The Diocese of Raiganj was erected by Pope Paul VI by the Apostolic Bull "Ut Petrus et Pastor" dated June 8, 1978. The diocese was formed by detaching from the Diocese of Dumka, the district of West Dinajpur and Malda. The West Dinajpur district has been further subdivided into two Districts: North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur. The diocese lies completely in the State of West Bengal.

In 1952 a part of West Dinajpur and Malda were cut off 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 (PIME). But in 1962, when the Diocese of Dumka was erected, the Prefecture of Malda was suppressed and the area was fused with Dumka diocese. Now the area of the former Malda Prefecture plus the Islampur subdivision of former West Dinajpur has become the Diocese of Raiganj.

Bp ALPHONSUS F. D'SOUZA 
Born: Jul. 04, 1939
Priestly Ordn: Jul. 13, 1971
Episcopal Ordn: May 17, 1987

Address: 
Bishop's House,
Chotparua, Karnajora P.O.
Via Raiganj
Dt. Uttar Dinajpur - 733 130
West Bengal.

Tel: (03523) 50 900 (O) , 52 735 (P)
Fax: (03523) 56 841