Metropolitan Archdiocese of Calcutta, India

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Calcutta / Calcutten(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Asansol, Bagdogra, Baruipur, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Krishnagar, Raiganj

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Francis Xavier (December 3), Saint Teresa of Calcutta (September 5)

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1834.04.18: Established as Apostolic Vicariate of Bengal (from Diocese of São Tomé de Meliapor)
1850.02.15: Renamed as Apostolic Vicariate of Western Bengal (lost territory to Apostolic Vicariate of Lhassa 拉薩 and lost territory to establish Apostolic Vicariate of Eastern Bengal)
1855: Lost territory to establish Mission sui juris of Central Bengal
1883: Lost territory to Apostolic Vicariate of Tibet 西藏
1886.09.01: Promoted as Archdiocese of Calcutta / Calcutten(sis) (Latin)
1887.06.07: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Calcutta / Calcutten(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Dacca and Krishnagar and gained territory from Diocese of Allahabad)
1898: Gained territory from Apostolic Vicariate of Tibet 西藏
1912: Lost territory to Apostolic Vicariate of Tibet 西藏
1919.09.10: Gained suffragan see Patna
1927.05.25: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Ranchi and gained suffragan sees Chittagong, Dinajpur and Ranchi
1929.02.15: Lost territory to establish Mission sui juris of Sikkim and gained suffragan see Sikkim
1929.07.03: Gained territory from Diocese of São Tomé de Meliapor
1934.07.09: Gained suffragan see Shillong
1950.07.15: Lost suffragan sees Chittagong, Dacca and Dinajpur
1951.02.08: Gained territory from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Pondicherry
1951.06.14: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Sambalpur and gained suffragan see Sambalpur
1951.07.12: Gained suffragan see Dibrugarh
1951.12.13: Gained suffragan see Raigarh–Ambikapur
1952.01.03: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Jessore
1952.01.17: Gained suffragan sees Jalpaiguri and Malda
1953.09.19: Lost suffragan sees Patna, Ranchi and Sambalpur
1962.07.02: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Jamshedpur
1962.08.08: Lost territory to Diocese of Darjeeling
1964.01.16: Gained suffragan see Tezpur
1965.01.11: Gained suffragan see Bhagalpur
1968: Lost suffragan see Bhagalpur
1968.06.08: Lost territory to establish Apostolic Prefecture of Balasore
1969.06.26: Lost suffragan sees Shillong and Tezpur
1977.05.30: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Baruipur and gained suffragan see Baruipur
1978.06.08: Lost suffragan see Dumka and gained suffragan see Raiganj
1995.07.10: Lost suffragan see Dibrugarh
1997.06.14: Gained suffragan see Bagdogra
1997.10.24: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Asansol and gained suffragan see Asansol
2004.02.27: Lost suffragan see Raigarh

Papal Visits

Pope John Paul II (1986.02)

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2012.02.23 – ...):

Archbishop Thomas D’Souza (74)

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Calcutta (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Thomas D’Souza (74)
(2012.02.23 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Calcutta (India)

Unitas et amor

Born:	1950.08.26 (Adyapady, India)
Ordained Priest:	1977.04.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1998.01.25

Priest of Mangalore (India) (1977.04.16 – 1997.06.14)

Bishop of Bagdogra (India) (1997.06.14 – 2011.03.12)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Calcutta (India) (2011.03.12 – 2012.02.23)

Apostolic Administrator of Bagdogra (India) (2011.03.12 – 2015.04.07)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Calcutta (India) (2012.02.23 – ...)

