Diocese of Vijayapuram

His Holiness Pope Pius XI, by the Apostolic Bull “Ad Christi Nomen”,  bifrucated the Archdiocese of Verapoly and erected the Diocese of Vijayapuram on July 14, 1930. The headquarters of the diocese is in  Kottayam Muncipal Town. The Diocese Comprises the  entire Civil districts of Kottayam, Idukki, and partial porttions of the districts of Alleppey, Ernakulam, and Pathanamthitta. The people of the area mostly speak Malayalam and Tamil and a minority speak English.

Many factors facilitated the formation of the diocese. The presence of Latin Catholics in this area is due to block migration from within and outside the state. THe first phase of the migration started in the middle of the 18th century when Latin Catholics from the Doicese of Cochin came to Vishyambhagom, Nedumudy, Kanjipadam, and its vicinities. The second phase began at the first half of the 19th century, when people from different parishes of Quilon reached Maramon, Ranny, Vanavathukkara, Thiruvalla,Changanacherry, and Poovam. The third phase started by the second half of the 19th century when the high ranges of the eastern side began to be uesd for cultivation of tea. People from Verapoly, Cochin and from different parts of Tamil Nadu migrated to this area for different jobs. The arrival of Brother Rockey Palackal O.C.D, at the end of the 19th century geared the fourth phase of the history of the Diocese of Vijayapuram. Brother Rockey, as a zealous missionary, worked hard in Kottayam, Thellakom, Chegalam, and Kumarakom, and preached the Good News to the native people, especially among the poor, sidelined, marginalized and down-trodden and thus secured the name ‘Apostle of the Outcastes”.
The Eastern parts of the Archdioces of Verapoly were looked after by the Carmelite Missionaries from Navarra Province, Spain. These areas were later, bifurcated from the Archdiocese to form the new Diocese of Vijayapuram. The first two prelates were Carmelite Missionaries from Spain.