Metropolitan Archdiocese of

Toamasina

Madagascar

Continent: Southern Africa

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Toamasina / Toamasinen(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Ambatondrazaka, Fenoarivo Atsinanana, Moramanga

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Joseph

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1935.06.18: Established as Apostolic Prefecture of Vatomandry (from Apostolic Vicariate of Fianarantsoa and Apostolic Vicariate of Tananarive)
1939.05.25: Promoted as Apostolic Vicariate of Tamatave / Tamataven(sis) (Latin)
1955.09.14: Promoted as Diocese of Tamatave / Tamataven(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Tananarive)
1968.04.09: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Mananjary
1974.06.21: Became suffragan of Diégo-Suarez
1990.01.31: Renamed as Diocese of Toamasina / Toamasinen(sis) (Latin)
2010.02.26: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Toamasina / Toamasinen(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Ambatondrazaka, Fenoarivo Atsinanana and Moramanga)

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2010.02.26 – ...):

Cardinal Désiré Tsarahazana (70)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Gregorio Barbarigo alle Tre Fontane

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Toamasina (Roman Rite)

Cardinal Désiré Tsarahazana (70)
(2010.02.26 – ...)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Gregorio Barbarigo alle Tre Fontane
Metropolitan Archbishop of Toamasina (Madagascar)

Vince in bono malum

Born:	1954.06.13 (Amboagibe-Sambava, Madagascar)
Ordained Priest:	1986.09.28
Consecrated Bishop:	2001.02.18
Created Cardinal:	2018.06.28

Priest of Antsiranana (Madagascar) (1986.09.28 – 2000.10.30)

Bishop of Fenoarivo Atsinanana (Madagascar) (2000.10.30 – 2008.11.24)

Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Madagascar (2006 – 2012.11)

Bishop of Toamasina (Madagascar) (2008.11.24 – 2010.02.26)

Apostolic Administrator of Fenoarivo Atsinanana (Madagascar) (2008.12 – 2009.02.10)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Toamasina (Madagascar) (2010.02.26 – ...)

President of Episcopal Conference of Madagascar (2012.11 – 2021.11.11)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Gregorio Barbarigo alle Tre Fontane (2018.06.28 [2018.12.23] – ...)

Bishops of Toamasina (Roman Rite)

Bishop Désiré Tsarahazana (70) (later Cardinal)
(2008.11.24 – 2010.02.26)

(see above)

Bishop René Joseph Rakotondrabé
(1990.01.31 – 2008.11.24)

Born:	1932.09.12 (Madagascar)
Ordained Priest:	1960.04.11
Consecrated Bishop:	1972.10.01
Died:	2012.07.09 († 79)

Titular Bishop of Umbriatico (1972.03.25 – 1974.02.28)

Auxiliary Bishop of Tuléar (Madagascar) (1972.03.25 – 1974.02.28)

Bishop of Tuléar (Madagascar) (1974.02.28 – 1989.05.15)

Bishop of Tamatave (Madagascar) (1989.05.15 – 1990.01.31)

Bishop of Toamasina (Madagascar) (1990.01.31 – 2008.11.24)

Bishops of Tamatave (Roman Rite)

Bishop René Joseph Rakotondrabé
(1989.05.15 – 1990.01.31)

(see above)

Bishop Jérôme Razafindrazaka
(1972.03.25 – 1989.05.15)

Born:	1915.03.15 (Madagascar)
Ordained Priest:	1947.07.25
Consecrated Bishop:	1972.08.15
Died:	1992.08.01 († 77)

Bishop of Tamatave (Madagascar) (1972.03.25 – 1989.05.15)

Bishop Jules-Joseph Puset, P.S.S.
(1957.11.14 – 1972.03.25)

Born:	1911.08.11 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1936.03.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1958.01.26
Died:	1983.04.15 († 71)

Bishop of Tamatave (Madagascar) (1957.11.14 – 1972.03.25)

Bishop Alain-Sébastien Le Breton, S.M.M.
(1955.09.14 – 1957.03.15)

Born:	1888.11.04 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1918.01.01
Consecrated Bishop:	1939.10.07
Died:	1964.12.16 († 76)

Prefect Apostolic of Vatomandry (Madagascar) (1935 – 1939.05.25)

Titular Bishop of Hypselis (1939.05.25 – 1955.09.14)

Vicar Apostolic of Tamatave (Madagascar) (1939.05.25 – 1955.09.14)

Bishop of Tamatave (Madagascar) (1955.09.14 – 1957.03.15)

Titular Bishop of Salona (1957.03.15 – 1964.12.16)

Vicars Apostolic of Tamatave (Roman Rite)

Bishop Alain-Sébastien Le Breton, S.M.M.
(1939.05.25 – 1955.09.14)

(see above)

Prefects Apostolic of Vatomandry (Roman Rite)

Fr. Alain-Sébastien Le Breton, S.M.M. (later Bishop)
(1935 – 1939.05.25)

(see above)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathédrale Saint-Joseph, Toamasina, Toamasina

Ambositra (↙), Antsirabé (↙), Moramanga (←), Ambatondrazaka (↖), Saint-Denis-de-La Réunion (↘), Mananjary (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 23,690 km²

Population: 561,000 Catholics (33.7% of 1,663,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 29 parishes

Personnel: 93 priests (37 diocesan, 56 religious), 252 religious (104 brothers, 148 sisters), 34 seminarians

Pastoral Centres

Last updated on 2024.10.13

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