Ecclesiastical Details - Catholics India

Diocese of Rourkela

Rite:

Latin

Population:

2,000,000

Status:

Diocese

Catholics:

242126

Founded:

04-Jul-79

Diocesan Priests:

Total area:

3761.2 sq. km

Religious Priests:

Province:

Cuttack-Bhubaneswar

Religious Sisters:

354

Region:

Orissa

Seminarians:

Patron:

Our Lady of the Rosary

Languages:

?Oriya Munda Kharia Hindi Sadri English Oram and?Kisan.

Civil States:

Orissa: Sundargarh

Contact Diocese Office :

Bishop's HouseHamirpur Rourkela 769 003. ORISSA.

Telephone 1:

0661-26 42 302 / 0661-26 47 041

Fax:

26 47 041

E-Mail Office:

rklbpjb@gmail.com

Website:

catholicdioceseofrourkela.org

Most Rev. Kishor Kumar Kujur, Bishops of Rourkela

Name:

Most Rev. Kishor Kumar Kujur

Designation:

Bishops

Canonical Possession:

2013-

Telephone (P):

E-mail (P):

Other Present & Retired Ordinaries of the Diocese of Rourkela

Bishops Name	Designation	Period
	Retired	1979-2009

Pilgrim Centres in theDiocese of Rourkela

Ecclesiastical Institutions

Social / Charitable Institutions / Care Centres

Educational Institutions

Parishes:

Hospitals:

Degree Colleges:

Major Seminaries:

Orphanages:

Technical Training Centres:

Minor Seminaries:

Special Schools:

High Schools:

Monastries:

Crèches:

Lower Primary Schools:

151

Convents:

Counselling Centres:

Presses & Media Centres:

Formation Houses:

Social Centres:

Professional Colleges:

Retreat Centres:

Dispensaries / Clinics:

Parallel Colleges:

Physically Challenged:

Higher Secondary :

Boarding Houses:

Upper Primary Schools:

HIV / AIDS Centres:

Nurseries/Pre-Primary :

De-addiction Centres:

Aged & Destitute:

History of the Diocese of Rourkela

The Diocese of Rourkela was created by the Papal Bull "cum Cordi" dated July 4 1979 by taking the entire civil district of Sundargarh from the diocese of Sambalpur in Orissa. At the time of erection of Rourkela the diocese of Sambalpur erected in 1951 comprised of the four Orissa districts of Sundargarh Sambalpur Bolangir and Dhenkanal.

The new diocese of Rourkela is bounded on the north by Archdiocese of Ranchi and on the South by the diocese of Sambalpur to the west and the north-west lies the diocese of Raigarh while the diocese of Jamshedpur and Balasore lie to the east and South-East.

Jesuit Missionaries began evangelization of this part of the Chotanagpur Mission Fr Constant Livens (1856 - 1893) being the most prominent among them. After the Second World War the Jesuits faced two major problems - personnel and finance. They therefore requested the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD) who had been working in the neighbouring states of Central India since 1932 to take up the Gangpur Mission in Northern Orissa. The SVDs set their feet in this mission land in 1948. The Late Bishop Herman Westermann SVD who had several years of experience in Central India was ordained the first Bishop of Sambalpur in 1951. During his tenure as well as that of Bishop Raphael Cheenath SVD (1974 - 1979) mission work in this ecclesiastical territory progressed in leaps and bounds.

Rt. Rev. Alphonse Billung S.V.D. was appointed the first Bishop of Rourkela on November 3 1979. Today the Diocese of Rourkela owes a lot to the relentless zeal and indefatigable labour of these eminent personalities and their co - Missionaries - Priests Brothers Sisters Lay people generous benefactors and all well-wishers.

Prelates of the Diocese of Rourkela

Bishops Name	Prelate's Status	Period	Bishops Name	Prelate's Status	Period
	Bishop	2009		Bishop	1979-2009