Catholic IntelligenceA work of service to the Church

Diocese of Darjeeling

Darieelingen(sis)

The Diocese of Darjeeling is a Latin rite diocese in northern West Bengal, India, whose territory also includes Bhutan; it began as a Mission Sui Iuris on 15 February 1929 and was erected as a diocese in 1962, suffragan of the Archdiocese of Calcutta. Its seat is the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Darjeeling.

The see

Rank
Suffragan diocese
Tradition
Latin Church
Erected
8 August 1962
Latin
Darieelingen(sis)
Patron
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus
Annuario code
001001276

The see in figures

Catholics
37,320
Population
2,331,153
Catholic shareof the people living within its bounds
1.6%
Priests
147
Catholics per priest
254
Extent
10,880 km²
Catholics per km²
3.4

Figures as recorded in the register, from the Annuario Pontificio and the see's own published statements. Shares and ratios are computed from the two figures shown beside them.

The bishop

Bishop
Stephen Lepcha
Born
22 December 1952
Birthplace
Suruk

A see whose chair stands empty is recorded as vacant rather than filled with a guess. On what a bishop is, see the bishop.

The cathedral

Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Darjeeling stands in Darjeeling, the church that holds the cathedra from which this see takes its name.

On what a cathedral is, see the cathedral; every see church on earth is gathered at the cathedrals.

The province of Calcutta

A suffragan of Calcutta.

The sees of this province:

On how the Church is ordered into provinces, see the diocese.

History

A Latin Church jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in India, the Diocese of Darjeeling is a suffragan of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Calcutta while depending on the missionary Dicastery for Evangelization. Its territory takes in the independent Himalayan country of Bhutan, where Christianity is practiced by a tiny minority and proselytism is forbidden. The Marian Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Darjeeling, West Bengal state, India, serves as its cathedral episcopal see.

Catholic Intelligence

Get early access

We are indexing the whole visible Church: every diocese and parish on earth, searchable and mapped, with Mass times, clergy, and diocesan contacts. Launching soon. Sign up to be first in when it opens, starting with [object Object].

One email at launch. Nothing else.

Sources

The see's own website · Wikipedia

Compiled from the published statements of the see and the references of the Holy See, among them the Annuario Pontificio. Corrections: hello@catholicintelligence.com.