KristyThacker77 at 10:43, 25 January 2026

2026-01-25T10:43:52Z

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{{Short description|Eastern Catholic ecclesiastical province in Madhya Pradesh, India}}
{{nofootnotes|date=September 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox diocese
|jurisdiction = Eparchy
|name = Sagar
|image =Sagar_diocese.jpeg
|local = सागर धर्मप्रांत
|country = [[India]]
|metropolitan =
|province = [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Ujjain |Archeparchy of Ujjain]]
|rite = [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Church|Syro-Malabar Rite]]
|area_km2 = 39,020
|population = 4,907,000
|population_as_of = 2010
|catholics = 3,361
|catholics_percent= 0.1
|cathedral = St.Theresa's Cathedral [[Sagar Cantonment]] <small>(formerly known as St. Raphael's Cathedral)</small>
|patron = [[St Thérèse of Lisieux]]
| pope = Mar {{Incumbent pope}} 
| patriarch =
| major_archbishop = Mar [[Raphael Thattil]]
| metro_archbishop = [[Sebastian Vadakel|Mar Sebastian Vadakel MST]]
|bishop = Mar James Athikalam MST
|emeritus_bishops = Mar Antony Chirayath
|website = [http://www.sagardiocese.com/ Website of the Diocese]
|denomination = [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Church]]
|map = Map of Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Sagar.png}}

The '''Eparchy of Sagar''' is an [[eparchy]] ([[Eastern Catholic]] diocese) in central [[India]], which is part of the [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Church]] (Chaldean or Syro-Oriental Rite, led by the [[Major Archbishop]], and is a [[suffragan]] in the [[ecclesiastical province]] of the [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Ujjain]]. It was created in 1968 as (missionary) and promoted diocese in 1977 by the [[papal bull]] ''Divina Verba'' of [[Pope Paul VI]].

Its [[cathedral]] episcopal see is St. Theresa’s Cathedral, in [[Sagar, Madhya Pradesh|Saga(u)r]].

== History ==
The future eparchy (diocese) of Sagar was erected as an [[apostolic exarchate]] (pre-diocesan missionary Eastern Catholic jurisdiction) by the papal bull ''Quo Aptius'' dated 29 July 1968, cutting out previously Latin rite territory from the Archdiocese of Bhopal the civil districts of Sagar, Raisen and Vidisha in [[Madhya Pradesh]] state. Again at the request of the Bishop of Ajmer-Jaipur, the district of Guna was added to the Exarchate of Sagar by the papal decree ''De Bono Animarum'' on 2 April 1973. The civil district of Guna was further bifurcated on 15 August 2003 to form the district of Ashoknagar.

The Holy See by its decree ''Divina Verba'' on 26 February 1977 raised the apostolic exarchate to the status of a proper eparchy (diocese). The exarch Clemens Thottungal CMI was promoted the first bishop of the eparchy. Mar Joseph Pastor Neelankavil CMI succeeded him as second bishop of the eparchy. After his retirement in 2006, Mar Anthony Chirayath was appointed bishop of the eparchy. Mar James Athikalam MST was ordained bishop of Sagar on 17 April 2018.

== Statistics and organization ==
As per 2015, the eparchy of Sagar, covering five civil districts in Madhya Pradesh (Sagar, Raisen, Vidisha, Guna and Ashoknagar), pastorally served 3,443 Catholics (0.1% of 5,311,000 total, about half of the Christians) on 39,020 km<sup>2</sup>, in 44 parishes and 36 missions with 79 priests (58 diocesan, 21 religious), 295 lay religious (29 brothers, 266 sisters) and 17 seminarians.

The area is rather underdeveloped due to various social, economic and cultural reasons. Eighty-five per cent of the people are farmers or farm-workers. The labour is not well organised, and consequently a lot of exploitation prevails. Eighty per cent of the people are Hindus belonging to various castes and the rest are Muslims, Jains, Sikhs, Adivasis and a very small minority of Christians. The various Socio-Pastoral, Medical and Educational apostolates of the Church are being carried out in the eparchy under the Sagar Diocesan Service Society (SDSS), which is registered under the M.P. Government Firms and Societies Registration Act. For better coordination and management, the social work apostolate of the diocese is being carried out by Manav Vikas Seva Sangh (MVSS). There are also St. Francis Society (SFS) and Pushpa Service Society (PSS). All of these societies are registered under the M.P. Government Firms and Societies Registration Act.

Through various pastoral activities, the missionaries take care of the spiritual needs of the Catholics and other Gospel proclaiming programmes. There are many developmental programmes by which poor farmers and poverty-stricken people are helped. Missionaries in Sagar have always tried to venture into new areas of apostolate according to the need.

== Prelates ==
'''Apostolic Exarch of Sagar'''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sl.No
! Ordinary
! Designation
! Year of appointment
! Last year of service
|-
| 1
| align="center" | Rt. Rv [[Clement Thottungal]]
| align="center" | Apostolic Exarch
| align="center" | 1968
| align="center" | 1977
|}
'''Bishops'''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Sl.No
! Ordinary
! Designation
! Year of appointment
! Last year of service
|-
| align="center" | 1
| align="center" | [[Clement Thottungal]]
| align="center" | Bishop
| align="center" | 1977
| align="center" | 1986
|-
| align="center" |2
| align="center" | [[Joseph Pastor Neelankavil]], C.M.I.
| align="center" | Bishop
| align="center" | 1986
| align="center" | 2006
|-
| align="center" | 3
| align="center" | [[Anthony Chirayath]]
| align="center" | Bishop
| align="center" | 2006
| align="center" | 2018
|-
| align="center" | 4
| align="center" | [[James Athikalam]] (M.S.T)
| align="center" | Bishop
| align="center" | 2018
| align="center" | ''present''
|}

== Sources and External links==
* Official Website:[http://www.sagardiocese.com]
* [http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/saga0.htm GCatholic]
* Official Blog:[http://www.dioceseofsagar.blogspot.com]
* Manav Vikas Seva Sang:[http://www.mvss.in]
* St. Francis Society:[http://www.sevadhamsagar.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807141406/http://www.sevadhamsagar.com/ |date=7 August 2019 }}
{{Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Hierarchy}}

{{coord missing|Madhya Pradesh}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sagar, Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy}}
[[Category:Eastern Catholic dioceses in India]]
[[Category:Syro-Malabar Catholic dioceses]]
[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1968|Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Sagar]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic dioceses and prelatures established in the 20th century]]
[[Category:Christianity in Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:1968 establishments in Madhya Pradesh]]

Eparchy of Sagar - Revision history

KristyThacker77 at 10:43, 25 January 2026