# Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agra

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Agra (Latin: Agraën(sis)) is a Latin Metropolitan archdiocese in northern India's Uttar Pradesh state. It comproses the following districts in Uttar Pradesh: Agra, Aligarh, Auraiya, Budaun, Bulandshahr, Etah, Etawah, Farrukabad, Firozabad, Gautambudha Nagar, Hathras, Kannauj, Mainpuri, Mathura and in Rajasthan: Bharatpur and Dholpur.
Its cathedral episcopal see is located in the city of Agra.

## History

* Established in 1784 as Mission “sui iuris” of Hindustan, on territory split off from the Apostolic Vicariate of Great Mogul
* Promoted in 1820 as Apostolic Vicariate of Tibet-Hindustan, hence entitled to a titular bishop.
* Name changed in 1846 to Apostolic Vicariate of Agra
* 1 September 1886: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Agra, yet remains dependent on the Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

## Ordinaries

(all Latin Rite, till 1982 missionary members of a Latin Congregation) Ecclesiastical Superiors of Hindustan (not available : 1784 - 1820)

### Apostolic Vicars of Tibet-Hindustan

* Zenobio Benucci, OFMCap (29 Aug 1820 – death 24 Jun 1824), Titular Bishop of Thermæ (29 Aug 1820 – 24 Jun 1824)
* Antonio Pezzoni, OFMCap (27 Jan 1826 – retired 1841), Titular Bishop of Hesbon (27 Jan 1826 – death 13 Oct 1844)

### Apostolic Vicars of Agra

* Giuseppe Antonio Borghi, OFMCap (1842 – 12 Jun 1849), succeeding as former Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Tibet-Hindustan (14 Aug 1838 – 1842), remaining Titular Bishop of Bethsaida (14 Aug 1838 – 5 Nov 1849); later Bishop of Cortona (Italy) (5 Nov 1849 – death 31 Jul 1851)
* Gaetano Carli, OFMCap (12 Jun 1849 – retired 7 Dec 1856?), succeeding as former Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Agra (23 Aug 1842 – 12 Jun 1849), remaining Titular Bishop of Halmiros (23 Aug 1842 – 1887)
* Angelicus Bedenik, OFMCap (1 Jun 1861 – death 2 Nov 1866), Titular Bishop of Leuca (1 Jun 1861 – 2 Nov 1866)
* Michelangelo Jacobi, OFMCap (9 Feb 1868 – 1 Sep 1886 see below), Titular Bishop of Pentacomia (9 Feb 1868 – 1 Sep 1886)

### Metropolitan Archbishops of Agra

* Michelangelo Jacobi, OFMCap (see above 1 Sep 1886 – death 14 Oct 1891)
* Emmanuel Alfonso van den Bosch, OFMCap (2 January 1892 – 27 April 1897), previously Bishop of Lahore (Pakistan, then also British India) (21 Nov 1890 – 2 Jan 1892); emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Parium (27 Apr 1897 – 17 Oct 1921)
* Charles Joseph Gentili, OFMCap (27 August 1898 – death 6 January 1917), previously Bishop of Allahabad (India) (29 Mar 1897 – 27 Aug 1898)
* Angelo Raffaele Bernacchioni, OFMCap (7 August 1917 – death 21 August 1937)
* Evangelista Latino Enrico Vanni, OFMCap (21 August 1937 – 1956), succeeding as former Coadjutor Archbishop of Agra (India) (1930 – 21 Aug 1937); previously Apostolic Vicar of Arabia (United Arab Emirates) (15 Apr 1916 – 1925) & Titular Archbishop of Tenedus (15 Apr 1916 – 21 Aug 1937); emeritate as Titular Archbishop of Bizya (1956 – 9 May 1962)
* Dominic Romuald Basil Athaide, OFMCap (29 February 1956 – death 26 June 1982)
* Cecil DeSa (11 November 1983 – retired 16 April 1998), previously Bishop of Lucknow (India) (5 Jun 1971 – 11 Nov 1983)
* Vincent Michael Concessao (5 November 1998 – 7 September 2000), previously Titular Bishop of Mascula (3 Feb 1995 – 5 Nov 1998) & Auxiliary Bishop of Delhi (India) (3 Feb 1995 – 5 Nov 1998); later Vice-President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (2000 – 2004), Metropolitan Archbishop of Delhi (7 Sep 2000 – 30 Nov 2012), Vice-President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (2007 – 2011)
* Oswald Gracias (7 September 2000 – 14 October 2006), also Second Vice-President of "Vox Clara" Committee (2002.04 – ...), President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (2005 – 12 Jan 2011); previously Titular Bishop of Bladia (28 Jun 1997 – 7 Sep 2000) & Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay (India) (28 Jun 1997 – 7 Sep 2000); later Metropolitan Archbishop of Bombay (India) (14 Oct 2006 – ...), created Cardinal-Priest of S. Paolo della Croce a Corviale (24 Nov 2007 [10 May 2008] – ...), Vice-President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (19 Feb 2008 – 1 Mar 2010), President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (1 Mar 2010 – 12 Feb 2014), President of Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (21 Oct 2011 [1 Jan 2012] – ...), President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (2013.02 – ...), Member of Council of Cardinals to assist in the governance of the Universal Church and to reform the Roman Curia (13 Apr 2013 – ...)
* Albert D’Souza (16 Feb 2007 – 12 Nov 2020), also Secretary General of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (2012.02 – ...); previously Bishop of Lucknow (India) (21 Nov 1992 – 16 Feb 2007)
* Raphy Manjaly (12 Nov 2020–present) previously Bishop of Allahabad (India) (17 Oct 2013 – 12 Nov 2020)

## Province

Its ecclesiastical province comprises the Metropolitan's own Archdiocese and the following Suffragan bishoprics, mostly Latin and two East Syriac Rite:
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Ajmer
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Allahabad
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Bareilly
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaipur
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Jhansi
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Lucknow
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Meerut
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Udaipur
* Roman Catholic Diocese of Varanasi
* Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Bijnor
* Syro-Malabar Catholic Diocese of Gorakhpur

## Parishes

* Cathedral of Imm. Conception
* St. Mary’s Church, Agra
* St. Patrick’s Church, Agra
* St. Thomas Church, Agra, Sikandra
* Our Lady of Fatima Mission, Ajaynagar
* Holy Family Mission, Alampur Hauz
* St. Fidelis’ Church, Aligarh
* St. Michael’s Mission, Anupnagar
* St. Francis Mission, Auraiya
* Our Lady of Rosary Mission, Bastar
* St. Peter’s Church, Bharatpur
* St. Peter’s Mission, Bhimnagar
* Catholic Church, Budaun
* St. Gonsalo Garcia Church, Bulandshahr
* St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Chhibramau
* Our Lady of Pilar Church, Dholpur
* St. Joseph’s Mission, NTPC, Dibyapur
* St. Francis Xavier Church, Etah
* Christ Church, Etawah
* St. Anthony’s Church, Fatehgarh
* St. John’s Church, Firozabad
* St. Joseph’s Church, Greater Noida
* St. Francis’ Church, Hathras
* St. Joseph’s Church, Jahangirabad
* Nishkalanka Mata Mission, Jaith
* St. Peter's Mission, Jaswant Nagar
* St. Mathew's Mission, Kannauj
* St. Joseph’s Church, Kasganj
* St. Anthony’s Church, Khora
* St. Theresa’s Church, Kosi Kalan
* St. Thomas’ Mission, Mainpuri
* Sacred Heart Church, Mathura
* St. Mary's Church, Noida
* St. Dominic's Mission, Shikohabad
* Holy Family Church, Tundla