| Diocese of Hyderabad in Pakistan Dioecesis Hyderabadensis in Pakistan |
|
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Metropolitan | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 137,386 km2 (53,045 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2006) 22,452,472 48,895 (0.2%) |
| Information | |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Cathedral | St. Francis Xavier Cathedral |
| Current leadership | |
| Bishop | Max John Rodrigues |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hyderabad (Lat: Dioecesis Hyderabadensis in Pakistan) is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Pakistan.
Erected in 1958, the diocese was split off from the Archdiocese of Karachi.
The diocese comprises parts of the Hyderabad, Larkana and Sukkur Divisions. In the Hyderabad Division: the Districts of Hyderabad, Badin, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar and Thatta. In the Larkana Division: the Districts of Jacobabad and Shikarpur. In the Sukkur Division: the districts of Sukkur, Khairpur and Nawabshah. The main church is St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Hyderabad.
In 2001, territory was lost along with additional territory in the Archdiocese of Karachi to form the Apostolic Prefecture of Quetta. The diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Karachi.
On September 16, 1988, Fr. Joseph Coutts of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore was ordained as Coadjutor Bishop of Hyderabad.[1]
The Medical Mission Sisters in Hyderabad diocese, based at St. Teresa's Hospital in Mirpurkhas, have been training midwives since 1971 and implement public health programs in poor villages whose people cannot come to the hospital.[2]
In 1993 the Joty Educational and Cultural Centre for education and intereligious dialogue was established, which aims to build good relations with Muslims, marginalise all forms of integralism and violence and promote social harmony. It was initially opened in a small apartment in Hyderabad. In 2005 it has its own building with classrooms, a hall for prayer and meditation and a refectory. The Centre is directed by Fr. Anjou Soares. [3]
The current bishop is Max John Rodrigues, appointed in 1999.
The Golden Jubilee of the diocese was celebrated on Aug. 23 2007. It now has 15 priests serving an estimated 50,000 Catholics. The diocese has 45 educational institutes. Father John Murad was the vicar general of the diocese in 2007. [4]
The diocese also owns St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Hyderabad, established in 1958 as a non-profit institution. The hospital has a 75 bed capacity. It provides medical care in Hyderabad and nearby Kotri, but also to the tribal people of interior Sindh especially from Badin, Matli and Nagar Parkar, irrespective of caste or creed.[5] [6]