Diocese of Jamshedpur

  Bishop Telesphore Bilung

 Bishop's House,
 Golmuri P.O., Jamshedpur-831003,
 Jharkhand, India

 Phone: (0657)2340.298
 Fax: 2341.279
 Email: teles4bilung@yahoo.com

 Website: http://www.jamshedpurdiocese.org/

Bishop Bilung was born on April 15, 1961, at Sargidipa in the diocese of Rourkela, Odisha. He attended primary school and middle school in Gaibira.

In 1979, he joined the Jyoti Bhavan minor Seminary in Sambalpur. In 1985, he entered the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). He professed his first vows in 1986. He was ordained priest on May 2, 1992, in Gaibira. Between 1986 and 1992, Bishop Bilung completed his studies in philosophy and theology at Jnana Deepa Vidyapeth in Pune.

After his ordination, Bishop Bilung served as assistant parish in Puri from 1992 to 1994 and as rector of the Minor Seminary in Sambalpur from 1994 to 1996. Since 2011, Bishop Bilung has been the provincial superior of the Divine Word Missionaries.

On June 20, 2019, Bishop Bilung was appointed as apostolic administrator of Jamshedpur.

On Nov 1, 2021, Pope Francis appointed Rev. Telesphore Bilung as Bishop of Jamshedpur.

Previous Ordinaries:

• • Bishop Felix Toppo (14 Jun 1997 Appointed - 24 Jun 2018 Appointed, Archbishop of Ranchi)

  • Bishop Joseph Robert Rodericks, S.J. (June 25, 1970 – January 9, 1996)

  • Archbishop Lawrence Trevor Picachy, S.J. (later Cardinal) (Apostolic Administrator May 29, 1969 – June 25, 1970)

  • Bishop Lawrence Trevor Picachy, S.J. (later Cardinal) (July 12, 1962 – May 29, 1969)

The diocese of Jamshedpur was erected on July 2, 1962, in Jharkhand state. It comprises the district of East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum (excluding the parish of Bandgoan), Saraikela- Kharswan, Dhanbad, a portion of Bokaro district (namely the Chandankiayari Block and the Chas Block) and in West Bengal it covers Purulia district.

The districts of West Singhbhum and Saraikera-Kharswan were formerly part of the archdiocese of Ranchi. The districts of East Singhbhum, Bokaro, Dhanbad and Purulia were part of the archdiocese of Calcutta.

Bishops Lawrence T. Picachy, SJ, (1962-1969) and Joseph R. Rodericks, SJ, (1971 -1996) were the former prelates. Bishop Felix Toppo, SJ, was consecrated on Sept. 27, 1997, as its third bishop. Bishop Felix Toppo appointed as Archbishop of Ranchi on Jun. 24, 2018 and Bishop Telesphore Bilung took the office on Nov. 1, 2021.

Language

The languages of liturgical celebrations in the towns are Hindi and English. In the villages - Ho, Mundari and Santhali are used.

History

In 1962, at the time of the erection of the diocese only eight parishes existed. In 1964, the parishes of Bandgoan and Anandpur were transferred to the archdiocese of Ranchi.

The majority of the people in the diocese are living in villages which belong to the Hos, Mundas and Santhal tribes. The cosmopolitan towns of Jamshedpur, Purulia and Dhanbad have a floating population which comes for work from all the states of India.

There are approximately 60,000 Catholics in the diocese. There are 146 priests and 318 religious sisters working in the diocese.