Archdiocese of Calcutta

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Bishop(s) Lucas Sirkar, S.D.B., Archbishop Henry Sebastian D'Souza, Archbishop Emeritus Suffragan Dioceses Asansol Bagdogra Baruipur Darjeeling Jalpaiguri Krishnagar Raiganj

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Archdiocese Elevated: 1 September 1886 Metropolitan See Rite: Latin (or Roman) Country: India Square Kilometers: 29,857 (11,532 Square Miles) Mailing Address: Archbishop's House, 32 Mother Teresa Sarani, Kolkata-700016, India Telephone: (033)2287.19.60; 2287.93.38 Fax: 2287.46.66

Historical Details

• Vicariate Apostolic of Bengal
  • Erected: 1834
  • Country: India

• Vicariate Apostolic of Western Bengal
  • Name Changed: 1850
  • Country: India

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Patrick Joseph Carew † ( 1842 Appointed - )
• Walter Herman Jacobus Steins, S.J. † (11 Jan 1867 Appointed - 1877 Resigned)
• Paul François Marie Goethals, S.J. † (3 Dec 1877 Appointed - 4 Jul 1901 Died)
• Brizio Meuleman, S.J. † (21 Mar 1902 Appointed - 23 Jun 1924 Died)
• Ferdinand Périer, S.J. † (23 Jun 1924 Succeeded - 12 Aug 1960 Retired)
• Vivian Anthony Dyer † (12 Aug 1960 Succeeded - 8 Feb 1962 Died)
• Albert Vincent D'Souza † (8 Aug 1962 Appointed - 29 May 1969 Resigned)
• Lawrence Trevor Picachy, S.J. † (29 May 1969 Appointed - 5 Apr 1986 Resigned)
• Henry Sebastian D'Souza (5 Apr 1986 Succeeded - 2 Apr 2002 Retired)
• Lucas Sirkar, S.D.B. (2 Apr 2002 Succeeded - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
Vicariate Apostolic of Bengal
1834	Erected	Diocese of São Tomé of Meliapore	Vicariate Apostolic of Bengal (erected)
1850	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Bengal	Vicariate Apostolic of Eastern Bengal (erected)
Vicariate Apostolic of Western Bengal
1850	Name Changed	Vicariate Apostolic of Bengal	Vicariate Apostolic of Western Bengal
1870	Territory Lost	Vicariate Apostolic of Western Bengal	Prefecture Apostolic of Central Bengal (erected)
Archdiocese of Calcutta
1 September 1886	Elevated	Vicariate Apostolic of Western Bengal	Archdiocese of Calcutta
25 May 1927	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Calcutta	Diocese of Ranchi (erected)
15 February 1929	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Calcutta Vicariate Apostolic of Tatsienlu	Mission "Sui Iuris" of Sikkim (erected)
14 June 1951	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Calcutta Diocese of Nagpur Diocese of Ranchi	Diocese of Sambalpur (erected)
17 January 1952	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Calcutta	Prefecture Apostolic of Malda (erected)
2 July 1962	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Calcutta	Diocese of Jamshedpur (erected)
8 June 1968	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Calcutta	Prefecture Apostolic of Balasore (erected)
30 May 1977	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Calcutta	Diocese of Baruipur (erected)
24 October 1997	Territory Lost	Archdiocese of Calcutta	Diocese of Asansol (erected)

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Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
Archdiocese of Calcutta
1950	82,053	29,159,168	.3%	20	171	191	429		144	259	40	ap1951
1959	106,203	30,300,258	.4%	24	186	210	505		270	528	54	ap1960
1970	82,603	27,276,722	.3%	34	150	184	448		243	538	33	ap1971
1980	85,900	30,240,000	.3%	62	98	160	536		198	636	32	ap1981
1990	107,687	35,441,000	.3%	68	126	194	555		302	762	52	ap1991
1999	133,740	24,813,952	.5%	88	132	220	607		363	857	31	ap2000
2000	135,543	25,114,983	.5%	65	139	204	664		397	828	32	ap2001
2001	136,804	25,124,983	.5%	65	132	197	694		349	950	34	ap2002
2002	138,535	23,150,108	.6%	66	141	207	669		305	922	34	ap2003
2003	139,920	27,665,118	.5%	65	141	206	679	3	316	905	34	ap2004
2004	141,726	29,048,374	.5%	70	137	207	684		313	880	37	ap2005
2006	145,246	31,152,686	.5%	70	141	211	688		328	1,141	38	ap2007

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

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Affiliated Bishops

• Patrick Joseph Carew † (Vicar Apostolic: 1842)
• Alan Basil de Lastic † (Priest: 21 Dec 1958; Auxiliary Bishop: 9 Apr 1979 to 2 Jul 1984)
• Albert Vincent D'Souza † (Archbishop: 8 Aug 1962 to 29 May 1969)
• Henry Sebastian D'Souza (Coadjutor Archbishop: 29 Mar 1985; Archbishop: 5 Apr 1986 to 2 Apr 2002)
• Vivian Anthony Dyer † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 25 Apr 1959; Archbishop: 12 Aug 1960 to 8 Feb 1962)
• Joseph Alexander Fernandes † (Auxiliary Bishop: 24 Jan 1949 to 12 Apr 1951)
• Paul François Marie Goethals, S.J. † (Vicar Apostolic: 3 Dec 1877; Archbishop: 25 Sep 1886 to 4 Jul 1901)
• Brizio Meuleman, S.J. † (Archbishop: 21 Mar 1902 to 23 Jun 1924)
• Cyprian Monis (Auxiliary Bishop: 26 Mar 1994 to 24 Oct 1997)
• Ferdinand Périer, S.J. † (Coadjutor Archbishop: 10 Aug 1921; Archbishop: 23 Jun 1924 to 12 Aug 1960)
• Lawrence Trevor Picachy, S.J. † (Archbishop: 29 May 1969 to 5 Apr 1986)
• Lucas Sirkar, S.D.B. (Coadjutor Archbishop: 14 Apr 2000; Archbishop: 2 Apr 2002)
• Walter Herman Jacobus Steins, S.J. † (Vicar Apostolic: 11 Jan 1867 to 1877)