Punalur Pre-history

MOST REV.ALOYSIUS M. BENZIGER OCD

BISHOP OF QUILON ( 1905-1931)

RT. REV. MSGR. BERNARDINE OCD

(Adm. 1931-1936)

MOST. REV. VINCENT V.DEREERE OCD

(Bp. 1936-1937)

Punalur Diocese has an immense reservoir to draw from. It stretches back to the latter part of 19th century. Until 1985, having been part of the greater Diocese of Quilon, the diocese of Punalur had greatly stood to gain from this association, thr prehistory of Punalur has to refer and highlight the history of Quilon Diocese.

The emergence of Latin Christianity in Kerala should be understood against the background of Syrian Latin division. The division of traditional kerala Christians as Syrian and Latins only indicate the liturgical features of these communities.

Pope John XXII constituted Quilon as an Episcopal See by the Bull Ad perpetuam rei memoriam on 9^th August 1329.

On May 6^th 1542 stepped Fransis Xavier in India at Goa, which the birthday of Roman Catholic missionary activity I India in a large scale.

India’s second Apostel St. Francis Xavier visited Quilon twice, in Nov 1544 and in March 1549

In 1557, Goa was raised to be an Archdiocese, and Cochin was dismember from Goa and made suffragan to Goa in February 4, 1557 by Pope Paul IV in his Decree Pro Excellent praceminentia. Quilon was to remain part of the Cochin diocese for the next 280 years.

Bishop Alexio De Menezes, visited in quilon in 1599, the diocese of Quilon was extended from the river Pamba (Allepey District to Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari)

On April 28th 1838 Pope Gregory XVI published his brief Multa praeclara, suppressing the diocese of Cochin and attaching that territory along with Quilon to the vicariate of Malabar, having its seat in Verapoly. It was the Vicar Apostolic of Malabar and later known as Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly.

Holy See decreed the division of the extensive Malabar vicariate on May 12^th 1845 dividing it into Verapoly, Mangalore and Quilon.

Quilon was provisionally entrusted to the Belgium Discalced Carmelite Missionarie and Rt. Rev. Bernadine Baccinelli of St. Theresa OCD was appointed as provicar Apostolic.

In 1853 March 15 Quilon was confirmed as a separate Vicariate Apostolic and Msgr. Bernardino Pontanova of st. Agnes OCD was the first Vicar Apostolic

In 1883 Msgr Ferdinad Ossi OCD became the Vicar Apostolic of Quilon

On 23^rd June 1886 a new concordat was signed between Pope Leo XIII and King of Portugal, and a Roman Catholic Hierarchy was established in India.

On 1^st September 1886 Diocese of Cochin was restored

Quilon became a suffregon diocese of the Archdiocese of Verapoly on 1^st September 1886 Msgr Ferdinad Ossi as Bishop, the diocese of Quilon was extended from the river Pamba (Allepey District to Cape Comorin (Kanyakumari)

Bishop Aloysius Maria Benziger

Kottar Diocese was formed in 26 May 1930, Rev. Fr. Lawrence Periera from Kattanam Mission as first Bishop

Diocese of Trivandrum was formed 1n 1937 July 1^st with Bishop Vincent Deriere who was previously Bishop of Quilon

In 1985, 21^st December the Diocese of Punalur was formed with Bishop Mathias Kappil as first Bishop

Jordanus Catalani, (1329–1336)
Bernardino Baccinelli of St. Teresa, (pro-vicar Apostolic, 1845–1853)
Bernardino Pontanova of St. Agnes, (1853)
Maurice of St. Albert, (1854)
Charles Hyacinth Valerga, (1854–1864)
Ephrem-Edouard-Lucien-Théoponte Garrelon, (20 June 1868 – 3 June 1870)
Ferdinand Maria Ossi, (23 September 1883 – 16 August 1905)
Luis María (Alberic Ludwig) Benziger, (16 August 1905 – 23 July 1931)
Vincent Victor Dereere, (10 February 1936 – 1 July 1937)
Jerome Maria Fernandez Thuppassery, (25 September 1937 – 30 January 1978)
Joseph Gabriel Fernandez(30 January 1978 – 16 October 2001) Bishop Mathias Kappil (1986-2005)

Diocese of Punalur

Pre-history