Diocese of

Kannur

India

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Kannur / Kannuren(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Calicut

Neighbouring Dioceses: Mangalore (↑), Mysore (→), Calicut (↘)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Our Lady of Grace

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1998.11.05: Established as Diocese of Kannur / Kannuren(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Calicut and became suffragan of Verapoly)
2025.04.12: Became suffragan of Calicut

Present Prelates

Bishop (2014.02.01 – ...):	Bishop Alex Joseph Vadakumthala (66)
Auxiliary Bishop (2024.08.15 – ...):	Bishop Dennis Kuruppassery (58) Titular Bishop of Macomades rusticiana

Ordinaries

Bishops of Kannur (Roman Rite)

Bishop Alex Joseph Vadakumthala (66)
(2014.02.01 – ...)

Bishop of Kannur (India)

To witness to his love and compassion

Born:	1959.06.14 (Maradu-Panangad, India)
Ordained Priest:	1984.12.19
Consecrated Bishop:	2014.03.23

Priest of Verapoly (India) (1984.12.19 – 2014.02.01)

Bishop of Kannur (India) (2014.02.01 – ...)

Apostolic Administrator of Kottapuram (India) (2023.05.01 – 2023.11.30)

Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal (73) (later Archbishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 2012.05.15 – 2014.02.01)

Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal (73) (later Archbishop)
(1998.11.05 – 2012.05.15)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Calicut (India)

According to your will

Born:	1953.02.07 (Malapallipuram, India)
Ordained Priest:	1981.04.02
Consecrated Bishop:	1999.02.07

Priest of Calicut (India) (1981.04.02 – 1998.11.05)

Bishop of Kannur (India) (1998.11.05 – 2012.05.15)

Apostolic Administrator of Kannur (India) (2012.05.15 – 2014.02.01)

Bishop of Calicut (India) (2012.05.15 – 2025.04.12)

General Secretary of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (2013.08.17 – 2017.02.06)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Calicut (India) (2025.04.12 – ...)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Kannur, Kerala

Churches by City (65)

Mangalore (↑), Mysore (→), Calicut (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 4,988 km²

Population: 55,916 Catholics (1.7% of 3,255,214 total)

Pastoral Centres: 62 parishes, 5 missions

Personnel: 134 priests (59 diocesan, 75 religious), 1 deacon, 734 religious (122 brothers, 612 sisters), 18 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2026.03.30

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