURCH built by Fr. Bigot-Beauclair in 1851-1852, SAINT MARY’S
BASILICA, started as the first church in Bangalore, was built as we
see it now, by Fr Kleiner between 1875 & 1882 before he was made a
Bishop. The SACRED HEART CHURCH was completed in 1895 by Fr Combret.
The then Cathedral, SAINT PATRICK’S CHURCH, was completed by Fr
Gailhot in 1844 and renovated by the illustrious Fr Tabard who was
its Parish Priest from 04.12.1891 till 12.04.1925. He is buried
inside the church. ST PETER’S SEMINARY at Malleswaram, now a
Philosophy and Theology Faculty and centre for Canon Law was
established in Pondicherry in 1777 by Bishop Brigot, first MEP
Superior of the Malabar Mission. The Seminary was shifted to
Bangalore in 1934. SAINT JOSEPH’S COLLEGE was founded by Bishop
Charbonnaux as soon as he was appointed Bishop of Bangalore. It was
handed over to the Jesuits on 1st June 1937. The above mentioned
Cathedral, Basilica, Churches and Colleges form landmarks of the
city of Bangalore.
Subsequently the
Diocese was bifurcated and thus the Diocese of Bangalore was erected
on 13th February, 1940. It became an Archdiocese on 19th September,
1953. On 14th November, 1988, the Diocese of Shimoga was created to
which Bangalore Archdiocese ceded the civil district of Chitradurga.
Thus the Archdiocese of Bangalore now comprises of six civil
districts of Bangalore urban, Bangalore Rural Chickballapur, Kolar,
Ramnagara and Tumkur. These cover an area of 27,013.85 Sq kms with a
total population of 1,35,39,418 as per the census of 2001, of which
4,09,247 were Christians, Currently the Catholic Christian
population is 4,10,604 (2007).
The principal
language of the Archdiocese is Kannada. However Masses and other
liturgical services are conducted in other subsidiary languages
depending on the need of the congregation. Bangalore being a
Metropolitan city, Masses and liturgical services within Bangalore
city and sub-urban Parishes of Bangalore should be offered also in
English. In all parishes of the Archdiocese, the principal language
is to be encouraged in Masses and liturgical services and gradually
introduced wherever it is not existing. |
