The Third Order Regular (TOR) Franciscan Fathers of the province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Loretto, Pennyslvania, USA came to the Diocese of Patna to assist the Jesuits in 1939. They were then assigned to the Church Station of Bhagalpur, Gokhla, Poreyahat and Godda.

In 1956 Bhagalpur was cut off from the Diocese of Patna and Prefecture Apostolic was established by the Holy See. Rt. Rev. Msgr. Urban McGarry, tor, was appointed its first Prefect Apostolic on August 7, 1956.

The Diocese of Bhagalpur was erected and its First Bishop, Rt. Rev. Urban McGarry, tor, was appointed on January 25, 1965. The present diocese is formed out the south-eastern portion of the Patna diocese and it comprises the district of Bhagalpur, Godda district of the Santhal Pargans Divisions, Deoghar and Sarawan thanas of the Santhal Parganas Division.

Within a short time of their arrival, the TOR Fathers recruited local vocations and a novitiate was started. A further step forward was taken when a Franciscan Monastery (clericate) at Ranchi was established to further the training of Religious Clerics. A Minor Seminary (now Regional Seminary) was opened in 1959 at Bhagalpur where the Franciscan and Diocesan candidates were being trained in the seminary.

Twenty religious congregations of Sisters share a great burden in the apostolic educational and medical activities of the diocese.

On October 8, 1970 the Revenue Thana of Chakai, Dt. Monghyr (now Jaumui District) embracing Mariampahari and Jhajha, formerly of Patna diocese was annexed to the Diocese by the Sacred Congregation for the Evangelization of the peoples, in virtue of the faculty granted by Pope Paul VI. Shortly after the part of the Giridih district, formerly of Ranchi Archdiocese, was likewise annexed to the Diocese of Bhagalpur. In 1984, the parishes of Sokho and Kharagpur, formerly of Patna diocese were handed over to the Bhagalpur diocese.

Bp KURIAN VALIAKANDATHIL
Born : Nov. 18, 1952
Priestly Ordn.: Oct. 28, 1977
Appointed Bishop: Jan. 11, 2007
Episcopal Ordn.: Feb. 07, 2007

Address: 
Bishop of Bhagalpur
Chancery Office
Nawab Colony
P.B. No. 61, Bhagalpur - 812 001
Bihar.

Tel: (0641) 24 00 878 (O), 23 01 281 (P)         
Fax: (0641) 24 01 183, 23 01 281
E-mail: chan_bpa@yahoo.com

Area: 26,000 sq. km.
Total population: 9176600
Christians: 15000
Catholics: 80000
Languages spoken: Hindi, Santali and Oraon.
Revenue districts: Bhagalpur, Godda, Sahebganj, Jamui, Munger, Giridih, Deoghar and Banka.

Statistics
Diocesan Clergy: 73
Religious Priests: 22
Religious Brothers: 06
Religious Women: 292
No. of Parishes: 45
Houses of Women Religious: 43
Houses of Men Religious: 08

Formation Houses
Major Seminarians: 38
Minor Seminarians: 10

No. of Educational Institutions
Technical Institutions: 01           
Sr. Secondary Schools (10+2): 01
High Schools (10th std.): 13     
Primary Schools: 32
Hospitals: 04
Dispensaries: 29                          

Other Institutions:
Leprosy clinic: 02
Hostels: 76
Home for the aged: 02
Orphanages: 02
Novitiates: 03
Pastoral Centre: 02