Diocese of

Bellary

India

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Bellary / Bellaryen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Bangalore

Neighbouring Dioceses: Shimoga (↙), Belgaum (←), Gulbarga (↑), Nalgonda (↗), Kurnool (→)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Anthony of Padua

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1928.06.15: Established as Mission sui juris of Bellary / Bellaryen(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Madras and Diocese of Hyderabad and became suffragan of Madras)
1949.03.10: Promoted as Diocese of Bellary / Bellaryen(sis) (Latin)
1953.09.19: Became suffragan of Bangalore
2005.06.24: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Gulbarga

Present Prelates

Bishop (2008.03.15 – ...):

Bishop Henry D’Souza (76)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Bellary (Roman Rite)

Bishop Henry D’Souza (76)
(2008.03.15 – ...)

Bishop of Bellary (India)

Proclaim the Gospel

Born:	1949.09.09 (Kinnigoly, India)
Ordained Priest:	1976.05.05
Consecrated Bishop:	2008.06.12

Priest of Mangalore (India) (1976.05.05 – 2008.03.15)

Bishop of Bellary (India) (2008.03.15 – ...)

Apostolic Administrator of Shimoga (India) (2012.10.16 – 2014.03.19)

Archbishop Bernard Blasius Moras (84)
(Apostolic Administrator 2006.11.18 – 2008.03.15)

Bishop Joseph D’Silva
(1992.10.06 – 2006.11.17)

Guardian of the truth

Born:	1932.02.09 (Virajpet, India)
Ordained Priest:	1960.04.09
Consecrated Bishop:	1993.03.09
Died:	2006.11.17 († 74)

Bishop of Bellary (India) (1992.10.06 – 2006.11.17)

Bishop Ambrose Papaiah Yeddanapalli, O.F.M.
(1963.12.10 – 1992)

Born:	1914.08.20 (Pannur, India)
Ordained Priest:	1943.10.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1964.04.14
Died:	1997.11.20 († 83)

Bishop of Bellary (India) (1963.12.10 – 1992)

Bishop John Forest Hogan, O.F.M.
(1949.03.10 – 1962.09.23)

Born:	1895.10.14 (Liverpool, England)
Ordained Priest:	1927.07.31
Consecrated Bishop:	1949.05.04
Died:	1962.09.23 († 66)

Ecclesiastical Superior of Bellary (India) (1934 – 1949.03.10)

Bishop of Bellary (India) (1949.03.10 – 1962.09.23)

Ecclesiastical Superiors of Bellary (Roman Rite)

Fr. John Forest Hogan, O.F.M. (later Bishop)
(1934 – 1949.03.10)

(see above)

Fr. Ernesto Reilly, O.F.M.
(1928 – 1934)

Died:

1934

Ecclesiastical Superior of Bellary (India) (1928 – 1934)

Special Churches

Cathedral: St. Antony’s Cathedral, Bellary, Karnātaka

Shimoga (↙), Belgaum (←), Gulbarga (↑), Nalgonda (↗), Kurnool (→)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 23,002 km²

Population: 33,593 Catholics (0.5% of 6,869,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 49 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 110 priests (70 diocesan, 40 religious), 293 religious (81 brothers, 212 sisters), 13 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2026.03.30

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