Ecclesiastical Details

Archdiocese of Calcutta
Heirarchy of the Diocese
Rite:
 Latin
Population:
 29,048,374
 
Status:
 Archdiocese
Catholics:
152923
 
Founded:
 1 September 1886
Diocesan Priests:
 78
  Total area:
29858 sq. kms.
Religious Priests:
 159
 
Province:
Calcutta
Religious Sisters:
 950
 
Region:
Bengal
Seminarians:
  Patron:
St. Francis Xavier
  Languages: Bengali English Hindi Santali Tamil Nepali Khasi & Malayalam
  Civil States: Kolkata Howrah Hoogly Midnapore 24 Parganas(North)SouthBankura.
Contact Archdiocese Office :
 Archbishop's House 32-Mother Teresa Sarani Kolkata - 700 016. WEST BENGAL
Telephone 1:
 033-2287196022879338 / 033-22807015
Fax:
22 80 70 15
 
E-Mail Office:
 abpthomasdsouza@gmail.com
Website:
 
Most Rev. Thomas D Souza, Archbishop of Calcutta
Name:
 Most Rev. Thomas D Souza
Designation:
 Archbishop   Canonical Possession: 2012-
Telephone (P):
E-mail (P):
 
Other Present & Retired Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Calcutta
 
Pilgrim Centres in theArchdiocese of Calcutta
 
Ecclesiastical Institutions
  
Social / Charitable Institutions / Care Centres
Educational Institutions
Parishes:
65
  
Hospitals:
2
    
Degree Colleges:
4
Major Seminaries:
 
Orphanages:
12
    
Technical Training Centres:
9
Minor Seminaries:
 
Special Schools:
1
    
High Schools:
32
Monastries:
 
Crèches:
   
Lower Primary Schools:
23
Convents:
 
Counselling Centres:
   
Presses & Media Centres:
Formation Houses:
31
  
Social Centres:
12
    
Professional Colleges:
Retreat Centres:
 
Dispensaries / Clinics:
32
    
Parallel Colleges:
 
Physically Challenged:
   
Higher Secondary :
21
       
Boarding Houses:
   
Upper Primary Schools:
2
       
HIV / AIDS Centres:
   
Nurseries/Pre-Primary :
4
       
De-addiction Centres:
4
        
          Aged & Destitute: 14        
     
       
History of the Archdiocese of Calcutta
  
The Archdiocese of Calcutta covers the greater part of West Bengal. The First Christian settlements in Bengal appear at the end of the 16th century round the Church of Bandel on the Hooghly. At Calcutta the first Catholic Chapel is dated from 1700. In 1834 at the petition of Calcutta Catholics the Holy See erected the Vicariate Apostolic of Calcutta and entrusted it to the English Province of the Society of Jesus and at the end of 1838 to the Diocesan Clergy.

On February 17 1845 the Holy See divided the Vicariate of Bengal into the Vicariate Apostolic of Calcutta and the Vicariate of Chittagong the latter to be administered by its own Ordinary under the direction of the Vicar Apostolic of Calcutta. On February 15 1850 the two Vicariates of Calcutta and Chittagong were constituted as independent Ecclesiastical units to be called West Bengal and East Bengal.

In 1856 at the request of Msgr. Oliffe the then Vicar Apostolic of West Bengal the S. Cong. de Propaganda Fide handed over the Vicariate to the Belgian Jesuits with the appointment on August 22 1874 of Msgr A. Van Heule sj as its Vicar Apostolic of West Bengal. In 1886 the Vicariate Apostolic became the Archdiocese of Calcutta.
 
Prelates of the Archdiocese of Calcutta
Bishops NamePrelate's StatusPeriodBishops NamePrelate's StatusPeriod
Aux.Bishop 2002-2012 Archbishop 2000-2012
Aux.Bishop 1986-2002 Aux.Bishop 1969-1986
Aux.Bishop 1962-1969 Aux.Bishop 1960-1962
Aux.Bishop 1924-1960 Aux.Bishop 1902-1924
Aux.Bishop 1886-1901