Diocese of Salem, India 🇮🇳

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Salem / Salemen(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Pondicherry and Cuddalore

Neighbouring Dioceses: Coimbatore (↙), Ootacamund (←), Dharmapuri (↑), Pondicherry and Cuddalore (→), Kumbakonam (↘)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Infant Jesus, Our Lady of Victories

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1930.05.26: Established as Diocese of Salem / Salemen(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Pondicherry, Diocese of Kumbakonam and Diocese of Mysore and became suffragan of Pondicherry)
1997.01.24: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Dharmapuri

Present Prelates

Bishop (2021.05.31 – ...):

Bishop Arulselvam Rayappan (65)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Salem (Roman Rite)

Bishop Arulselvam Rayappan (65)
(2021.05.31 – ...)

Bishop of Salem (India)

Audire illum

Born:	1960.11.18 (Sathipattu, India)
Ordained Priest:	1986.05.20
Consecrated Bishop:	2021.08.04

Priest of Pondicherry and Cuddalore (India) (1986.05.20 – 2021.05.31)

Bishop of Salem (India) (2021.05.31 – ...)

Bishop Lawrence Pius Dorairaj (71)
(Apostolic Administrator 2020.03.09 – 2021.05.31)

Bishop Singaroyan Sebastianappan (73)
(2000.07.05 – 2020.03.09)

Bishop emeritus of Salem (India)

All who believe in him may have eternal life

Born:	1952.04.13 (Mel Kathadikuppam, India)
Ordained Priest:	1978.05.27
Consecrated Bishop:	2000.10.18

Priest of Salem (India) (1978.05.27 – 2000.07.05)

Bishop of Salem (India) (2000.07.05 – 2020.03.09)

Bishop Michael Bosco Duraisamy
(1974.02.28 – 1999.06.09)

Born:	1929.04.29 (Gingee, India)
Ordained Priest:	1955.12.17
Consecrated Bishop:	1974.06.10
Died:	1999.06.09 († 70)

Bishop of Salem (India) (1974.02.28 – 1999.06.09)

Bishop Venmani S. Selvanather (later Archbishop)
(1949.03.03 – 1973.03.17)

Born:	1913.07.06 (Tiruchengode, India)
Ordained Priest:	1941.10.26
Consecrated Bishop:	1949.05.01
Died:	1993.10.14 († 80)

Bishop of Salem (India) (1949.03.03 – 1973.03.17)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Pondicherry and Cuddalore (India) (1973.03.17 – 1992.02.18)

Bishop Henri-Aimé-Anatole Prunier, M.E.P.
(1930.05.26 – 1947.11.20)

Born:	1889.02.28 (Saint-Sever, France)
Ordained Priest:	1914.03.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1930.09.14
Died:	1957.03.10 († 68)

Bishop of Salem (India) (1930.05.26 – 1947.11.20)

Titular Bishop of Tanagra (1947.11.20 – 1957.03.10)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of the Infant Jesus, Salem, Tamil Nādu
Co-Cathedral: St. Mary’s Co-Cathedral, Shevapet, Tamil Nādu

Coimbatore (↙), Ootacamund (←), Dharmapuri (↑), Pondicherry and Cuddalore (→), Kumbakonam (↘)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 9,624 km²

Population: 88,050 Catholics (1.6% of 5,409,560 total)

Pastoral Centres: 60 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 141 priests (80 diocesan, 61 religious), 1 deacon, 663 religious (145 brothers, 518 sisters), 31 seminarians