Diocese of Rourkela


The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rourkela is a diocese located in the city of Rourkela in the ecclesiastical province of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar in India.
WWW rkldiocese.org

History

  • 4 July 1979: Established as Diocese of Rourkela from the Diocese of Sambalpur
  • The Diocese of Rourkela was created by the Papal Bull "cum Cordi" dated 4 July 1979 by taking the entire civil district of Sundargarh from the diocese of Sambalpur in Orissa. At the time of erection of Rourkela, the diocese of Sambalpur, erected in 1951, comprised the four Orissa districts of Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Bolangir and Dhenkanal.
The new diocese of Rourkela is bounded on the north by Archdiocese of Ranchi and on the South by the diocese of Sambalpur to the west and the north-west lies the diocese of Raigarh, while the diocese of Jamshedpur and Balasore lie to the east and South-East.
Jesuit Missionaries began evangelization of this part of the Chotanagpur Mission, Fr Constant Livens being the most prominent among them. After the Second World War, the Jesuits faced two major problems - personnel and finance. They, therefore, requested the Divine Word Missionaries who had been working in the neighbouring states of Central India since 1932, to take up the Gangpur Mission in Northern Orissa. The SVDs set their feet in this mission land in 1948. The Late Bishop Herman Westermann, SVD, who had several years of experience in Central India, was ordained the first Bishop of Sambalpur in 1951. During his tenure as well as that of Bishop Raphael Cheenath, SVD, mission work in this ecclesiastical territory progressed in leaps and bounds.
Rt. Rev. Alphonse Billung, S.V.D. was appointed the first Bishop of Rourkela on 3 November 1979. Today the Diocese of Rourkela owes a lot to the relentless zeal and indefatigable labour of these eminent personalities, and their co - Missionaries - Priests, Brothers, Sisters, Lay people, generous benefactors and all well-wishers.

Leadership

  • Bishops of Rourkela
  • * Bishop Kishore Kumar Kujur

Statistics

Statistical Overview
Area: 9675 km2.
Total Population: 19,25,000
Catholics: 2,72,453
Personal
Bishop: 1
Retired Bishop: 1
Diocesan Priests :85
Religious Priests: 96
Religious Brother: 250
Religious Sisters: 421
Seminarians: 25
Parishes
Total Number of Parishes: 42
Institutes
Ecclesiastical/Formation Centers: 12
Junior Colleges:5
High Schools:5
Middle Schools:1
Primary Schools:151
Vocational Training Centers: 4

Parishes

There are 44 parishes in the Diocese of Rourkela.
  1. Ambapani Parish, St Joseph Church
  2. Bamahanmara Parish
  3. Barilapta Parish, St Marys Church
  4. Barsuan Parish, St Thomas Church
  5. Bihabandh Parish
  6. Birmitrapur Parish, St Paul's Church
  7. Bonaigarh Parish, Prabhu Prakash Church
  8. Bondamunda Parish, Good Shepherd Church
  9. Deonapara Parish, St Francis Xavier Church
  10. Gaibira Parish, St Ignatius Church
  11. Ghoghea Parish, St John the Baptist Church
  12. Gomardih Parish, St Marys Church
  13. Hamirpur Parish, Sacred Heart Cathedral
  14. Harasmara Parish, St Francis of Assisi Church
  15. Hemgir Parish, St Francis Xavier Church
  16. Jhirpani parish, Immaculate Conception Church
  17. Jhorabahal Parish, Holy Trinity Church
  18. Jhunmur Parish, St Marys Church
  19. Jolda Parish, Christ The King Church
  20. Kahuchuan Parish, St Marys Church
  21. Kahupani Parish, St Marys Church
  22. Kalunga Parish, Risen Christ Church
  23. Kansbahal Parish, St Joseph The Worker Church
  24. Kantapali Parish, Holy Family Church
  25. Kesramal Parish, St Francis Xavier Church
  26. Kirelega Parish, St Marys Church
  27. Koira Parish, St Francis Assisi Church
  28. Kuarmunda Parish, St John Bosco Church
  29. Kusumdegi Parish, Our Lady Assumed into Heaven
  30. Nuagaon Parish, All Saints Church
  31. Pankadih Parish, Catholic Church
  32. Pandrepali Parish, St. Francis De Sales Church
  33. Phalsa Parish, St Thomas Church
  34. Raidih Parish, St Peters Church
  35. Rajgangpur Parish, St Marys Church
  36. Salangabahal Parish, St Thomas The Apostle Church
  37. Saunamara Parish, Jagat Mata Church
  38. Siabahal Parish, St Vincent Palloti Church
  39. Sikajor Parish, St Joseph Church
  40. Singarmunda Parish, St Marys Church
  41. Sundargarh Parish, St Marys Church
  42. Tangrain parish, St Francis Xavier Church
  43. Telendih Parish, St Josephs Church
  44. Thakurpali Parish, Our Lady of Holy Rosary Church

Religious Congregation working in the diocese

Religious Men

  1. Congregation of Rosarian
  2. Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
  3. Missionaries of Saint Francis De Sales
  4. Order of Friars Minor Capuchins
  5. Society of Mary |Society of Mary
  6. Society of St Francis De Sales
  7. Society of the Catholic Apostolate
  8. Divine Word Missionaries|Society of the Divine Word
  9. Third Order Regular of St. Francis
  10. Society of Jesus -

Religious Brothers

  1. Missionaries of Charity Brothers
  2. Missionaries of the Poor

Religious Sisters

  1. Apostolic Carmel
  2. Carmelite Missionaries
  3. Congregation of Sisters of St Joseph of Chambéry
  4. Daughters of the Cross
  5. Franciscan Sisters of St Mary of the Angels
  6. Handmaids of Mary
  7. Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
  8. Missionaries of Charity
  9. Missionary Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate
  10. Missionary Sisters of the Queen of the Apostles
  11. Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit
  12. Saint Joseph Sevika Sanstha
  13. Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross
  14. Sisters of St Joseph of Lyon
  15. Sisters of St Joseph of Saint-Marc
  16. Ursuline Sisters of Tildonk