Eparchy of Rajkot
| Eparchy of Rajkot | |
|---|---|
Sacred Heart Syro-Malabar Cathedral, Rajkot
| |
| Location | |
| Country | India |
| Territory | Saurashtra and Kutch |
| Ecclesiastical province | Archeparchy of Kalyan |
| Coordinates | 22°16′34″N 70°45′28″E / 22.276°N 70.7579°E |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 109,950 km2 (42,450 sq mi) |
| Population Total Catholics |
(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 | Leo XIV |
| Major Archbishop | Mar Raphael Thattil |
| Bishop | Mar Jose Chittooparambil CMI |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Mar Sebastian Vaniyapurackal |
| 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
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
Eparchs 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
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]
Canonical status and jurisdiction
Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Rajkot is a eastern catholic eparchy of the Catholic Church.[5]
External links
References
- Back to citation occurrence 1.0 Back to citation occurrence 1.1 "Our Legacy". Christ School Rajkot. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- Back to citation "Catholic Eparchy of Rajkot". Union Between Christians. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- Back to citation "Diocese of Rajkot: Activities and Organizations". UCA News. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- Back to citation "Home page". Saint Paul's School, Rajkot. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- Back to citation Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Rajkot, official website