Dioceses of India
Total: 1
Baruipur

Diocese of Baruipur

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Rite: Latin
Region : Bengal
Patron: Immaculate Heart of Mary
Founded: 30 May 1977
Province: Calcutta
Status: Diocese
Total area: 10,568 Sq. km
Total Population : 6,2847
Catholics Total: 60,465
Diocesan Priests: 41
Religious Priests: 30
Religious Sisters: 109
Minor Seminarians: 08
Major Seminarians: 24

Diocese of Baruipur at a Glance

Ecclesiastical Institutions

Parishes & Substations : 100Retreat Centres: 02
Major Seminaries : 0Diocesan Minor Seminaries: 01
Congregation Minor Seminaries: 01Religious Formation Houses : 07
Men Religious Houses: 0Women Religious Houses: 21

Charitable Institutions

Hospitals : 01Dispensaries / Clinics / Health Centres: 08
Orphanages : 02Homes for Aged & Destitute : 03
Schools for Physically Challenged: 0Homes for Physically Challenged : 0
Crèches: 03Boarding Houses : 11
Counselling Centres : 01De-addiction Centre: 0
Social Centres : 03HIV / AIDS Centre: 0

Educational Institutions

Professional Colleges : 0Degree Colleges: 0
Parallel Colleges : 0Vocational / Technical Training Centres : 04
Higher Secondary / Junior Colleges : 01High Schools : 08
Upper Primary Schools: 02Lower Primary Schools:18
Nurseries / Pre-Primary Schools :18Presses & Media Centres : 0

History

  
The first Vicariate Apostolic of Bengal was established in 1834 with its headquarter at Calcutta.  Msgr. Patrick Carew was appointed as the Vicar Apostolic. In 1840, the first missionary, Fr. Zubiburu, a Spanish Carmelite went to Koikhali, a small village along with Mr. Crow, the District Magistrate. He built a catholic community of 278 members. However, Fr. Zubiburu, could not continue his work owing to bad health and left the place. 

The Belgian Jesuits came to Bengal in 1859. In 1868 at the invitation of Kala Chand (Stanislas), Fr. Goffinet S.J. went to a small village called Gokurni near Magra Hat. A few days later in July 1868, he baptized a little girl of six in Magra Hat which was the happy passage for the Christian community in 24 Parganas. From there Fr. Goffinet SJ went to Koikhali and resumed the missionary work started by Fr. Zubiburu, Under Msgr. Steins SJ.  It was Father E. Delplace SJ the pioneer, who went around establishing five Mission Stations in four years such as Raghabpur, Morapai, Basanti,Khari and Baidyapur (1873-1877). In 1886 the Vicariate Apostolic became the Archdiocese of Calcutta.

 The Yugoslav Jesuit Priests were invited to come to Bengal and to take charge of 24 Parganas District. That move marked the new beginning of the Sunderbans' Mission. They started new mission stations or re-opened old ones; they built churches and chapels and gradually injected new life in the existing Catholic communities. After the war, unfortunately, the doors were closed and no new missionaries could come in. Later the Belgian Jesuits and Indian priests took over the missions. The tenure of Archbishop V. Dyer (1960-1962) and Archbishop A. D'Souza (1962-1969) witnessed further bifurcations of the Archdiocese of Calcutta into the dioceses of Jamshedpur, Darjeeling and Dumka. 

By the Bull, Ad Supernam, Pope Paul VI created on 12 March 1978 the diocese of Baruipur, detaching from the Archdiocese of Calcutta the Southern and Central Portion of the civil district commonly known as the 24 Parganas and the civil territories called Thana. Bishop Linus Nirmal. Gomes was ordained as first Bishop of Baruipur Diocese on Saturday, November 19, 1977. Rt. Rev. Linus Nirmal Gomes SJ submitted his resignation to the Holy Father due to ill health after leading the diocese as the good shepherd for 18 years. Holy Father accepted his resignation with effect from October 31, 1995. Consequently, Rev. Fr. Salvadore Lobo was elected the Administrator of the Diocese. He was later appointed the Bishop of Baruipur by the Holy See on Friday, November 14, 1997 and was ordained a Bishop on Thursday, January 29, 1998.

Under the leadership of Bishop Salvadore Lobo as a good shepherd, there has been a steady growth in the diocese. Past twenty years of his service has witnessed many milestones in the diocese. To mention few of them: 11 new parishes, 8 new convents, 7 new schools and 5 new institutions of different kinds have been established.

The diocese of Baruipur is situated in the South Eastern part of West Bengal (India) with lots of rivers and clusters of islands. The diocese now comprises of South 24 Parganas District, part of North 24 Parganas District and a part of Kolkata Metropolis. These cover an area of 10, 568 square kilometers with a total population of 94, 45, 909 as per the census of 2011. The catholic Christian population currently is 62,847 as per the year 2018. The language spoken in the territory includes Bengali, English and Hindi. 


Former Bishops

Right Rev. SALVADORE LOBO
Bishop Emeritus of Baruipur
Personal Details
Born:30-Apr-1945
Priestly Ordination:19-Mar-1973
Episcopal Ordination:29-Jan-1998
Period:--

Tel(P): (0)8597797726,(0)8777637425
Email(P): salvadorelobo@gmail.com
Contact Details
Sacred Heart Presbytery, Bishop’s House, G. T. Road (West), Asansol - 713 301 Paschim Bardhaman District (West Bengal)
Tel(O): 033-24 33 82 99
Fax : 24 37 88 05
Email : baruipurdiocese@rediffmail.com
NameDesignationPeriod
Most Rev. Linus Nirmal Gomes, SJBishop1977-1995