People's Edit
Brief History of the Diocese of Darjeeling
Opinion | People's Edit | Severine Rai | 15-Apr-2021
The arrival of early Catholic missionaries to the Darjeeling hills dates to 1846, when the Irish Loreto Sisters came to this picturesque district of North Bengal. Thereafter, early missionaries such Fr. Rebecca Singh, Fr. Victor Khawas, Fr. Edward George McGuire, Fr. Joseph Abraham Murray, and Fr. Edgar Burns evangelized, reaching out directly to the people. The hearts they touched through spreading the words of God and through imparting education to the local populous got further cemented with the arrival of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, who embarked on a journey of human caring of a magnitude not matched anywhere in the world. Her work touched lives of many, irrespective of communities and groups with the reflection “Keep doing good works and sharing your resources, for these are the kinds of sacrifice that please God” (Hebrew: 13:16), further reinforces the Catholic mission’s commitment to serve mankind.
The Darjeeling hills became a Diocese on 8th August, 1962 when Rt. Reverend Bishop Eric Benjamin DD was appointed as the first Bishop. The Diocese was formed by curving out Darjeeling District from the Church of Calcutta, and clubbing it to the Prefecture Apostolic of Kalimpong-Sikkim. Subsequently, in November 1997, Churches in the Siliguri Sub-division of Darjeeling District was again separated from the Diocese of Darjeeling to form Diocese of Bagdogra. Since 1962, the Diocese has moved miles and grew in stature and spirit.
Darjeeling Diocese covers a physical area 47915 Sq. Km in two different countries. Today, the Diocese has 36 Parishes, 4 Colleges, 17 Higher Secondary Schools, 17 High Schools, 49 Primary Schools, 7 vocational training institutes and string of Social Welfare Centres, Orphanages & Creches, Homes for the destitute, Hostels (men), Hostels (women), Health Ministry Centres and Houses of Formation. As in its formative years, dedicated services rendered to mankind in the field of education, and other social sectors have endeared the Catholic community of this Diocese to the general public, irrespective of their religious affiliations. In other word, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Darjeeling does not walk in the way of the Lord but walks along with Him, as St. Paul says “To live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with every power, in accord with his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy (Colossians: 1: 10-11)
(The Author is a prominent Catholic leader of Sikkim. He is currently the President of Sikkim Catholic Association)
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