History

The seed of Catholicism in Orissa can be traced back to the 17th Century, when it was under the care of Madras-Mylapore. By 1845 the region of Orissa was already under Visakhapatnam diocese. In the course of time the fathers of St. Francis de Sales, msfs, evangelised the hilly region of Ganjam and Phulbani and the coastal belt of Cuttack and Berhampur.

After World War I, in 1992, the MSFS Fathers handed over the Cuttack Mission to 4 Spanish Vincentian Fathers. Later many other Spanish Fathers joined them and the Church work progressed in leaps and bounds. The Mission of Cuttack was declared "Missio Sui Juris" by Pope Pius XI on July 18, 1928. Fr Valerian Guemes, cm, was appointed its Administrator and Ecclesial Superior.

In 1937 Cuttack Mission was raised to the status of a diocese. Pope Paul VI, by the Papal Bull 'Verba Jesus Christi', issued on January 24, 1974, bifurcated the Diocese of Cuttack, and out of the southern district of Orissa, erected the Diocese of Berhampur as a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. The Diocese of Berhampur comprises the civil districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Nuapoda, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangapur, Malkangiri and Kalahandi.

Bp Thomas Thiruthalil, cm was installed on June 23, 1974 as the First Bishop of the diocese. In January 1990 he was transferred to the newly erected Diocese of Balasore.

Bp SARAT CHANDRA NAYAK
Born : Jul. 01, 1957
Priestly Ordn.: Apr. 25, 1990
Appointed Bishop.: Nov. 27, 2006
Episcopal Consecration: Jan. 29, 2007

Address:
Bishop's House
Post Box No. 27, Ganjam Dt.
Berhampur - 760 001
Orissa.
                                       
Tel: (0680) 22 90 023(O), 22 91 394 (P)
Fax: (0680) 22 91 237
Mobile: 09 86 10 12 119
E-mail: bpr_diober@sancharnet.in