Pope creates new Indian Diocese of Udupi

(July 16, 2012) Pope Benedict XVI on Monday created a new diocese in southern India’s Karnataka state and appointed a bishop to it. The Pope created the new Diocese of Udupi with territories from the Mangalore Diocese, making it a suffragan of Bangalore Metropolitan Archdiocese. At the same time the Holy Father has transferred Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo of Shimoga to Udupi as its first bishop. With an area of over 3,500 sqkm the new diocese consist of the civil districts of Udupi, Kunapura e Karkala. Eighty-six priests and some 225 nuns are working in the diocese of over 106,000 Catholics spread across 46 parishes. The parish church of Our Lady of Miracles in Kallianpur has been designated as the Cathedral Church of Udupi Diocese.