New Bangladesh diocese will ‘deepen faith’ of indigenous Catholics

Evangelisation in the region began on 29 January 1902, when Fr Francesco Rocca of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions started working among Adivasi communities.

The establishment of a new Catholic diocese in northern Bangladesh marks reflects significant Church engagement with indigenous communities and decades of pastoral growth in the region.

The Holy See erected the Diocese of Joypurhat on 25 March from territories previously belonging to the dioceses of Rajshahi and Dinajpur, making it a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Dhaka.

Pope Leo XIV appointed Fr Paul Gomes, rector of the Holy Spirit Major Seminary in Dhaka, as the first bishop of the new diocese.

The Diocese of Joypurhat begins with 12 parishes, most of them serving indigenous communities, including Santali, Oraon, Mahali, Munda and Paharia peoples. Its territory covers the districts of Naogaon, Bogra and Joypurhat.

Bishop‑elect Gomes told The Tablet that the new diocese would prioritise strengthening parish life and faith formation, alongside education and social development.

“Our mission will be to deepen the faith of the people and to promote human values through education, health care and moral formation,” he said. “I want to dedicate myself fully to the overall development of the people of this diocese.”

He identified the proclamation of the Word of God as a central priority, noting that several villages in the region, including catechumen villages, show growing interest in Christianity and may see adult baptisms in the future.

Gomes’ episcopal ordination is scheduled for 5 June at Beneedwar Parish in Naogaon district.

Local clergy and laity welcomed the announcement. Fr Michael Corraya, parish priest of Beneedwar, told The Tablet that the creation of the diocese had been long awaited.

“We are very happy that this new diocese has finally been announced,” he said. “It will help accelerate the work of evangelisation and allow us to bring the Good News to many more people.”

Michael Mardi, a Catholic from the Joypurhat area, expressed similar hopes. “We believe the new bishop will inspire us through his preaching and strengthen us spiritually,” he said.

Bishop Gervas Rozario of Rajshahi congratulated Gomes, describing the new diocese as the fulfilment of a longstanding hope.

“This has been a dream for the priests of Rajshahi diocese and for me,” he said. “We have worked for many years towards the creation of a new diocese, and our efforts have borne fruit. I will fully cooperate with the new bishop in building the pastoral infrastructure of his diocese.”

The Diocese of Rajshahi itself was erected on 21 May 1990 from the southern part of the Diocese of Dinajpur, although its missionary roots go back much further. Evangelisation in the region began on 29 January 1902, when Fr Francesco Rocca of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) started working among Adivasi communities.

From small missionary stations in Begunbari and Andharkota, the Catholic faith gradually spread among Mundas, Santals and other indigenous groups. From 1925 onwards, new parishes were established, and Bengali Catholics also migrated into the area. Over the decades, the diocese has grown under successive bishops and today serves a Catholic population of more than 71,000.

The creation of the Diocese of Joypurhat is considered a further sign of the Church’s commitment to indigenous peoples in Bangladesh and of the steady maturation of local Catholic communities.

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