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   Calcutta Archdiocese


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Abp LUCAS SIRKAR
Born : Sep. 24, 1936
Priestly Ordn.: Apr. 20, 1968
Episcopal Ordn.: Sep. 22, 1984
The Archdiocese of Calcutta covers the greater part of West Bengal. The First Christian settlements in Bengal appear at the end of the 16th century round the Church of Bandel on the Hooghly. At Calcutta the first Catholic Chapel is dated from 1700. In 1834, at the petition of Calcutta Catholics, the Holy See erected the Vicariate Apostolic of Calcutta and entrusted it to the English Province of the Society of Jesus, and at the end of 1838 to the Diocesan Clergy.

On February 17, 1845, the Holy See divided the Vicariate of Bengal into the Vicariate Apostolic of Calcutta and the Vicariate of Chittagong, the latter to be administered by its own Ordinary under the direction of the Vicar Apostolic of Calcutta. On February 15, 1850, the two Vicariates of Calcutta and Chittagong were constituted as independent Ecclesiastical units to be called West Bengal and East Bengal.

In 1856, at the request of Msgr. Oliffe, the then Vicar Apostolic of West Bengal, the S. Cong. de Propaganda Fide handed over the Vicariate to the Belgian Jesuits with the appointment on August 22, 1874, of Msgr A. Van Heule, sj, as its Vicar Apostolic of West Bengal. In 1886, the Vicariate Apostolic became the Archdiocese of Calcutta.
Address:
Archbishop's House
32 Park Street, Kolkatta - 700 016.

Tel: (033) 22 47 19 60, 22 47 93 38, 22 80 70 15 (P)
Fax: (033) 22 80 70 15          
Mobile: 09 83 00 43 653
E-mail:  bls@cal2.vsnl.net.in  

Area: 29,857 sq. kms.
Total population: 2,51,24,983
Catholics: 1,36,804
Languages spoken: English, Bengali, Hindi and Santali.
Revenue districts: Kolkata, Howrah, Hoogly,
Midnapore,24 Parganas (North), South Bankura.

Statistics
Diocesan Clergy: 71
Religious Priests: 132
Religious Brothers: 114
Religious Women: 950
No. of Parishes: 34
Houses of Women Religious: 110
Houses of Men Religious: 35

Formation Houses
Major Seminary: 01
Minor Seminaries: 02
Others: 20

No. of Educational Institutions
B. Ed.Colleges: 03, Students: 226
Colleges: 03, Students: 5,100
Technical Institutions: 03, Students: 215
Collegiates (P.U.C.): 11, Students: 3,574
Sr. Secondary Schools (10+2): 20,  Students: 7,016
High Schools (10th std.): 56, Students:29,954
Primary Schools: 57, Students: 26,555
Dispensaries: 65, Beneficiaries (Annual): 3,06,021