Roman Catholic diocese in Maharashtra, India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Poona is a diocese located in the city of Pune in the ecclesiastical province of Archdiocese of Mumbai in India.
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (July 2019) |
Diocese of Poona Dioecesis Poonensis | |
|---|---|
 St. Patrick's Cathedral, Poona | |
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| Metropolitan | Bombay |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 49,687 km2 (19,184 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2005) 24,305,883 64,234 (0.3%) |
| Information | |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Cathedral | St. Patrick’s Cathedral |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | John Rodrigues |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Oswald Gracias |
| Website | |
| Website of the Diocese | |
The Poona Diocese consists of the civil districts of Pune, Satara, Solapur, Sangli & Kolhapur city. n 1850, St. Patrick's Church, the present cathedral, was built.
Poona became a Vicariate Apostolic by dismemberment from Bombay on March 8, 1854, and was turned over to the Jesuits. The Vicar Apostolic of Bombay remained Administrator till the Hierarchy was established in 1886. The Jesuit Bernard Bieder-Linden was appointed its first bishop.
On October 20, 1953, the Catholics of Ratnagiri District and those of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Pune, who formerly belonged to the Archdiocese of Goa, were placed under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Poona. On November 30, 1953, the districts of Dharwar and Bijapur, formerly in the Poona Diocese were attached to the newly constituted Diocese of Belgaum.
On June 9, 1987, the Diocese of Nashik was created, comprising four districts - Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar - of the Poona Diocese. Jesuit Thomas Bhalerao became its first bishop. St.Patrick's Cathedral was rededicated on October 22, 1987. The roof of the old Cathedral collapsed shortly before midnight on July 15, 1984. The outer walls and facade have been retained, and there is a vaulted roof of concrete.
The Eparchy of Kalyan, which is contiguous with the Archdiocese of Bombay and the Dioceses of Poona and Nashik, was created on May 19, 1988. On August 24, 1988, Paul Chittilapilly was ordained Eparch of Kalyan, and the new diocese was formally inaugurated. All Catholics of the Syro-Malabar rite in the diocese came under his jurisdiction.
The First Diocesan Synod was held at Ishvani Kendra, Pune, from 11 to 14 February 2003. 144 delegates from all the 7 districts attended.
