In 1836 Pope Gregory XIV made Madurai into an Apostolic Prefecture; in 1846 it was raised to an Apostolic Vicariate and entrusted to the Fathers of Society of Jesus. On September 1, 1886 the Vicariate became a diocese with the Episcopal residence fixed at Tiruchirapalli with Msgr Alexis Canoz, sj, as its First Bishop and the territory was called the Diocese of Tiruchirapalli.

In 1923 Pope Pius XI separated the South Eastern part of the diocese known as the Fishery Coast and made it into a separate Diocese of Tuticorin. In 1938 again the South Western portion was divided and made into the Archdiocese of Madurai by the Bull "Si inter infideles".

The present Diocese of Tiruchirapalli comprises Tiruchy and Manaparai taluks of Tiruchirapalli district, Kulitalai taluk of Karur district, Dindigul, Vedasandur and Palani taluks of Dindigul district, and Kulathur taluk of Pudukkottai district. The diocese consists of 74 parishes grouped into four Vicariates, Vicariates of Tiruchirapalli, Manaparai, Dindigul and Keeranur.