Apostolic Administrator of Krishnagar (India) (2019.04.17 – 2022.04.30)

Archbishop Lucas Sirkar, S.D.B.
(2002.04.02 – 2012.02.23)

Pace per omnia

Born:	1936.09.24 (Barisol, India)
Ordained Priest:	1968.04.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1984.09.22
Died:	2021.04.18 (Krishnagar, India † 84)

Bishop of Krishnagar (India) (1984.06.22 – 2000.04.14)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Calcutta (India) (2000.04.14 – 2002.04.02)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Calcutta (India) (2002.04.02 – 2012.02.23)

Archbishop Henry Sebastian D’Souza
(1986.04.05 – 2002.04.02)

Instrument of the Lord

Born:	1926.01.20 (India)
Ordained Priest:	1948.08.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1974.05.05
Died:	2016.06.27 († 90)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Cuttack–Bhubaneswar (India) (1974.01.24 – 1985.03.29)

Secretary General of Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (1984 – 1993)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Calcutta (India) (1985.03.29 – 1986.04.05)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Calcutta (India) (1986.04.05 – 2002.04.02)

President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (1988 – 1992)

President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (1999 – 2002)

Cardinal Lawrence Trevor Picachy, S.J.
(1969.05.29 – 1986.04.05)

Adveniat regnum tuum

Born:	1916.08.07 (Darjeeling, India)
Ordained Priest:	1947.11.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1962.09.09
Created Cardinal:	1976.05.24
Died:	1992.11.29 (Calcutta, India † 76)

Bishop of Jamshedpur (India) (1962.07.12 – 1969.05.29)

Apostolic Administrator of Jamshedpur (India) (1969.05.29 – 1970.06.25)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Calcutta (India) (1969.05.29 – 1986.04.05)

President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (1976 – 1982)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Cuore di Maria (1976.05.24 – 1992.11.29)

Archbishop Albert Vincent D’Souza
(1962.08.08 – 1969.05.29)

Born:	1904.04.05 (India)
Ordained Priest:	1928.12.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1959.03.31
Died:	1977.08.14 († 73)

Titular Bishop of Semnea (1959.02.05 – 1962.08.08)

Auxiliary Bishop of Mysore (India) (1959.02.05 – 1962.08.08)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Calcutta (India) (1962.08.08 – 1969.05.29)

Titular Archbishop of Luperciana (1969.05.29 – 1971.01.11)

Archbishop Vivian Anthony Dyer
(1960.08.12 – 1962.02.08)

Born:	1906.09.25 (India)
Ordained Priest:	1931.10.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1959.08.09
Died:	1962.02.08 († 55)

Titular Archbishop of Gabala (1959.04.25 – 1960.08.12)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Calcutta (India) (1959.04.25 – 1960.08.12)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Calcutta (India) (1960.08.12 – 1962.02.08)

Archbishop Ferdinand Périer, S.J.
(1924.06.23 – 1960.08.12)

Born:	1875.09.22
Ordained Priest:	1909.10.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1921.12.21
Died:	1968.11.10 († 93)

Titular Archbishop of Platæa (1921.08.10 – 1924.06.23)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Calcutta (India) (1921.08.10 – 1924.06.23)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Calcutta (India) (1924.06.23 – 1960.08.12)

Titular Archbishop of Rhoina (1960.08.12 – 1968.11.10)

Archbishop Brice Meuleman, S.J.
(1902.03.21 – 1924.06.23)

Born:	1862.03.01 (Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1895.01.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1902.06.25
Died:	1924.06.23 († 62)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Calcutta (India) (1902.03.21 – 1924.06.23)

Archbishop Paul-François-Marie Goethals, S.J.
(1886.09.01 – 1901.07.04)

Born:	1832.11.11 (Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1862.09.11
Consecrated Bishop:	1878.02.24
Died:	1901.07.04 († 68)

Vicar Apostolic of Western Bengal (India) (1877.12.03 – 1886.09.01)

Titular Bishop of Evaria (1878.01.15 – 1878.02.03)

Titular Archbishop of Hierapolis (1878.02.03 – 1886.09.01)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Calcutta (India) (1886.09.01 – 1901.07.04)

Vicars Apostolic of Western Bengal (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Paul-François-Marie Goethals, S.J.
(1877.12.03 – 1886.09.01)

(see above)

Archbishop Waltar Steins Bisschop, S.J.
(1867.01.11 – 1877)

Born:	1810.07.01 (Netherlands)
Ordained Priest:	1842.09.08
Consecrated Bishop:	1861.06.29
Died:	1881.09.07 († 71)

