History of Raiganj Diocese, West Bengal

The Diocese of Raiganj was erected by Pope Paul VI by the Apostolic Bull “Ut Petrus et Pastor” dated June 8, 1978. The Diocese lies in the State of West Bengal. In 1952 a part of West Dinajpur and Malda was detached from the Diocese of Dinajpur (now in Bangladesh and the Prefecture of Malda was erected under the care of the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missionaries of Milan. But in 1962, when the Diocese of Dumka was erected, the Prefecture of Malda was suppressed. In 1978 the District of Malda and erstwhile West Dinajpur (now divided into Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur Districts) were bifurcated from Dumka in order to form the Diocese of Raiganj. Rt. Rev. Leo Tigga, S.J., who was then Bishop of Dumka, was appointed the first Bishop of Raiganj in 1978. He left for his heavenly abode on 29^th January 1987. Rt. Rev. Alphonsus D’Souza S.J., was appointed second Bishop of Raiganj Diocese on 26^th January, 1987.