Diocese of Kannur
Encyclopedia
Diocese of Kannur comprises the territory of the civil district of Kannur
to the north of Mahé River
, excluding Pallur, Chelakara, Panthakal and Chenkallai which belong to the municipality
of Mahe and the territory of the civil district of Kasaragod
which falls to the south of Chandragiri River. The erection of this diocese
was a historical event for Kannur which has 500 years of Christian tradition. The establishment of this diocese, on the auspicious occasion of the Platinum Jubilee of the Diocese of Calicut was welcomed with cheer, by the people who consider the diocese of Kannur as a gift of God to this region of India.
, North Kerala known as Malabar had to wait long for the advent of the European missionaries to start their evangelization
until the 16th century. It was with the advent of the Portuguese sailor, Vasco de Gama who landed here on 20 May 1498, that the missionaries had access to this area. Fr. Pedro de Kovilaham, the first missionary
who came to Malabar with Vasco de Gama died on 31 July 1498. As the Portuguese traders could not get along with the ruler of Calicut, “the Zamorin”, they moved to Kannur and the “Kolathiri”, king of Kannur welcomed them.
The four Franciscan missionaries with Hovavo Nova, their group leader were allowed to build a chapel
in Kannur. (This is the place where the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Diocese of Kannur is situated). In 1505, the Portuguese Viceroy, Francis de Almeida, established the famous fort of St. Angelos and built the church of St. James there.
The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II
by the Apostolic Brief Ad Perpetuam Rei Memoriam, dated 5 November 1998, created the Diocese of Kannur from the Diocese of Calicut. On the same day Rt.Rev. Dr. Varghese Chakkalakal who was a professor at St.Joseph’s Seminary, Mangalore
, and a priest of the diocese of Calicut, was elected the Bishop of Kannur and the Bishop elect was consecrated on 7 February 1999 and he took charge of the diocese on 8 February 1999. The Bishop has taken as his motto “according to your will” “Daivathirumanassinu Vidheyathuvam”.
Kannur
Kannur , also known as Cannanore, is a city in Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the District of Kannur and 518km north of state capital Trivandrum. During British rule in India, Kannur was known by its old name Cannanore, which is still in...
to the north of Mahé River
Mahé River
Mahé River , is a river in South India. It flows through the state of Kerala and the coastal exclave of Mahé in Pondicherry.-Geography:...
, excluding Pallur, Chelakara, Panthakal and Chenkallai which belong to the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of Mahe and the territory of the civil district of Kasaragod
Kasaragod district
Kasaragod District is one of the districts of the Indian state of Kerala. Kasaragod District was organised as a separate district on 24 May 1984...
which falls to the south of Chandragiri River. The erection of this diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
was a historical event for Kannur which has 500 years of Christian tradition. The establishment of this diocese, on the auspicious occasion of the Platinum Jubilee of the Diocese of Calicut was welcomed with cheer, by the people who consider the diocese of Kannur as a gift of God to this region of India.
History
Although Christian communities existed in South Kerala from the beginning of ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, North Kerala known as Malabar had to wait long for the advent of the European missionaries to start their evangelization
Evangelization
Evangelization is that process in the Christian religion which seeks to spread the Gospel and the knowledge of the Gospel throughout the world. It can be defined as so:-The birth of Christian evangelization:...
until the 16th century. It was with the advent of the Portuguese sailor, Vasco de Gama who landed here on 20 May 1498, that the missionaries had access to this area. Fr. Pedro de Kovilaham, the first missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
who came to Malabar with Vasco de Gama died on 31 July 1498. As the Portuguese traders could not get along with the ruler of Calicut, “the Zamorin”, they moved to Kannur and the “Kolathiri”, king of Kannur welcomed them.
The four Franciscan missionaries with Hovavo Nova, their group leader were allowed to build a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
in Kannur. (This is the place where the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Diocese of Kannur is situated). In 1505, the Portuguese Viceroy, Francis de Almeida, established the famous fort of St. Angelos and built the church of St. James there.
