Pope Benedict has raised the Apostolic Prefecture of Quetta in Pakistan to the rank of Apostolic Vicariate, with Sri Lankan-born Fr Victor Gnanapragasam, OMI, the current Apostolic Prefect as Apostolic Vicar. Fr Gnanapragasam, OMI, was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, on November 21, 1940.
After primary and secondary school, he carried out his novitiate with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Kaluthara (1959), then completing the studies of philosophy and theology at Our Lady of Sri Lanka Seminary in Kandy (1960-1966), Fides reports.
The Apostolic Prefecture of Quetta, Pakistan, was erected November 9, 2001, with territory detached from the Diocese of Hyderabad.
It was entrusted to the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, with Fr. Victor Gnanapragasam, OMI, as the first Apostolic Prefect.
The circumscription comprises the whole province of Balochistan, which is about 44% of the entire territory of Pakistan.
It covers an area equal to 347,188 sq. km., with a population of 8,096,251 inhabitants.
Catholics number 29,355 (0.36%), distributed in seven parishes, served by 13 priests, including 12 male religious (10 Oblates and 2 Salesians).
The new vicar also has the collaboration of 26 catechists and 5 female religious communities, with a total of 19 religious, all of them Pakistani.
There are 14 educational institutions and 19 charities.
There are 7 major seminarians.
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