CEYLON

COLOMBO IN CEYLON
Catholicism was introduced in Ceylon in 1517, during the period of Portuguese
rule over the coastal regions. 
In 1834 the island, which till then had been formally part of the Indian 
diocese of Cochin, was constituted as a separate Apostolic Vicariate.
This was divided into the Apoctolic Vicariates of Colombo and Jaffna in 1849,
a new vicariate of Kandy being added in 1883.
In 1886 a regular hierarchy was established, Colombo - renamed Colombo in 
Ceylon in 1944 - becoming an archdiocese and the other vicariates its 
suffragans.

Vicars Apostolic of Colombo

1863 - 1879   Hilarion Silani
1879 - 1883   Clemente Pagnani
1883 - 1886   Christophe Ernest Bonjean, Titular Bishop of
              Medea in Tracia                                1823 - 1892

Vicars Apostolic of Jaffna

1868 - 1883   Christophe Ernest Bonjean, Titular Bishop of
              Medea in Tracia                                s.a.       
1883 - 1886   André Théophile Melizan, Titular Bishop of
              Adrana in ...                                  1844 - 1905 

Vicar Apostolic of Kandy

1883 - 1886   Clemente Pagnani                               s.a.

Archbishops of Colombo in Ceylon

1886 - 1892   Christophe Ernest Bonjean                      s.a.     
1893 - 1905   André Théophile Melizan                        s.a.
1905 - 1929   Antoine Coudert                                1861 - 1929
1929 - 1937   Pierre Guillaume Marque                        1882 - 1947 
1938 - 1947   Jean-Marie Masson                              1876 - 1947


Back to ROMAN CATHOLIC REGIONAL HIERARCHY