Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Rajkot

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Rajkot is an Eastern Catholic eparchy in India under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. It 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.

Eparchy of Rajkot राजकोट के सूबा Hindi રાજકોટ ડાયોસિઝ Gujarati
Sacred Heart Syro-Malabar Cathedral, Rajkot
Coat of arms
Location
Country	India
Territory	Saurashtra and Kutch
Ecclesiastical province	Gandhinagar
Metropolitan	Gandhinagar
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	Francis
Major Archbishop	Mar Raphael Thattil
Bishop	Mar Jose Chittooparambil CMI
Bishops emeritus	Mar Gregory Karotemprel Bishop Emeritus (1983-2010)
Map
Website
Website of the Diocese

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.)

Former bishops

• Mar Jonas Thaliath
• Mar Gregory Karotemprel

Schools

• St. Xavier's High School, Bhuj

External links

• Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Rajkot Catholic-Hierarchy