Diocese of Jaffna, Sri Lanka 🇱🇰

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Jaffna / Iaffnen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Colombo

Neighbouring Dioceses: Sivagangai (←), Tanjore (↖), Trincomalee (↘), Mannar (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1845.02.17: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Jaffna / Iaffnen(sis) (Latin) (from Apostolic Vicariate of Ceylon)
1886.09.01: Promoted as Diocese of Jaffna / Iaffnen(sis) (Latin)
1887.06.07: Became suffragan of Colombo
1893.08.25: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Trincomalee
1975.12.19: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Anuradhapura
1981.01.24: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Mannar

Present Prelates

Bishop (2026.06.29 – ...):

Bishop Anton Ranjith Pillainayagam (59)

Apostolic Administrator of Batticaloa (Sri Lanka)

General Secretary of Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka

Monsignors (1)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Jaffna (Roman Rite)

Bishop Anton Ranjith Pillainayagam (59)
(2026.06.29 – ...)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka)
Apostolic Administrator of Batticaloa (Sri Lanka)
General Secretary of Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka

Born:	1966.09.23 (Jaffna, Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	2000.09.16
Consecrated Bishop:	2020.08.29

Priest of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (2000.09.16 – 2020.07.13)

Titular Bishop of Materiana (2020.07.13 – 2026.06.29)

Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (2020.07.13 – 2026.06.29)

Apostolic Administrator of Batticaloa (Sri Lanka) (2024.08.19 – ...)

General Secretary of Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka (2025 – ...)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (2026.06.29 – ...)

Bishop Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam (78)
(2015.10.13 – 2026.06.29)

Bishop emeritus of Jaffna (Sri Lanka)

Pro vita et populo

Born:	1948.05.13 (Karampon, Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	1974.04.24
Consecrated Bishop:	2015.11.28

Priest of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1974.04.24 – 2015.10.13)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (2015.10.13 – 2026.06.29)

Vice-President of Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka (2019 – 2022)

Bishop Thomas Emmanuel Savundaranayagam Emmanuel (87)
(1992.07.06 – 2015.10.13)

Bishop emeritus of Jaffna (Sri Lanka)

Spiritus veritatis et pacis

Born:	1938.07.13 (Kayts, Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	1963.12.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1981.07.30

Priest of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1963.12.21 – 1981.01.24)

Bishop of Mannar (Sri Lanka) (1981.01.24 – 1992.07.06)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1992.07.06 – 2015.10.13)

Bishop Jacob Bastiampillai Deogupillai
(1972.12.18 – 1992.07.06)

Born:	1917.04.09 (Karampon, Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	1941.12.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1967.05.11
Died:	2003.04.25 († 86)

Priest of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1941.12.22 – 1967.02.09)

Titular Bishop of Mozotcori (1967.02.09 – 1972.12.18)

Auxiliary Bishop of Trincomalee–Batticaloa (Sri Lanka) (1967.02.09 – 1972.12.18)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1972.12.18 – 1992.07.06)

Bishop Jerome Emilianus Pillai, O.M.I.
(1950.07.18 – 1972.07.17)

Born:	1901.07.20 (Wennappuwa, Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	1929.07.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1949.05.22
Died:	1972.07.17 († 70)

Titular Bishop of Bladia (1949.03.10 – 1950.07.18)

Coadjutor Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1949.03.10 – 1950.07.18)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1950.07.18 – 1972.07.17)

Bishop Alfred-Jean Guyomard, O.M.I.
(1924.01.16 – 1950.07.18)

Born:	1884.10.14 (Erquy, France)
Ordained Priest:	1909.07.11
Consecrated Bishop:	1924.03.09
Died:	1956.02.27 (Jaffna, Sri Lanka † 71)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1924.01.16 – 1950.07.18)

Titular Bishop of Assava (1950.07.22 – 1956.02.27)

Bishop Jules-André Brault, O.M.I.
(1919.08.05 – 1923.01.20)

Born:	1867.03.22 (Brain-sur-l’Authion, France)
Ordained Priest:	1890.09.29
Consecrated Bishop:	1920.02.14
Died:	1923.01.20 († 55)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1919.08.05 – 1923.01.20)

Bishop Henri Joulain, O.M.I.
(1893.07.20 – 1919.02.08)

Born:	1852.09.24 (Saint-Romans-les-Melle, France)
Ordained Priest:	1875.05.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1893.08.24
Died:	1919.02.08 († 66)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1893.07.20 – 1919.02.08)

Bishop André-Théophile Mélizan, O.M.I. (later Archbishop)
(1886.09.01 – 1893.04.15)

De cœlo robur et solatium

Born:	1844.09.27 (Marseille, France)
Ordained Priest:	1868.10.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1880.01.24
Died:	1905.06.27 († 60)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1879.07.18 – 1883.04.20)

Titular Bishop of Adrana (1879.07.18 – 1886.09.01)

Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1883.04.20 – 1886.09.01)

Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1886.09.01 – 1893.04.15)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1893.04.15 – 1905.06.27)

Vicars Apostolic of Jaffna (Roman Rite)

Bishop André-Théophile Mélizan, O.M.I. (later Archbishop)
(1883.04.20 – 1886.09.01)

(see above)

Bishop Christophe-Etienne Bonjean, O.M.I. (later Archbishop)
(1868.07.24 – 1883.04.20)

Born:	1823.09.23 (Riom, France)
Ordained Priest:	1846.12.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1868.08.24
Died:	1892.08.03 († 68)

Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) ([1868.07.05] 1868.07.24 – 1883.04.20)

Titular Bishop of Medea (1868.07.24 – 1886.09.01)

Vicar Apostolic of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1883.04.20 – 1886.09.01)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1886.09.01 – 1892.08.03)

Bishop Jean-Etienne Sémeria, O.M.I.
(1857.07.26 – 1868.01.23)

Born:	1813.02.07 (La Colla, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1835.09.19
Consecrated Bishop:	1856.08.17
Died:	1868.01.23 (Marseille, France † 54)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1856.05.04 – 1857.07.26)

Titular Bishop of Olimpus (1856.05.04 – 1868.01.23)

Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1857.07.26 – 1868.01.23)

Bishop Orazio Bettacchini, C.O.
(1849.08.13 – 1857.07.26)

Born:	1810 (Piosino, Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1840?
Consecrated Bishop:	1846.02.08
Died:	1857.07.26 († 46)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1845.05.06 – 1847.09.17)

Titular Bishop of Torone (1845.05.06 – 1857.07.26)

Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1847.09.17 – 1849.08.13)

Vicar Apostolic of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1849.08.13 – 1857.07.26)

Bishop Orazio Bettacchini, C.O.
(1847.09.17 – 1849.08.13)

(see above)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Jerome Emilianus Pillai, O.M.I. (1949.03.10 – 1950.07.18)
Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: Bishop André-Théophile Mélizan, O.M.I. (later Archbishop) (1879.07.18 – 1883.04.20)
Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: Bishop Jean-Etienne Sémeria, O.M.I. (1856.05.04 – 1857.07.26)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Leo Rajendram Antony (1968.08.03 – 1972.12.18)

Special Churches

Cathedral: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Jaffna, Northern

Sivagangai (←), Tanjore (↖), Trincomalee (↘), Mannar (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 3,910 km²

Population: 267,650 Catholics (16.4% of 1,637,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 71 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 205 priests (119 diocesan, 86 religious), 436 religious (107 brothers, 329 sisters), 12 seminarians