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Eparchy of Rajkot राजकोट के सूबा Hindi રાજકોટ ડાયોસિઝ Gujarati | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coat of arms of the Eparchy of Rajkot Coat of arms | |
| Location | |
| Country |  India |
| Territory | Saurashtra and Kutch |
| Ecclesiastical province | Archeparchy of Kalyan |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: Missing latitude Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 109,950 km2 (42,450 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics (including non-members) | (as of 2010) 16,025,000 13,000 (0.1%) |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Syro-Malabar Catholic Church |
| Rite | East Syriac Rite |
| Cathedral | Sacred Heart Syro-Malabar Cathedral, Rajkot |
| Patron saint | Sacred Heart of Jesus |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Major Archbishop | Mar Raphael Thattil |
| Bishop | Mar Jose Chittooparambil CMI |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Mar Sebastian Vaniyapurackal |
| Bishops emeritus | Mar Gregory Karotemprel Bishop Emeritus (1983-2010) |
| Map | |
 | |
| Website | |
| Website of the Diocese | |
The Eparchy of Rajkot is an Eastern Catholic eparchy in Gujarat, India, under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. It was created in 1977.[1]
The Eparchy was created by Pope Paul VI's Bull "De recta fidelium" in 1977, separating it from the Diocese of Ahmedabad. Its cathedral is Sacred Heart Syro-Malabar Cathedral, Rajkot. From 28th of August 2025 decreed by the Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church, it is a suffragan Eparchy of the Syro-Malabar Archeparchy of Kalyan.
History[edit | edit source]
On 16 July 2010, Pope Benedict XVI named Mar Jose Chittooparambil as the bishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic eparchy of Rajkot. The bishop-elect was born in 1954 in Neeleswaram, India, was ordained to the priesthood in 1985, and is currently Prior General of St. Xavier's Province in Rajkot. He succeeds bishop Mar Gregory Karotemprel, whose resignation the Pope accepted upon having reached the age limit. (All bishops of local churches, or dioceses, whose wider churches are in communion with the Pope, must submit their resignation for possible acceptance at age 75, though the resignations are usually only accepted later.)
Prelates[edit | edit source]
Eparch's of Rajkot
| Sl.no | Name | Designation | Year of appointment | Last year of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar Jonas Thaliath,C.M.I | Bishop | 1977 | 1981 |
| 2 | Mar Gregory Karotemprel,C.M.I | Bishop | 1983 | 2010 |
| 3 | Mar José Chittooparambil,C.M.I | Bishop | 2010 [2] | Present |
Schools[edit | edit source]
In early 2026, the Eparchy runs several teaching institutes, including 62 primary schools, 43 high schools and other facilities.[1] The primary and high schools serve almost 37,000 students.[3]
- St. Xavier's High School, Bhuj
- Christ School Rajkot
- Saint Paul's School, Rajkot [4]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Our Legacy". Christ School Rajkot. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- ↑ "Catholic Eparchy of Rajkot". Union Between Christians. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- ↑ "Diocese of Rajkot: Activities and Organizations". UCA News. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- ↑ "Home page". Saint Paul's School, Rajkot. Retrieved 27 January 2026.