Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Sagayaraj Thamburaj (55), of the clergy of Tiruchirapalli, as Bishop of the Diocese of Thanjavur.
Fr. Sagayaraj Thamburaj was born on 14 March 1969 in Ayyampatty, in the Diocese of Tiruchirapalli. He studied Philosophy and Theology at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Poonamalle, Chennai, and was ordained a priest on 17 April 1996. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Madras, a Master’s Degree from Madurai Kamaraj University and a Doctorate in Philosophy from Madras University.
He held the following duties: Assistant Parish priest of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Tiruchirapalli (1996-1997); Parish priest in Marianthapuram (1997-2004); Secretary of diocesan bodies of the Presbyterian Senate (2001-2007), of the SC/ST Commission (2004-2009) and of the Diocesan Synod (2005-2007); Director of the Pastoral Centre and Coordinator of the Diocesan Commissions (2007-2012); Parish priest in Manaparai (2012); Rector and Parish priest of St. Mary’s Cathedral and External Professor of the Major Seminary of Chennai and Tiruchirapalli (2017-2023); from 2023, Professor at St. Paul’s Seminary in Tiruchirapalli.
The diocese of Thanjavur became vacant when Bishop Devadass Ambrose Mariadoss retired on 4 February 2023. He passed away on 26 May 2024.
The Diocese of Thanjavur was erected by bifurcating the Diocese of Mylapore on November 23, 1952. On 25 March 1953, Bishop R. A. Sundaram became the first bishop of Thanjavur and retired in 1986 after 33 years of episcopal ministry. Archbishop Packiam Arokiaswamy’s successor was transferred from Bangalore Archdiocese and appointed the Bishop of Thanjavur on 28 June 1977. He took charge on 26 November 1986 and retired in July 1997. Bishop Devadass Ambrose Mariadoss was appointed the third Bishop of Thanjavur on 14 July 1997.
The diocese covers a land area of 9,583 square kilometres and includes the entire civil districts of Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, and Nagapattinam. It also covers six taluks of Pudukottai district and two of Cuddalore district. It has a Catholic population of 4,69,00, 96 parishes, and 204 diocesan priests.
The National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health of Vailankanni comes under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Thanjavur.