Diocese of Dindigul
Rite: Latin
Region : Tamil Nadu
Patron: St. Joseph the Worker
Founded: 10 November 2003
Province: Madurai
Status: Diocese
Total area: 6,26,684 Sq. km
Total Population : 32,00,000
Catholics Total: 174,503
Diocesan Priests: 65
Religious Priests: 49
Religious Sisters: 262
Minor Seminarians: 0
Major Seminarians: 0
Diocese of Dindigul at a Glance
Ecclesiastical Institutions
| Parishes & Substations | : 46 | Retreat Centres | : 04 |
| Major Seminaries | : 0 | Diocesan Minor Seminaries | : 0 |
| Congregation Minor Seminaries | : 0 | Religious Formation Houses | : 08 |
| Men Religious Houses | : 0 | Women Religious Houses | : 0 |
| Hospitals | : 03 | Dispensaries / Clinics / Health Centres | : 07 |
| Orphanages | : 08 | Homes for Aged & Destitute | : 02 |
| Schools for Physically Challenged | : 0 | Homes for Physically Challenged | : 0 |
| Crèches | : 0 | Boarding Houses | : 0 |
| Counselling Centres | : 0 | De-addiction Centre | : 01 |
| Social Centres | : 03 | HIV / AIDS Centre | : 0 |
| Professional Colleges | : 06 | Degree Colleges | : 01 |
| Parallel Colleges | : 0 | Vocational / Technical Training Centres | : 04 |
| Higher Secondary / Junior Colleges | : 13 | High Schools | : 13 |
| Upper Primary Schools | : 10 | Lower Primary Schools | :47 |
| Nurseries / Pre-Primary Schools | :06 | Presses & Media Centres | : 02 |
The Holy Father, John Paul II, erected the new Diocese of Dindigul, the 17th diocese in Tamilnadu, bifurcating it from Tiruchirapalli diocese, on November 10, 2003. Rt. Rev. Antony Pappusamy, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Madurai Archdiocese, was installed the first Bishop of the diocese on December 28, 2003.
The history of the Church in Dindigul diocese dates back to many centuries. The people of Dindigul diocese owe their faith to Jesuit Fathers who tirelessly toiled in this region. The history of Dindigul diocese is highly interwoven with the history of Jesuit missionary work in Tamilnadu, especially in and around Dindigul.