Diocese of Sambalpur, India

Continent: South and East Asia

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Sambalpur / Sambalpuren(sis) (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Cuttack–Bhubaneswar

Depends on: Dicastery for Evangelisation

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Joseph

Liturgical Calendar (National) 📅

History

1951.06.14: Established as Diocese of Sambalpur / Sambalpuren(sis) (Latin) (from Metropolitan Archdiocese of Calcutta, Diocese of Nagpur and Diocese of Ranchi and became suffragan of Calcutta)
1953.09.19: Became suffragan of Ranchi
1974.01.24: Became suffragan of Cuttack–Bhubaneswar
1979.07.04: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Rourkela

Present Prelates

Bishop (2013.07.26 – ...):

Bishop Niranjan Sual Singh (63)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Sambalpur (Roman Rite)

Bishop Niranjan Sual Singh (63)
(2013.07.26 – ...)

Bishop of Sambalpur (India)

United in love and service

Born:	1961.07.20 (Kottama, India)
Ordained Priest:	1991.04.29
Consecrated Bishop:	2013.09.28

Priest of Cuttack–Bhubaneswar (India) (1991.04.29 – 2013.07.26)

Bishop of Sambalpur (India) (2013.07.26 – ...)

Bishop Lucas Kerketta, S.V.D. (88)
(1986.11.17 – 2013.07.26)

Bishop emeritus of Sambalpur (India)

Communion in charity

Born:	1936.09.20 (Kahupani, India)
Ordained Priest:	1969.10.25
Consecrated Bishop:	1987.03.01

Bishop of Sambalpur (India) (1986.11.17 – 2013.07.26)

Bishop Raphael Cheenath, S.V.D. (later Archbishop)
(1974.02.28 – 1985.07.01)

To become all things to all

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

Bishop of Sambalpur (India) (1974.02.28 – 1985.07.01)

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

Bishop Hermann Westermann, S.V.D.
(1951.06.14 – 1974.02.28)

Born:	1905.04.24 (Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1932.05.22
Consecrated Bishop:	1951.07.29
Died:	1985.10.23 († 80)

Prefect Apostolic of Indore (India) (1948.03.20 – 1951.06.14)

Bishop of Sambalpur (India) (1951.06.14 – 1974.02.28)

Special Churches

Cathedral: St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral, Sambalpur, Odisha

Raipur (←), Raigarh (↖), Rourkela (↗), Balasore (→), Cuttack–Bhubaneswar (↘), Rayagada (↓)

Statistics (2021.12.31)

Area: 37,035 km²

Population: 48,400 Catholics (0.6% of 8,527,000 total)

Pastoral Centres: 24 parishes, 22 missions

Personnel: 149 priests (66 diocesan, 83 religious), 428 religious (110 brothers, 318 sisters), 27 seminarians