Roman Catholic Diocese of Poona

Diocese of Poona

*Dioecesis Poonensis*
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	Thomas Dabre

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pune (Template:Lang-la) is a diocese located in the city of Pune in the Ecclesiastical province of Mumbai in India.

The Poona Diocee consists of the civil districts of Pune, Satara, Solapur, Sangli & Kolhapur city.Around 1790, the Archbishop of Goa at the request of Dom Manuel Noronha, a Portuguese officer working in the Peshwa's army, sent Fr.Vincent Joaquim Menezes to minister to the Catholics working in the army of Peshwas.

Fr.Menezes resided and said Mass in the house of Dom Noronha. In 1794, with the contribution of the Catholics in the army, a small chapel was built at Nana Peth on a plot offered by the Peshwa. The first Mass was celebrated in this chapel on Christmasday. These were the beginning of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, commonly known as the City Church.

Around 1800 the Vicar Apostolic of Bombay started sending his priests to minister to the Catholics in the Scindia's army but he stopped this about 1804. In 1835 Fr.Britto, a Goan priest working under the Vicar Apostolic acted as Military Chaplain in a chapel built at Right Flank Lines, Wanowrie. In 1850 St.Patrick's Church, the present Cathedral was built.

Poona was erected into a Vicariate Apostolic by dismemberment from Bombay on March 8, 1854, and entrusted to the society of Jesus. The Vicar Apostolic of Bombay remained Administrator till the Hierarchy was established in 1886. Rt.Rev.Bernard Bieder-Linden SJ 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 Holy Father created the Diocese of Nashik comprising of four districts - Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar - of the Poona Diocese and appointed Fr.Thomas Bhalerao SJ as its first bishop.The rededication of St.Patrick's Cathedral took place 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, but there is now a vault roof of concrete.

His Holiness created the Eparchy of Kalyan on May 19, 1988 which is contiguous with the Archdiocese of Bombay and the Dioceses of Poona and Nashik. On August 24, 1988 Rev.Fr.Paul Chittilapilly was ordained Eparch of Kalyan and the new diocese was formally inaugurated and 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. The theme of the Synod was: WE ARE THE CHURCH. 144 delegates from all the 7 districts came together in love for the Church and the Diocese to share their opinions and talents and use their charisms to make the Synod truly a pilgrimage – a walking together – in the power of the Spirit.

History

1854: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Poona from the Apostolic Vicariate of Bombay
September 1, 1886: Promoted as Diocese of Poona

Parishes

St Patrick's Cathedral 1B, Prince of Wales Drive, Pune 411 001 Tel : 26360575,65208522 Catholics: 11,850

Church Of Our Lady Of Perpetual Help 1 Todiwala Road, Pune 411 001 Tel & Fax : 26059855 Catholics: 1, 220

St. Anne's Church Solapur Bazaar Pune 411 001 Tel : 26362614 Catholics: 1,220

St. Joseph's Church Railway Quarters, Ghorpuri, Pune 411 001 Tel : 26361087 Catholics: 3, 800

Wakad Mass Centre C/o Prerna Bhavan, S. No. 93, Tathwade Village, Tal. Mulshi, Near Indira College, Wakad, Pune 411033 Mobile: 99233 17352 Clergy: Rev. Fr. Agnello Gomes (Priest-in-charge) Deacon: Roy Dmonte

Good Shepherd Church Good Shepherd Marg, Off NIBM/Undri Road, Pune 411048 Pune 411 001 Tel : 26363272 Catholics: 3,030

St. Xavier's Church Off : 26356776 St.Vincent Street Res : 26355755 Pune 411 001 Catholics: 1,300

Immaculate Conception Church (City Church) Off : 26356776 Quarter Gate, 433 Nana Peth, Pune 411 002 Tel : 26131959 Catholics: 3,214

St. Teresa's Church 764/5 Guruwar Peth, Pune 411 002 Tel : 24472925 Catholics: 1,450

St. Ignatius Church 45 Gen.Thimayya Road Kirkee, Pune 411 003 Tel : 25817179 Catholics: 6,964

Sacred Heart Church Don Bosco Marg, Yervada Tel : 26687791/ 26683128 Pune 411 006 Catholics: 7,625

Holy Cross Church Ward No.3, Dapodi Pune 411 012 Tel : 27283120 Catholics: 2, 823

St. Francis de Sales Church Panch Mile, Shaanwadi, Nagar Road Pune 411 014 Tel : 27032403 Catholics: 4,200

St. Anthony's Church Model Colony, Shivajinagar, Pune 411 016 Tel : 25652556

Our Lady Consoler of the Afflicted Church Tel : 27425886 Station road, Pimpri, Pune 411 018

St. Francis Xavier's Church Chinchwad, Pune 411019 Tel : 27472862 Catholics: 3,200

Infant Jesus Church Sector 20, PCNTDA, Krishnanagar Pune 411 019 Tel : 27660188 Catholics: 1,220

St. Sebastian's Church Daund 413 801 Tel & Fax : (02117) 2265678 Catholics: 940

St. Jude Church Dehu Road 412 101 Tel : 27670723 Catholics: 1,035

St. Joseph's Church Near Railway Station Lonavla 410 401 Tel : (02114) 2273760 Catholics: 1,000

Divine Mercy Church Tel : 27032968 56/3/35 Balaji Nagar, Wadgaon Sheri, Pune 411 14

Christ The King Church Tel : 27032223 Matchwell road, Sainikwadi, Pune 411 014

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church Tel : (02114) 222054 Talegaon Dabhade, Vishnupuri Post, Pune 410 507

St. Sebastian Chapel, NDA Khadakvasla, Pune 411 023 c/o 25675681

Holy Family Chapel Gat No. 292, Kadambakwasti Loni Kalbor Pune - 411 028

Holy Family Chapel Lohegaon, Pune 411 047 Tel-26688280

Resurrection Chapel Kalas, Malwadi Road Kalas Gaon, Pune - 411 015

Mother Teresa Centre, Hadapsar C/o Prakash Bhavan c/o 26870692 20 Solapur Road Pune 411 013

Bishops of Poona (Latin Rite)

Bernhard Beiderlinden, S.J. (20 Dec 1886 - 1907 )
Heinrich Döring, S.J. (7 Sep 1907 - 16 Jun 1921)
Andrew Alexis D'Souza (12 May 1949 - 12 Jun 1967 )
William Zephyrine Gomes (12 Jun 1967 - 1 Dec 1976 )
Valerian D'Souza (7 Jul 1977 - 2009) (now Emeritus Bishop)
Thomas Dabre (2009 -)

References

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