Ecclesiastical Details

Archdiocese of Patna
Heirarchy of the Diocese
Rite:
Latin
Population:
32,052,416
 
Status:
Archdiocese
Catholics:
65864
 
Founded:
10-Sep-19
Diocesan Priests:
50
  Total area:
8920 sq.km
Religious Priests:
94
 
Province:
Patna
Religious Sisters:
555
 
Region:
Bijhan
Seminarians:
  Patron:
St. Joseph
  Languages: Hindi Bhojpurio Maghi
  Civil States: Bihar: Aurangabad Patna Nalanda Nawada Lakhisarai Sheikhpura Arwal Gaya Jehanabad parts of Jamui and Munger
Contact Archdiocese Office :
Archbishop's House Bankipur Patna - 800 004 BIHAR
Telephone 1:
0612-23 01 411 29 06 570 / 0612-23 01 816
Fax:
23 01 816
 
E-Mail Office:
archbishoppatna@gmail.com
Website:
 
Most Rev. Sebastian Kallupura, Archbishop of Patna
Name:
Most Rev. Sebastian Kallupura
Designation:
Archbishop   Canonical Possession: 2020-
Telephone (P):
E-mail (P):
 
Other Present & Retired Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Patna
 
Bishops NameDesignationPeriod
Retired 2007-2020
Pilgrim Centres in theArchdiocese of Patna
 
Ecclesiastical Institutions
 
Social / Charitable Institutions / Care Centres
Educational Institutions
Parishes:
34
 
Hospitals:
3
   
Degree Colleges:
2
Major Seminaries:
 
Orphanages:
1
   
Technical Training Centres:
11
Minor Seminaries:
 
Special Schools:
   
High Schools:
19
Monastries:
 
Crèches:
   
Lower Primary Schools:
4
Convents:
 
Counselling Centres:
   
Presses & Media Centres:
Formation Houses:
13
 
Social Centres:
6
   
Professional Colleges:
Retreat Centres:
1
 
Dispensaries / Clinics:
16
   
Parallel Colleges:
 
Physically Challenged:
   
Higher Secondary :
5
       
Boarding Houses:
   
Upper Primary Schools:
10
       
HIV / AIDS Centres:
   
Nurseries/Pre-Primary :
1
       
De-addiction Centres:
2
       
          Aged & Destitute: 2        
     
       
History of the Archdiocese of Patna
 

The Congregation for the Propagation of Faith erected the Prefecture of Tibet - Hindustan in 1703 and entrusted it to the Capuchin Fathers of the Italian Province of Picenum in the Marches of Ancona. The first group of fathers reached Lhasa (Tibet) in 1707 and began Church work there. For nearly 41 years the Capuchin Fathers worked in Lhasa until a religious persecution forced them to give up their mission and move to Kathmandu (Nepal) in 1745.


Nepal had seen the Capuchin Fathers working with varying success in Kathmandu since 1715. A new conqueror of Kathmandu valley Raja Pritvi Narayan who was not sympathetic to the Fathers stopped all support to them. The Mission of Nepal was also abandoned in 1769 and the Fathers with 62 Nepalese Christians and five catechumens moved to India. The Nepalese Christians and catechumens settled down at Chuhari near Bettiah. The scene of the capuchin Mission shifted now to the Indian soil. Fr Joseph Mary ofm cap a saintly priest founded the Bettiah Mission in 1745 after the King of Bettiah Raja Druva Singh had obtained permission from Pope Benedict XIV.


Rome erected the Prefecture of Tibet-Hindustan into a Vicariate in 1812. In 1827 an Independent Patna Vicariate was created comprising of Bettiah Chuhari Patna city Dinapore Bhagalpur Darjeeling Sikkim Nepal and adjacent territories. The saintly Anastasius Hartmann ofm cap. was appointed its first Vicar Apostolic. With a Decree of Pope Leo XIII Patna Vicariate became a part of Allahabad diocese in 1886. The North Bihar Mission with its four stations of Bettiah Chuhari Chakhani and Latonah was entrusted to the Tyrolese Capuchins in 1886. In May 1892 the North Bihar Mission was made Bettiah - Nepal Prefecture with Fr Hilarion of Abtei ofm cap as its first Prefect. In 1919 this Prefecture was dissolved and joined to South Bihar to form the present Diocese of Patna.


Pope Benedict XV by a Decree on September 10 1919 divided the Diocese of Allahabad into two. The Diocese of Patna was thus created. The Prefecture of Bettiah-Nepal was annexed to the new diocese. The Holy See entrusted Patna diocese to American Missouri Province of the Society of Jesus. Later on November 13 1930 after the division of Missouri Province Patna diocese was entrusted to the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus. Louis Van Hoeck sj was ordained the first Bishop of Patna on March 6 1921.


The Third Order Regular (T.O.R.) Franciscan Fathers from Pennsylvania USA came to Patna diocese to assist the Jesuits in 1938. The mission stations of Bhagalpur Gokhla Poreyahat and Godda were assigned to them. In 1956 Bhagalpur was made a Prefecture and in 1965 it was created a Diocese with Msgr Urban Mc Garry T.O.R. as its First Bishop.


The forbidden Kingdom of Nepal was once again open for Fathers in 1951 thanks to the efforts of Fr Marshall Moran sj. Nepal was made an independent ecclesiastical unit in 1984 and Fr Antony Sharma sj was appointed as its First Mission Superior.


On March 28 1980 Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of Bishop Augustine Wildermuth sj and divided the Patna diocese into two units: Patna and Muzzaffarpur. Fr Benedict J Osta sj was appointed Bishop of Patna.


The Diocese of Patna comprises in the State of Bihar the Districts of Patna Nalinda Nawadah Gaya Aurangabad Rohtas Jehanabad Bhojpur Bhabhua Buxar and part of Munger.

 
Prelates of the Archdiocese of Patna
Bishops NamePrelate's StatusPeriodBishops NamePrelate's StatusPeriod
Co-Adjutors 2018-2020 Archbishop 1980-2007
Bishop 1947-1980 Bishop 1929-1946
Bishop 1921-1928 1881-1896
1868-1880 1860-1866
1853-1858 1845-1853