By
C. M. Paul
31 May, Krishnagar-India (DBIS) -- Three Salesian Archbishops co-ordained the 22nd Salesian Bishop in India in the recently concluded platinum jubilee of the first Salesian province - Calcutta. Archbishop Lucas Sircar (Calcutta), Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil (Guwahati) and Archbishop Dominic Jala (Shillong) ordained Salesian Fr. Joseph Suren Gomes of Calcutta province as 7th Bishop of Krishnagar diocese some 110 kms north of Calcutta. Twelve Bishops, about 150 priests, 400 Sisters and about 40 bus loads of representatives from 14 parishes of the diocese participated in the consecration of the fourth Salesian Bishop of Krishnagar, 58 year-old Bishop Gomes.
Born in Hasnabad, Dhaka erstwhile East Bengal, he spent his childhood in Taltola, Calcutta. Later the family settled in Ranaghat in Nadia dist, W. Bengal and Gomes pursued his studies in Don Bosco Krishnagar, the cradle of several Bishops.
As a young Salesian he worked in Don Bosco Lonavla and St. Paul’s Borivli in Maharshtra. While doing theology at Kristu Jyoti College Bangalore, Gomes distinguished himself in giving pastoral assistance to the Bengali community in the garden city. Gomes was also the first priest to be ordained in Ranagaht parish by the first Bengali Bishop of Krishnagar, the late Motilal Baroi in 1974.
Besides being Vice-Rector in the Salesian Aspirantate at Bandel, Bishop Gomes was also diocesan Youth animator in Krishnagar. He was Rector at Salesian Aspirantate in Azimganj and Don Bosco Krishnagar. He also served six years as assistant parish priest in Dharan, Nepal and Bongaon (Calcutta).
One
of the eight dioceses of Bengal, Krishnagar diocese consists of the two
districts of Nadia and Murshidabad with a total area of 8,640 sq KM. The
Catholics number about 52,000 distributed in 14 parishes with a predominant
Santhal catholic population.
Catholic India has some 16 million faithful spread out in 144 dioceses and is served by 195 Bishops of whom are 25 archbishops.
