Diocese of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Trincomalee / Trincomalien(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Colombo

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Websites:

Celebrations

Liturgical Calendar (Universal) 📅

History

1893.08.25: Established as Diocese of Trincomalee / Trincomalien(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Colombo and Diocese of Jaffna and became suffragan of Colombo)
1954.06.14: Gained territory from Diocese of Kandy
1967.10.23: Renamed as Diocese of Trincomalee–Batticaloa / Trincomalien(sis)–Batticaloaën(sis) (Latin)
1975.12.19: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Anuradhapura
2012.07.03: Renamed as Diocese of Trincomalee / Trincomalien(sis) (Latin) (lost territory to establish Diocese of Batticaloa)

Present Prelates

Bishop (2015.06.03 – ...):

Bishop Christian Noel Emmanuel (64)

Vice-President of Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka

Ordinaries

Bishops of Trincomalee (Roman Rite)

Bishop Christian Noel Emmanuel (64)
(2015.06.03 – ...)

Bishop of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka)
Vice-President of Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka

Omnia omnibus hominibus

Born:	1960.12.25 (Trincomalee, Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	1985.03.12
Consecrated Bishop:	2015.07.25

Priest of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) (1985.03.12 – 2015.06.03)

Bishop of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) (2015.06.03 – ...)

Vice-President of Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka (2022.06.10 – ...)

Bishop Joseph Kingsley Swampillai (88)
(2012.07.03 – 2015.06.03)

Bishop emeritus of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka)

Voluntas tua

Born:	1936.12.09 (Kayts, Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	1961.12.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1983.05.07

Priest of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1961.12.20 – 1983.03.17)

Bishop of Trincomalee–Batticaloa (Sri Lanka) (1983.03.17 – 2012.07.03)

Bishop of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) (2012.07.03 – 2015.06.03)

Apostolic Administrator of Mannar (Sri Lanka) (2016.01.14 – 2017.11.22)

Bishops of Trincomalee–Batticaloa (Roman Rite)

Bishop Joseph Kingsley Swampillai (88)
(1983.03.17 – 2012.07.03)

(see above)

Bishop Leo Rajendram Antony
(1974.02.15 – 1983.03.17)

Born:	1927.04.18 (Sri Lanka)
Ordained Priest:	1954.12.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1968.11.21
Died:	2012.12.03 († 85)

Auxiliary Bishop of Jaffna (Sri Lanka) (1968.08.03 – 1972.12.18)

Titular Bishop of Fissiana (1968.08.03 – 1974.02.15)

Coadjutor Bishop of Trincomalee–Batticaloa (Sri Lanka) (1972.12.18 – 1974.02.15)

Bishop of Trincomalee–Batticaloa (Sri Lanka) (1974.02.15 – 1983.03.17)

Bishop Ignatius Philip Trigueros Glennie, S.J.
(1967.10.23 – 1974.02.15)

Born:	1907.02.05 (Mexico)
Ordained Priest:	1938.11.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1947.09.21
Died:	1993.04.27 († 86)

Bishop of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) (1947.07.10 – 1967.10.23)

Bishop of Trincomalee–Batticaloa (Sri Lanka) (1967.10.23 – 1974.02.15)

Bishops of Trincomalee (Roman Rite)

Bishop Ignatius Philip Trigueros Glennie, S.J.
(1947.07.10 – 1967.10.23)

(see above)

Bishop Gaston Robichez, S.J.
(1917.03.22 – 1946.02.12)

Born:	1866.11.21 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1896.01.30
Consecrated Bishop:	1917.07.08
Died:	1946.02.12 († 79)

Apostolic Administrator of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) (1915 – 1917.03.22)

Bishop of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) (1917.03.22 – 1946.02.12)

Apostolic Administrator of Galle (Sri Lanka) (1923 – 1934.05.28)

Fr. Gaston Robichez, S.J. (later Bishop)
(Apostolic Administrator 1915 – 1917.03.22)

Bishop Charles Lavigne, S.J.
(1898.08.27 – 1913.07.11)

Born:	1840.01.06 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1864
Consecrated Bishop:	1887.11.13
Died:	1913.07.11 († 73)

Vicar Apostolic of Kottayam of the Syro-Malabars (India) (1887.09.13 – 1896.06.11)

Titular Bishop of Milevum (1887.09.13 – 1898.08.27)

Bishop of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) (1898.08.27 – 1913.07.11)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Leo Rajendram Antony (1972.12.18 – 1974.02.15)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Joseph Ponniah (72) (2008.02.19 – 2012.07.03)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Jacob Bastiampillai Deogupillai (1967.02.09 – 1972.12.18)

Special Churches

Cathedral: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Trincomalee, Eastern

Anuradhapura (←), Mannar (↖), Jaffna (↖), Batticaloa (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 2,896 km²

Population: 25,030 Catholics (5.7% of 441,485 total)

Pastoral Centres: 18 parishes, 3 missions

Personnel: 35 priests (21 diocesan, 14 religious), 64 religious (24 brothers, 40 sisters), 2 seminarians