Ecclesiastical Details - Catholics India

Diocese of Dibrugarh

Rite:

Latin

Population:

6,125,000

Status:

Diocese

Catholics:

113349

Founded:

12-Jul-51

Diocesan Priests:

Total area:

29942 sq. kms

Religious Priests:

Province:

Guwahati

Religious Sisters:

287

Region:

North Eastern

Seminarians:

Patron:

Sacred Heart of Jesus

Languages:

Assamese Hindi English Sadri Uraon Mundari Kharia Boro Kachari Mishing Nepali Bengali and Garo.

Civil States:

Tinsukia Dibrugarh Sivasagar Jorhat and Golaghat.

Contact Diocese Office :

Bishop's House Post 50 Dt. Dibrugarh 786 001. ASSAM.

Telephone 1:

0373-23 24 436 / 0373-23 21 496

Fax:

23 21 496

E-Mail Office:

bpjaind@hotmail.com

Website:

dibrugarhdiocese.org

Most Rev. Albert Hemrom, Bishops of Dibrugarh

Name:

Most Rev. Albert Hemrom

Designation:

Bishops

Canonical Possession:

2021-

Telephone (P):

E-mail (P):

Other Present & Retired Ordinaries of the Diocese of Dibrugarh

Bishops Name	Designation	Period
	Retired	1994-2021

Pilgrim Centres in theDiocese of Dibrugarh

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:

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 Dibrugarh

The first Catholic priests ever to come to Assam were Fr Cacella sj and Fr Cabral sj. They were on their way to Tibet in the year 1626. After 1826 when Assam became part of the British Empire the growth of Tea plantations brought in Catholic immigrants from Bihar and Bengal. In 1850 Assam was united to Lhasa and Fr Krick of the Foreign Church work of Paris was the first Catholic Father to set foot in Dibrugarh on September 7 1851. Frs Krick and Bourry were killed in February in 1854 in Arunachal Pradesh as they were on their way to Tibet. In 1860 Fr Mercier is said to have visited Dibrugarh.

In 1870 Assam became part of the Prefecture Apostolic of Krishnagar. Fr Jacob Broy of the Foreign Church work of Milan was the first resident priest of Assam with headquarters at Guwahati and he looked after Dibrugarh. In 1889 the Prefecture Apostolic of Assam was created with headquarters in Shillong and Fr Rudolf Fontaine a Germany Salvatorian opened the Dibrugarh Church work in 1908. With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 the German Salvatorians were forced to return to their country and the Jesuits of Calcutta looked after Assam. In 1921 the Prefecture of Assam was entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco. It was Fr Leo Piasecki sdb who reopened Dibrugarh Church work at the request of Msgr. Louis Mathias sdb on February 8 1931. From 1934 to 1951 Dibrugarh formed part of the Diocese of Shillong with Msgr. Louis Mathias sdb and Msgr. Stephen Ferrando as its pastors.

The Diocese of Dibrugarh was carved out from the Diocese of Shillong on July 12 1951 with Rt. Rev. Orestes Marengo sdb as its First Bishop. In 1964 Bp Orestes Marengo sdb was transferred to the newly erected Diocese of Tezpur. On July 6 1964 Rt. Rev. Hubert D' Rosario sdb was appointed the second Bishop of Dibrugarh. On his transfer to Shillong - Guwahati in 1969 Rt. Rev. Robert Kerketta sdb succeeded him on May 31 1970 as the third pastor of Dibrugarh. When Rt. Rev Robert Kerketta sdb was transferred to Tezpur in December 1980 Rev Fr Joseph Variathukala sdb was elected as the Vicar Capitular. On July 13 1981 Pope John Paul II appointed Rt. Rev. Thomas Menamparampil sdb as the fourth pastor of Dibrugarh. In 1992 when the Holy See erected the Diocese of Guwahati with Rt. Rev Thomas Menamparampil sdb as its bishop once again Dibrugarh became vacant and Rev. Fr Sebastian Karotemprel was elected as the Diocesan Administrator. Bp Joseph Aind sdb the first priest of Dibrugarh was appointed the fifth Bishop of Dibrugarh on the December 23 1994.

Until 1964 the Diocese of Dibrugarh comprised the present-day Lakhimpur Tinsukia Dibrugarh Sivasagar Jorhat and Golaghat districts of Assam and Tirap Changlang Lohit and Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh as well as the two states of Nagaland and Manipur. In 1964 when the Diocese of Tezpur was erected Lakhimpur became part of that diocese. In 1973 the Diocese of Kohima - Imphal was erected with the states of Nagaland and Manipur. With all the eastern districts of Arunachal Pradesh the diocese of Miao was erected on 7th December 2005.

The Diocese of Dibrugarh now comprises of the five civil districts of Assam namely Tinsukia Dibrugarh Sivasagar Jorhat and Golaghat.

Prelates of the Diocese of Dibrugarh

Prelate's Status	Period	Prelate's Status	Period
Co-Adjutors	2018-2021	Archbishop	1981 -1992
Bishop	1970 - 1980	Archbishop	1964 -1969
Bishop	1951 -1964