Well Come
to the Diocese of Krishnagar
 |
Krishnagar - 741 101
Dist. Nadia, West Bengal
HISTORY OF THE DIOCESE
In the beginning of the 17th Century, the Augustinians and the Jesuits were the first missionaries who ventured in this region (what is today popularly known as Krishnagar Diocese) to establish new mission and in search of souls for Christ. Around 1620 they established a catholic center at Berhampur, in Murshidabad district, to minister to the European Catholics. Their labour bore fruits. The statistics reveal that there were 125 Catholics in Berhampur by 1851.
Fr. Thomas Zubiburu, a Portuguese Carmelite, was the first Catholic priest to come to Krishnagar in May 1845 from Chitagong. At that time there was a flourishing community of Protestants in Krishnagar. The first Catholics were from Protestantism. He blessed the first Church of Krishnagar in 1846, which was dedicated to Our Lady of Carmel. There were no residenteial priests, after he was forced to withdraw due to illness. Later the municipality took over the church and the residence, which they turned into a dispensary.
Three priests and a Brother landed at Berhampur on 17thJune 1855. As soon as they arrived they started the work of evangelization with great enthusiasm. They divided the mission among themselves. Fr. Albino Parietti, the superior, remained at Berhampur which was also made the headquarter of the Central Bengal Mission. Fr. Luigi Limana came to Krishnagar and Fr. Antonio Marietii went to Jessore (now in Bangladesh). Fr. Parietti went to his eternal reward on 30th November 1864. At that time there were 600 Catholics excluding the soldiers, 7 sisters and 2 European Catechists.
The arrival of the Sisters of Charity of Sts. Bartholomea Capitanio and Vincenza Gerosa (Sisters of Maria Bambina) in Krishnagar on 17th March 1860 was a significant event in the history of the Central Bengal Mission.
THE APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE OF KRISHNAGAR
When Fr. Limana came to Krishnagar he found that the Christians had either scattered or lapsed to Protestantism. He claimed the Church and the residence from the municipality, and was handed over to him. Once again a community of Catholics began to cluster up in Krishnagar.
In 19th July, 1870 the Holy See erected Krishnagar into a Prefecture Apostolic and Fr Mareitti was appointed its first Prefect Apostolic. In 1879 owing to ill health, he was unable to carry the burden of the Prefecture; he resigned and went to Jessorr, where Msgr. Marietti died of Pneumonea at Jessore on 27th November 1892.
There were 1191 Catholics, 9 priests, and 12 Sisters at the time, when he resigned in 1879. Mgr. Pozzi from Hyderabad
The diocese of Krishnagar was erected on 1st September1886 and Mgr. Pozzi was appointed its first bishop. He was consecrated in the Chapel of St. Xavier's College, Calcutta Sadar Hospital) which was destroyed in the earthquake of 1897. Bishop Pozzi decided to build a real Cathedral on a design prepared by Fr. Armanasco. The work proceeded so fast that on 29th March 1899 the cathedral was rebuilt in the present site and was blessed under his care. In the same year Assam was detached from the diocese of Krishnagar.Bishop Pozzi breathed his last on 22nd October 1905.
Msgr. Santino Taveggia was Bishop Pozzi's Vicar General and succeeded him to care for the diocese, after his death, as the Sercond bishop of Krishnagar Diocese. He had arrived in Bengal in November 1878. His first field of work was Jessore and Sunderbans under Msgr. Marietti. In 1884 he went to Bhavarpara. In 1892 he founded a small congregation under the title of "Catechists Sister of Mary Immaculate", popularly called the "Bhoginis" and placed them under the direction of the Sisters of Charity. On 8th April 1932, in an impressive ceremony, three girls received the religious habit, which was an adaptation of the Indian Sari. He consecreated them on 4th November, 1906.
The great progress made during the period forced the bishop to request the Holy See to divide the diocese. The diocese of Dinajpur was erected on 20th June 1928. The Milan Fathers took charge of the new diocese and handed over Krishnagar to the Salesians of Don Bosco. There were 6259 catholics, 19 churches, 37 chapels and 23 schools looked after by 8 priests and 34 sisters in Krishnagar Diocese. In April 1928, Bishop Taveggia moved into Dinajpur and soon after on 2nd June, 1928, he passed into eternity.
