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The diocese of Rajkot lies at
the north western part of India
and stretches over the whole
peninsula of Saurashtra and
Kutch, covering an area of
109950 sq.kms. It comprises the
civil districts of Amreli,
Bhavnagar, Jamnanagar, Junagadh,
Rajkot and Surendranagar,
together known popularly as
Saurashtra and the district of
Kutch in Gujarat State.
As
the Jesuit Vice Province of
Ahmedabad, to whom the Ahmedabad
diocese had been entrusted from
its erection in 1948, was unable
to provide the personnel to
manage this vast territory, and
to meet the increasing demand on
all fronts, an invitation was
made to the Congregation of
Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI)
of the Syro Malabar Rite, to
take up the work in this
Diocese.
An
agreement was made between the
former Bishop Edwin Pinto SJ of
Ahmedabad and the CMI Prior
General that certain areas of
Ahmedabad Diocese should be
handed over to the CMI with full
responsibilty for their
apostolate, with a view to
erecting a new Exarchate or
Eparchy when the Holy See so
decided.
Since 1972, the CMI Fathers had
been working in these areas
which have since been formed
into the separate diocese of
Rajkot.
By
the Papal Bull "De recta
fidelium" of Feb. 25, 1977, Pope
Paul VI erected the Diocese of
Rajkot, separating it from the
Diocese of Ahmedabad.
Mar Jonas Thaliath CMI was
appointed the first bishop of
Rajkot. He was ordained Bishop
on May 11, 1977. Bishop Jonas
was called to his eternal reward
on November 7, 1981. Fr.
Victorian Kunneparambil CMI
shouldered the administration of
the Diocese until Mar Gregory
Karotemprel CMI was ordained the
second Bishop of Rajkot on April
24, 1983. |