- Visit of St. Francis Xavier :- The archives of the Society of JesusSociety of JesusThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
in Rome testify that St. Francis Xavier, the patron of missions visited Kannur on 24 December 1542 and also on 7 November 1549.
- Expansion of Malabar Mission: - Several Portuguese colonies were formed in the 16th century along the coastal belt of the Arabian SeaArabian SeaThe Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
. A church was built by Dominge Rodrigues in Tellicherry for the Christians there. When the British East India CompanyBritish East India CompanyThe East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
established the Tellicherry Fort in 1708, the Jesuit fathers renovated this church. Fr.Dominic OCD in 1736 established a church in Mahe to look after the spiritual needs of the French Catholics settled there. This church came to be known “the Shrine of Mahe’’, or the Shrine of St. Theresa of Avila. In 1807, St. Michael’s School was established for the education of boys and in 1871 St. Teresa’s School for girls in Kannur was started by the Apostolic Carmelites. In the 1920’s Fr. Faustine Aranha, began his work among the ‘Dalits’ of the KanhangadKanhangadKanhangad is a town and a municipality in Kasaragod district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is 28 km from the district headquarters of Kasaragod. Bekal Fort is a 300-year old fort, one of the largest and best preserved forts in Kerala and lies 10 km north of Kanhangad. The fort is...
region.
- Diocese of Calicut: - In 1878 with the handing over of South Kanara and Malabar region to the Jesuits of the Venice Province, the mission involvement of the area took a new turn.On 12 June 1923 some parts of Malabar which belonged to the Diocese of Mangalore were separated and the new Diocese of Calicut was established. There were about 6000 Catholics and 16 Priests, spread out in Calicut, Tellicherry, Kannur, Vythiri,and Mananthavady. There were 50 sisters in three conventConventA convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
s and 12 educational institutions. The Diocese of Calicut made strides in progress under its holy and able PrelatePrelateA prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
s Paul Perini, Leo Proserpio, Aldo Maria Patroni and Maxwell Noronha. In 1998 the Catholics increased tenfold to about 60,000. There were 169 priests, 1174 sisters in 105 convents and 245 educational institutions.
- Chirakal Mission :- Under the patronage of Bishop Leo Proserpio, in 1937, Fr. Peter Caironi S.J started his mission among the Pulayas. This marginalised community was given proper housingHouseA house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
facilities, educationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and the possibility of a more human existence. Fathers John Sequeira, Joseph Taffrel S.J, James Monthanari S.J, Aloysius Del Zotto S.J, Michael Vendramin S.J had tried hard to evangelize this area. Fr. Linus Zucol S.J, who continues to work in this area has become a mission legend . These missionaries were supported by the Canossian sisters under mother Antoneitta Sala, the Deena Sevana Sabha founded by Mother Petra, the UrsulinesUrsulinesThe Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
and the others. Consequently, we have today about 35,501 Catholics spread over 51 parishes and 21 mission stations, in the two revenue districts of Kannur and Kasaragod.
- Diocese of Kannur :- The diocese of Calicut was spread out to an area of 13051 km2. in six revenue districts. In the context of such an extensive area there was the need of a new diocese for the benefit of the faithful. Bishop Maxwell Noronha, in consultation with the priests, religious and the laityLaityIn religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
requested the Holy SeeHoly SeeThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
to establish the new diocese of Kannur.
The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
by the Apostolic Brief Ad Perpetuam Rei Memoriam, dated 5 November 1998, created the Diocese of Kannur from the Diocese of Calicut. On the same day Rt.Rev. Dr. Varghese Chakkalakal who was a professor at St.Joseph’s Seminary, Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, and a priest of the diocese of Calicut, was elected the Bishop of Kannur and the Bishop elect was consecrated on 7 February 1999 and he took charge of the diocese on 8 February 1999. The Bishop has taken as his motto “according to your will” “Daivathirumanassinu Vidheyathuvam”.
Extent & Population Of the DIOCESE OF KANNUR
- Area of the Diocese : 4988 Sq. Kilometers
- Total Population : 40,37,203 ( Census 2006)
- Catholic Population : 38,500