Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ranchi, India

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese Metr. Archdiocese

Name: Ranchi / Ranchien(sis) (Latin)

Suffragan Sees: Daltonganj, Dumka, Gumla, Hazaribag, Jamshedpur, Khunti, Port Blair, Simdega

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Website:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Francis Xavier

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1927.05.25: Established as Diocese of Ranchi / Ranchien(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Calcutta and became suffragan of Calcutta)
1951.06.14: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Sambalpur
1951.12.13: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Raigarh–Ambikapur
1953.09.19: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Ranchi / Ranchien(sis) (Latin) (with suffragan sees Cuttack, Patna and Sambalpur)
1960.04.11: Gained territory from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Rangoon
1962.07.02: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Jamshedpur and gained suffragan see Jamshedpur
1968: Gained suffragan see Bhagalpur
1970.10.08: Lost territory to Diocese of Bhagalpur
1971.06.05: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Daltonganj and gained suffragan see Daltonganj
1974.01.24: Lost suffragan sees Cuttack and Sambalpur
1978.06.08: Gained suffragan see Dumka
1980.03.06: Gained suffragan see Muzaffarpur
1984.06.22: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Port Blair and gained suffragan see Port Blair
1993.05.28: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Gumla and Diocese of Simdega and gained suffragan sees Gumla and Simdega
1995.04.01: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Khunti and gained suffragan sees Hazaribag and Khunti
1998.06.27: Gained suffragan sees Bettiah and Purnea
1999.03.16: Lost suffragan sees Bettiah, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Patna and Purnea

Papal Visits

Pope John Paul II (1986.02)

Present Prelates

Metropolitan Archbishop (2023.12.30 – ...):

Archbishop Vincent Aind (69)

Ordinaries

Metropolitan Archbishops of Ranchi (Roman Rite)

Archbishop Vincent Aind (69)
(2023.12.30 – ...)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ranchi (India)

Give love to one another

Born:	1955.01.30 (Kalchini, India)
Ordained Priest:	1984.04.30
Consecrated Bishop:	2015.06.14

Priest of Jalpaiguri (India) (1984.04.30 – 2015.04.07)

Bishop of Bagdogra (India) (2015.04.07 – 2023.12.30)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ranchi (India) (2023.12.30 – ...)

Archbishop Felix Toppo, S.J. (76)
(2018.06.24 – 2023.12.30)

Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Ranchi (India)

Adveniat regnum tuum

Born:	1947.11.21 (Tongo, India)
Ordained Priest:	1982.04.14
Consecrated Bishop:	1997.09.27

Bishop of Jamshedpur (India) (1997.06.14 – 2018.06.24)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ranchi (India) (2018.06.24 – 2023.12.30)

Cardinal Telesphore Placidus Toppo
(1985.08.07 – 2018.06.24)

Parare viam Domini

Born:	1939.10.15 (Chainpur, India)
Ordained Priest:	1969.05.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1978.10.07
Created Cardinal:	2003.10.21
Died:	2023.10.04 (Mandar, India † 83)

Priest of Ranchi (India) (1969.05.03 – 1978.06.08)

Bishop of Dumka (India) (1978.06.08 – 1984.11.08)

Coadjutor Archbishop of Ranchi (India) (1984.11.08 – 1985.08.07)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ranchi (India) (1985.08.07 – 2018.06.24)

Vice-President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (1998 – 2002)

President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (2002 – 2005)

Cardinal-Priest of S. Cuore di Gesù agonizzante a Vitinia (2003.10.21 [2004.05.23] – 2023.10.04)

President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (2004.01.12 – 2008.02.19)

Member of Commission of Cardinals overseeing the Institute for Works of Religion (2008.02.24 – 2014.01.15)

President of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (2011.01.12 – 2013.02)

Member of Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organisational and Economic Problems of the Apostolic See (2012.06.23 – 2014.02.24)

Archbishop Pius Kerketta, S.J.
(1961.03.07 – 1985.08.07)

Born:	1910.03.11 (India)
Ordained Priest:	1943.11.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1961.05.21
Died:	1993.05.20 († 83)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ranchi (India) (1961.03.07 – 1985.08.07)

Archbishop Niclas Kujur, S.J.
(1953.09.19 – 1960.07.24)

Born:	1898.09.07 (India)
Ordained Priest:	1929.08.24
Consecrated Bishop:	1952.03.09
Died:	1960.07.24 († 61)

Bishop of Ranchi (India) (1951.12.13 – 1953.09.19)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Ranchi (India) (1953.09.19 – 1960.07.24)

Bishops of Ranchi (Roman Rite)

Bishop Niclas Kujur, S.J. (later Archbishop)
(1951.12.13 – 1953.09.19)

(see above)

Bishop Oscar Sevrin, S.J.
(1934.04.09 – 1951.12.13)

Born:	1884.11.22
Ordained Priest:	1919.07.01
Consecrated Bishop:	1934.07.25
Died:	1975.05.01 († 90)

Bishop of Ranchi (India) (1934.04.09 – 1951.12.13)

Bishop of Raigarh–Ambikapur (India) (1951.12.13 – 1957.11.08)

Titular Bishop of Mossyna (1957.11.08 – 1975.05.01)

Bishop Ludovico van Hoeck, S.J.
(1928.02.15 – 1933.04.30)

Born:	1870.04.17 (Italy)
Ordained Priest:	1903
Consecrated Bishop:	1921.03.06
Died:	1933.04.30 († 63)

Bishop of Patna (India) (1920.07.20 – 1928.02.15)

Bishop of Ranchi (India) (1928.02.15 – 1933.04.30)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Archbishop: Archbishop Telesphore Placidus Toppo (later Cardinal) (1984.11.08 – 1985.08.07)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, S.F.X. (63) (2014.07.09 – 2023.11.30)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Telesphore Bilung, S.V.D. (63) (2014.05.06 – 2021.11.01)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Binay Kandulna (60) (2009.02.10 – 2012.11.30)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Vincent Barwa (70) (2004.09.29 – 2008.02.11)

Special Churches

Cathedral: Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Ranchi, Jhārkhand
Minor Basilica: Basilica of the Divine Motherhood of Our Lady, Ulhatu, Jhārkhand

Gumla (↙), Daltonganj (↖), Hazaribag (↑), Asansol (→), Calcutta (→), Jamshedpur (↘), Khunti (↓)

Statistics (2021.12.31)

Area: 5,299 km²

Population: 178,800 Catholics (4.8% of 3,740,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 35 parishes, 26 missions

Personnel: 277 priests (75 diocesan, 202 religious), 1,395 religious (298 brothers, 1,097 sisters), 18 seminarians