Titular Bishop of Nilopolis (1860.10.10 – 1867.01.11)

Vicar Apostolic of Bombay (India) (1860.10.10 – 1867.01.11)

Apostolic Administrator of Poona (India) (1860.10.10 – 1867.01.11)

Vicar Apostolic of Western Bengal (India) (1867.01.11 – 1877)

Titular Archbishop of Bostra (1867.01.11 – 1879.05.15)

Archbishop-Bishop of Auckland (New Zealand) (1879 – 1881.09.01)

Archbishop Augustus van Heule, S.J.
(1864.09.09 – 1865.06.09 not possessed)

Born:	1821.11.21 (Belgium)
Ordained Priest:	1851.09.12
Consecrated Bishop:	1864.10.28
Died:	1865.06.09 († 43)

Titular Archbishop of Amida (1864.09.09 – 1865.06.09)

Vicar Apostolic of Western Bengal (India) (1864.09.09 – 1865.06.09 not possessed)

Bishop Thomas Oliffe
(1855.11.02 – 1859.05.13)

Born:	1813
Consecrated Bishop:	1843.10.08
Died:	1859.05.13 († 45)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Bengal (India) (1843.08.26 – 1850.02.15)

Titular Bishop of Milos (1843.08.26 – 1859.05.13)

Vicar Apostolic of Eastern Bengal (Bangladesh) (1850.02.15 – 1855.11.02)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Western Bengal (India) (1850.02.15 – 1855.11.02)

Vicar Apostolic of Western Bengal (India) (1855.11.02 – 1859.05.13)

Archbishop Patrick Joseph Carew
(1850.02.15 – 1855.11.02)

Born:	1800? (Ireland)
Consecrated Bishop:	1838.06.24
Died:	1855.11.02 († 54)

Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic of Madras (India) (1838.03.06 – 1840.04.04)

Titular Bishop of Philadelphia (1838.03.06 – 1840.11.30)

Vicar Apostolic of Madras (India) (1840.04.04 – 1840.11.30)

Vicar Apostolic of Bengal (India) (1840.11.30 – 1850.02.15)

Titular Archbishop of Edessa (1840.11.30 – 1855.11.02)

Vicar Apostolic of Western Bengal (India) (1850.02.15 – 1855.11.02)

Vicars Apostolic of Bengal (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Patrick Joseph Carew
(1840.11.30 – 1850.02.15)

(see above)

Bishop Jean-Louis Taberd, M.E.P.
(1838 – 1840.07.31)

Born:	1794.06.18 (France)
Ordained Priest:	1817.07.27
Consecrated Bishop:	1830.05.30
Died:	1840.07.31 († 46)

Titular Bishop of Isaura (1827.09.18 – 1840.07.31)

Vicar Apostolic of Cochin (Vietnam) (1827.09.18 – 1840.07.31)

Vicar Apostolic of Bengal (India) (1838 – 1840.07.31)

Fr. Robert Saint-Léger, S.J.
(1834.04.18 – 1838 not possessed)

Vicar Apostolic of Bengal (India) (1834.04.18 – 1838 not possessed)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop Thomas D’Souza (74) (2011.03.12 – 2012.02.23)
Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop Lucas Sirkar, S.D.B. (2000.04.14 – 2002.04.02)
Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop Henry Sebastian D’Souza (1985.03.29 – 1986.04.05)
Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop Vivian Anthony Dyer (1959.04.25 – 1960.08.12)
Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop Ferdinand Périer, S.J. (1921.08.10 – 1924.06.23)
Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: Bishop Thomas Oliffe (1850.02.15 – 1855.11.02)
Coadjutor Vicar Apostolic: Bishop Thomas Oliffe (1843.08.26 – 1850.02.15)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Cyprian Monis (79) (1994.03.26 – 1997.10.24)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Alan Basil de Lastic (later Archbishop) (1979.04.09 – 1984.07.02)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Joseph Alexander Fernandes (later Archbishop) (1949.01.24 – 1951.04.12)