Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cuttack–Bhubaneswar, India 🇮🇳

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Cuttack–Bhubaneswar / Cuttacken(sis)–Bhubanesvaren(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Balasore, Berhampur, Rayagada, Rourkela, Sambalpur

Neighbouring Dioceses: Berhampur (↙), Rayagada (←), Sambalpur (↖), Balasore (↗)

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Thomas

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1928.07.18: Established as Mission sui juris of Cuttack / Cuttacken(sis) (Latin) (from Diocese of Vizagapatam)
1937.06.01: Promoted as Diocese of Cuttack / Cuttacken(sis) (Latin) (became suffragan of Madras)
1953.09.19: Became suffragan of Ranchi
1957.06.20: Gained territory from Diocese of Visakhapatnam
1966.06.16: Gained territory from Diocese of Visakhapatnam
1974.01.24: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cuttack–Bhubaneswar / Cuttacken(sis)–Bhubanesvaren(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Berhampur and Sambalpur and lost territory to establish Diocese of Berhampur)
1979.07.04: Gained suffragan see Rourkela
1989.12.18: Gained suffragan see Balasore
2016.04.11: Gained suffragan see Rayagada

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2011.02.11 – ...):	Archbishop John Barwa, S.V.D. (70)
Auxiliary Bishop (2025.11.22 – ...):	Bishop Rabindra Kumar Ranasingh (53) Titular Bishop of Thuburbo maius

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Cuttack–Bhubaneswar (Roman Rite)

Archbishop John Barwa, S.V.D. (70)
(2011.02.11 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Cuttack–Bhubaneswar (India)

Give me a heart to love

Born:	1955.06.01 (Gaibira, India)
Ordained Priest:	1985.04.14
Consecrated Bishop:	2006.04.19

Coadjutor Bishop of Rourkela (India) (2006.02.04 – 2009.04.02)

Bishop of Rourkela (India) (2009.04.02 – 2011.02.11)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Cuttack–Bhubaneswar (India) (2011.02.11 – ...)

Archbishop Raphael Cheenath, S.V.D.
(1985.07.01 – 2011.02.11)

To become all things to all

Born:	1934.12.29 (Manalur, India)
Ordained Priest:	1963.09.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1974.05.18
Died:	2016.08.14 (Mumbai, India † 81)

Bishop of Sambalpur (India) (1974.02.28 – 1985.07.01)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Cuttack–Bhubaneswar (India) (1985.07.01 – 2011.02.11)

Archbishop Henry Sebastian D’Souza
(1974.01.24 – 1985.03.29)

Instrument of the Lord

Born:	1926.01.20 (Igatpuri, India)
Ordained Priest:	1948.08.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1974.05.05
Died:	2016.06.27 (Kolkata, India † 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)

Bishops of Cuttack (Roman Rite)

Bishop Pablo Tobar Gonzáles, C.M.
(1949.03.10 – 1971.04.18)

Born:	1896.03.02 (Tardajos, Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1921.07.10
Consecrated Bishop:	1949.06.29
Died:	1971.04.18 († 75)

Bishop of Cuttack (India) (1949.03.10 – 1971.04.18)

Bishop Florencio Sanz Esparza, C.M.
(1937.06.01 – 1948.03.04)

Born:	1890.02.23 (Villanova de Yerri, Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1914.09.27
Consecrated Bishop:	1939.01.01
Died:	1987.12.27 († 97)

Ecclesiastical Superior of Cuttack (India) (1932.11.11 – 1937.06.01)

Bishop of Cuttack (India) (1937.06.01 – 1948.03.04)

Titular Bishop of Chrysopolis in Macedonia (1948.03.04 – 1987.12.27)

Ecclesiastical Superiors of Cuttack (Roman Rite)

Fr. Florencio Sanz Esparza, C.M. (later Bishop)
(1932.11.11 – 1937.06.01)

(see above)

Fr. Valeriano Guemes Rodriguez, C.M.
(1929.07.02 – 1932)

Born:	1890.09.14 (Quintanarruz, Spain)
Ordained Priest:	1915.08.29
Died:	1978.12.12 († 88)

Ecclesiastical Superior of Cuttack (India) (1929.07.02 – 1932)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary, Cuttack, Odisha
Pro-Cathedral: Pro-Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul, Bhubaneswar, Odisha

Berhampur (↙), Rayagada (←), Sambalpur (↖), Balasore (↗)

Statistics (2019.12.31)

Area: 32,440 km²

Population: 77,000 Catholics (0.6% of 13,813,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 38 parishes

Personnel: 163 priests (92 diocesan, 71 religious), 310 religious (95 brothers, 215 sisters), 30 seminarians