Diocese of Ambikapur, India

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Ambikapur / Ambikapuren(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Raipur

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Immaculate Mother of God

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1977.11.10: Established as Diocese of Ambikapur / Ambikapuren(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Raigarh–Ambikapur and became suffragan of Bhopal)
2004.02.27: Became suffragan of Raipur

Present Prelates

Bishop (2021.12.22 – ...):

Bishop Antonis Bara (66)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Ambikapur (Roman Rite)

Bishop Antonis Bara (66)
(2021.12.22 – ...)

Bishop of Ambikapur (India)

Born:	1958.03.02 (Shobha, India)
Ordained Priest:	1988.05.13
Consecrated Bishop:	2022.02.22

Priest of Ambikapur (India) (1988.05.13 – 2021.12.22)

Bishop of Ambikapur (India) (2021.12.22 – ...)

Bishop Patras Minj, S.J. (79)
(1996.07.05 – 2021.12.22)

Bishop emeritus of Ambikapur (India)

Duc in altum

Born:	1944.12.23 (Tapkara, India)
Ordained Priest:	1977.04.30
Consecrated Bishop:	1996.10.18

Bishop of Ambikapur (India) (1996.07.05 – 2021.12.22)

Bishop Paschal Topno, S.J. (92) (later Archbishop)
(1985.10.28 – 1994.03.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Bhopal (India)

Rise to the highest

Born:	1932.06.15 (Torpa, India)
Ordained Priest:	1965.07.31
Consecrated Bishop:	1986.01.18

Bishop of Ambikapur (India) (1985.10.28 – 1994.03.26)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Bhopal (India) (1994.03.26 – 2007.06.15)

Bishop Philip Ekka, S.J.
(1977.11.10 – 1984.10.20)

Born:	1923.07.22 (India)
Ordained Priest:	1956.08.10
Consecrated Bishop:	1978.02.26
Died:	1991.05.16 († 67)

Bishop of Ambikapur (India) (1977.11.10 – 1984.10.20)

Bishop of Raipur (India) (1984.10.20 – 1991.02.15)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of the Immaculate Mother of God, Ambikapur, Chhattīsgarh

Raipur (↙), Jabalpur (←), Satna (↖), Allahabad (↑), Daltonganj (↗), Gumla (→), Jashpur (→), Raigarh (↓)

Statistics (2021.12.31)

Area: 22,337 km²

Population: 103,000 Catholics (3.4% of 3,032,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 55 parishes, 1 mission

Personnel: 194 priests (117 diocesan, 77 religious), 660 religious (168 brothers, 492 sisters), 45 seminarians