Diocese of Mannar, Sri Lanka

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Mannar / Mannaren(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Colombo

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1981.01.24: Established as Diocese of Mannar / Mannaren(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Jaffna and became suffragan of Colombo)

Papal Visits

Pope Francis (2015.01)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2024.12.14 – ...):

Bishop-elect Gnanapragasam Anthonypillai (59)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Mannar (Roman Rite)

Bishop-elect Gnanapragasam Anthonypillai (59)
(2024.12.14 – ...)

Bishop of Mannar (Sri Lanka)

Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum

Born:	1965.07.12 (Adampan, Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	1994.04.07
Consecrated Bishop:	2025.02.22

Priest of Mannar (Sri Lanka) (1994.04.07 – 2024.12.14)

Bishop of Mannar (Sri Lanka) (2024.12.14 – ...)

Bishop Fidelis Lionel Emmanuel Fernando (76)
(2017.11.22 – 2024.12.14)

Bishop emeritus of Mannar (Sri Lanka)

Born:	1948.05.20 (Jaffna, Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	1973.01.06
Consecrated Bishop:	2012.02.18

Priest of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1973.01.06 – 2011.11.28)

Titular Bishop of Horta (2011.11.28 – 2017.11.22)

Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo (Sri Lanka) (2011.11.28 – 2017.11.22)

Bishop of Mannar (Sri Lanka) (2017.11.22 – 2024.12.14)

Bishop Joseph Kingsley Swampillai (88)
(Apostolic Administrator 2016.01.14 – 2017.11.22)

Bishop Rayappu Joseph
(1992.07.06 – 2016.01.14)

Wisdom and fortitude

Born:	1940.04.16 (Delft, Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	1967.12.13
Consecrated Bishop:	1992.10.20
Died:	2021.04.01 (Jaffna, Sri Lanka † 80)

Bishop of Mannar (Sri Lanka) (1992.07.06 – 2016.01.14)

Bishop Thomas Emmanuel Savundaranayagam Emmanuel (86)
(1981.01.24 – 1992.07.06)

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)

Special Churches

Cathedral: St. Sebastian’s Cathedral, Mannar, Northern
National Shrine: National Shrine of Our Lady of Madu, Madu, Northern

Sivagangai (↖), Jaffna (↑), Trincomalee (→), Anuradhapura (↘), Chilaw (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 3,998 km²

Population: 94,111 Catholics (21.0% of 448,821 total)

Pastoral Centres: 50 parishes

Personnel: 77 priests (76 diocesan, 1 religious), 233 religious (26 brothers, 207 sisters), 12 seminarians