Diocese of Ahmedabad, India 🇮🇳

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Ahmedabad / Ahmedabaden(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Gandhinagar

Neighbouring Dioceses: Rajkot (↙), Gandhinagar (↑), Baroda (↘)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Sacred Heart of Jesus, Saint Francis Xavier

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1934: Established as Mission sui juris of Ahmedabad / Ahmedabaden(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bombay)
1949.05.05: Promoted as Diocese of Ahmedabad / Ahmedabaden(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Bombay)
1977.02.26: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Rajkot
2002.10.11: Lost territory to establish Metropolitan Archdiocese of Gandhinagar and became suffragan of Gandhinagar

Present Prelates

Bishop (2018.01.29 – ...):

Bishop Athanasius Rethna Swamy Swamiadian (65)

Monsignors (1)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Ahmedabad (Roman Rite)

Bishop Athanasius Rethna Swamy Swamiadian (65)
(2018.01.29 – ...)

Bishop of Ahmedabad (India)

Born:	1961.02.10 (Parampukkarai, India)
Ordained Priest:	1989.03.29
Consecrated Bishop:	2018.04.14

Priest of Ahmedabad (India) (1989.03.29 – 2018.01.29)

Bishop of Ahmedabad (India) (2018.01.29 – ...)

Bishop Thomas Ignatius Macwan (73) (later Archbishop)
(2002.11.11 – 2015.06.12)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Gandhinagar (India)

Called to do good

Born:	1952.10.14 (Bhavnagar, India)
Ordained Priest:	1988.04.09
Consecrated Bishop:	2003.01.11

Priest of Ahmedabad (India) (1988.04.09 – 2002.11.11)

Bishop of Ahmedabad (India) (2002.11.11 – 2015.06.12)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Gandhinagar (India) (2015.06.12 – ...)

Bishop Stanislaus Fernandes, S.J. (86) (later Archbishop)
(1990.05.21 – 2002.10.11)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Gandhinagar (India)

Mary, Mother of God

Born:	1939.10.08 (Ahmadabad, India)
Ordained Priest:	1968.03.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1990.08.24

Bishop of Ahmedabad (India) (1990.05.21 – 2002.10.11)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Gandhinagar (India) (2002.10.11 – 2015.06.12)

Apostolic Administrator of Baroda (India) (2016.05.23 – 2022.12.31)

Bishop Charles Gomes, S.J.
(1974.07.01 – 1990.05.21)

Born:	1910.09.05 (Karachi, India)
Ordained Priest:	1936.11.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1974.10.06
Died:	2002.09.15 († 92)

Bishop of Ahmedabad (India) (1974.07.01 – 1990.05.21)

Bishop Edwin Pinto, S.J.
(1949.05.05 – 1973)

Born:	1901.01.24 (Karachi, Pakistan)
Ordained Priest:	1932.09.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1949.10.16
Died:	1978.06.07 († 77)

Bishop of Ahmedabad (India) (1949.05.05 – 1973)

Ecclesiastical Superiors of Ahmedabad (Roman Rite)

Fr. Joaquín Villallonga, S.J.
(1934 – 1949.05.05)

Born:	1868.08.13 (Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1901.07.28
Died:	1963.02.01 († 94)

Ecclesiastical Superior of Ahmedabad (India) (1934 – 1949.05.05)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Mount Carmel Cathedral, Ahmedabad, Gujarāt

Rajkot (↙), Gandhinagar (↑), Baroda (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 14,791 km²

Population: 54,500 Catholics (0.5% of 10,056,395 total)

Pastoral Centres: 45 parishes

Personnel: 158 priests (81 diocesan, 77 religious), 486 religious (124 brothers, 362 sisters), 9 seminarians