When Msgr. Taveggia was transfered to Dinajpur, the Krishnagar Diocese became a Salesian Diocese by the announcement of the Holy See. In 1928 three Salesian fahers, Fr. Piesuir, Fr. Pisano and Msgr. Emmanuel Bars, first set foot in Krishnagar. Msgr. Emmanuel Bars sdb. was elected the Apostolic Administrator of the diocese. He was born at Torroella de Montgri, in Spain
On 24th November, 1934 Msgr. Stephen Ferrando was appointed as 3rd bishop of the Diocese. He became the first Salesian Bishop of the diocese. After his appointment he was triumphantly welcomed to Krishnagar by 1500 local christians. At that time, in the Diocese there were only 9 priests, 5 clerics and the Sisters of Charity. In his pastoral visits the new Bishop reported that he had visited 61 centres where there were Christians. When he was transferred to Shilong in the following year, Mgr. Vincent Scuderi succeeded him as Apostolic Administrator.
After the transfer of Bishop Stephen Ferrando, Fr. Vincent Scuderi sdb became the Apostolic Adminstrator of Krishnagar Diocese. The first work of the new Apostolic Administrator was to begin a school for training the Catechists in Jessore which had once been the first Prefecture Apostolic in Bengal and abandoned later because lack of personel. It was the city which was the first missionary in 1856 and witnessed on 31st January, 1937 the installation of its first Catechist aspirants. He stayed in Krishnagar till 1939.
After the partition of Bengal, Krishnagar diocese was divided once again and the diocese of Khulna
Fr. Louis Gobetti governed the diocese as Vicar Capitular after Bishop Morrow resigned in 1969. He was succeeded by Mgr. Mathew Baroi as his Apostolic Administrator on 19th October 1970. Mgr. Baroi was elected as the Fifth bishop on 6th October 1973. At that time there were 15,000 Catholics with 10 parishes, looked after by 25 priests, 144 Sisters and 50 catechists.
In response to the Bishops invitation the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (The Salesian Sisters) began to work in the diocese in 1980, in the newly erected parish of Kalyani. On 4th April 1983 Bishop Baroi passed away to his eternal abode. On 5th April 1983 Fr. Varkey Padamattumel was elected Vicar Capitular of the diocese.
Rt. Rev. Lucas Sirkar was appointed bishop of Krishnagar on 16th July 1984 and consecrated on 22nd September 1984. Since then he shepherded the diocese with love and care. He was born on 24th September 1936. He became a Salesian on 24th May 1958 and was ordained a priest on 29th April 1968. The administration of the Cathedral Rectory and the Pastoral care of the Cathedral Parish were officially handed over to the Diocesan Clergy on 24th May 1988.
On 20th April 2000 Rt. Rev. Lucas Sirkar was appointed Co-adjutor Archbishop of Kolkata and on 1st June 2000 he was installed as such in the Cathedral of Kolkata.In his tenure there was an increase in the number of the Diocesan clergy. He will be remembered for inviting several Congregations to work in the diocese, like the Congregation of Teresian Carmelites (CTC), the Congregation of Jesus and Mary Sisters (JMR), the Congregation of the Holy Family Sisters, the Missionaries of Charity Sisters (MC), The Daughters of St. Anne (DSA), the Congregation of the Redemptrists Fathers (CssR). He himself founded a diocesan congregation for the sisters named Adoration sisters of the Imaculatie heart of Mary (ASIHM). He opened a Minor Seminary in the year 1986 at Amghata, to foster local vocation for diocesan clergy.
On 2nd June 2000 Fr. Luciano Colussi was elected Administrator of the Diocese. He very efficiently looked after the diocese for two years. He took keen interest in evangelization of the people for which he organized one-week courses for catechists every month. In his tenure we find the flourishment of all the commissions and associations, such as 'Christo Parishad', SCC, Family Commission, Liturgical Commission, and so on. On 24th May 2001, the feast of Mary Help of Christians, the Salesians officially handed over the Bishop's House to the Diocesan Clergy. Until this day Salesian community used to reside in Bishop's House.
