Diocese of Jalandhar 3.88

The Diocese of Jullundur comprises the civil districts of Amritsar, Faridkot, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Moga, Muktsar, Nawanshahar, Pathankot, Tarn Taran and Anandpur Sahib Tehsil of Ropar district in Punjab and Chamba, Hamirpur, Kangra and Una in Himachal Pradesh.

Until the Partition of 1947, this area was part of the Diocese of Lahore, looked after by the Capuchin missionaries of the Belgian Province. On January 17, 1952 the Apostolic Prefecture of Jullundur was created by the Apostolic Constitution “Inter Ceteras Curas” of Pope Pius XII. It was entrusted to the British Province of the Capuchins, and Msgr. Francis Alban Swarbrick OFM Cap., was made the Prefect.

Pope Paul VI raised the Prefecture of Jullundur to the status of Diocese on December 6, 1971, by the Apostolic Bull, “Ad Perpetuam Rei Memoriam”, and Rt. Rev. Symphorian Keeprath OFM Cap., was appointed its first Bishop.

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bp. Anil Joseph Thomas Couto, the Auxiliary Bishop of Delhi as the new Bishop of Jullundur on February 24, 2007. Bp. Anil was installed as the Bishop of Jullundur on April 15, 2007.