Diocese of

Belgaum

India

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Belgaum / Belgaumen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Bangalore

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Our Lady of the Family Rosary of Fatima

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1953.09.19: Established as Diocese of Belgaum / Belgaumen(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Goa and Daman and Diocese of Poona and became suffragan of Bangalore)
1976.01.24: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Karwar
2005.06.24: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Gulbarga

Present Prelates

Bishop (2019.05.01 – ...):

Bishop Derek Fernandes (71)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Belgaum (Roman Rite)

Bishop Derek Fernandes (71)
(2019.05.01 – ...)

Bishop of Belgaum (India)

Mittite in dexteram navigii rete

Born:	1954.05.14 (Sirsi, India)
Ordained Priest:	1979.05.05
Consecrated Bishop:	2007.04.20

Priest of Belgaum (India) (1979.05.05 – 2007.02.24)

Bishop of Karwar (India) (2007.02.24 – 2019.05.01)

Apostolic Administrator of Karwar (India) (2019.05.01 – 2024.01.13)

Bishop of Belgaum (India) (2019.05.01 – ...)

Bishop Peter Machado (71) (later Archbishop)
(2006.02.02 – 2018.03.19)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Bangalore (India)
Vice-President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India

Christ peace reigns over us

Born:	1954.05.26 (Honavar, India)
Ordained Priest:	1978.12.08
Consecrated Bishop:	2006.03.30

Priest of Belgaum (India) (1978.12.08 – 2006.02.02)

Bishop of Belgaum (India) (2006.02.02 – 2018.03.19)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Bangalore (India) (2018.03.19 – ...)

Vice-President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (2025.02.02 – ...)

Bishop Bernard Blasius Moras (84) (later Archbishop)
(1996.11.30 – 2004.07.22)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Bangalore (India)

In thee we hope–Mary our Mother

Born:	1941.08.10 (Kuppepadavu, India)
Ordained Priest:	1967.12.06
Consecrated Bishop:	1997.02.25

Priest of Mangalore (India) (1967.12.06 – 1996.11.30)

Bishop of Belgaum (India) (1996.11.30 – 2004.07.22)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Bangalore (India) (2004.07.22 – 2018.03.19)

Apostolic Administrator of Bellary (India) (2006.11.18 – 2008.03.15)

Apostolic Administrator of Mysore (India) (2023.01.07 – 2025.08.15)

Bishop Ignatius P. Lobo
(1967.09.26 – 1994.12.01)

Born:	1919.04.27 (Siolim, India)
Ordained Priest:	1947.12.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1968.06.02
Died:	2010.02.17 († 90)

Bishop of Belgaum (India) (1967.09.26 – 1994.12.01)

Bishop Fortunato da Veiga Coutinho
(1964.03.15 – 1967.02.08)

Born:	1920.10.13 (Portugal)
Ordained Priest:	1944.10.26
Consecrated Bishop:	1962.09.03
Died:	1967.02.08 († 46)

Titular Bishop of Sagalassus (1962.07.02 – 1964.03.15)

Coadjutor Bishop of Belgaum (India) (1962.07.02 – 1964.03.15)

Bishop of Belgaum (India) (1964.03.15 – 1967.02.08)

Bishop Michael Rodrigues
(1953.09.19 – 1964.03.15)

Born:	1894.10.19 (India)
Ordained Priest:	1919.12.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1953.11.30
Died:	1964.10.12 († 69)

Bishop of Belgaum (India) (1953.09.19 – 1964.03.15)

Titular Bishop of Equizetum (1964.03.15 – 1964.10.12)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Fortunato da Veiga Coutinho (1962.07.02 – 1964.03.15)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Family Rosary of Fatima, Belgaum, Karnātaka

Karwar (↙), Sindhudurg (←), Poona (↑), Gulbarga (↗), Bellary (→)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 33,747 km²

Population: 25,205 Catholics (0.2% of 11,357,894 total)

Pastoral Centres: 69 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 163 priests (88 diocesan, 75 religious), 521 religious (112 brothers, 409 sisters), 11 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2025.11.08

© 2025 GCatholic.org