Roman Catholic Diocese of Sylhet
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Diocese of Sylhet Dioecesis Sylhetensis সিলেট এর বিশপের এলাকা |
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| Location | |
| Country | Bangladesh |
| Ecclesiastical province | Dhaka |
| Metropolitan | Dhaka |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 12,595 km2 (4,863 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics |
(as of 2012) 10,000,000 16,707 (0.2%) |
| Parishes | 7 |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Latin Rite |
| Established | 8 July 2011 |
| Cathedral | Pro-Cathedral of the Divine Mercy in Moulvibazar |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Bishop | Bejoy Nicephorus D'Cruze, O.M.I. |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Patrick D'Rozario |
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sylhet (Latin: Dioecesis Sylhetensis) is a diocese in Bangladesh, and comprises the civil districts of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Habiganj, and Maulvi Bazar. It lies in the Ecclesiastical province of Dhaka in Bangladesh.
Sylhet was erected as a Diocese on 30 September 2011. Pope Benedict XVI announced it on 8 July 2011. This new Diocese consists of four civil districts covering 12,594 sq. k. m. The total population is about 10 million. There are 17,000 Catholics.
The history says that on the 1 January 1600 the Jesuit Fathers inaugurated a Church at Isoripur, under Khulna (present) diocese. The Augustinians preached Christianity in 1612 in Dacca. At present, we have existing oldest Church at Tejgaon, Dhaka, which was established by the Portuguese in 1677. Bangladesh got its independence in 1971. The territory is about 150,000 sq. k. m. The total population of Bangladesh is 150 million among them 88% are Muslims, 10% Hindus and the rest belongs to the different Tribal groups. At present there are 7 Dioceses and 350,000 are Catholics among 500,000 Christians.
During the time of British rule, the Catholics of the Tea-Estate people, Khasias and Mandi indigenous people were given service from a Parish in Assam (India). After the partition in 1947, it was not possible for a priest to come to Pakistan from India. The entire area of Sylhet was given to the Archdiocese of Dacca. Archbishop Graner, CSC sent Fr. Vincent Delivi, CSC to visit the area and see what the Archbishop had inherited. Fr. Delivi toured the vast area and found, he reported 700 Catholics among the tea garden workers and the Khasia. The baptism register was copied from Assam and showed 903 baptisms dating back to 1910. Fr. Delivi was assigned to that area. He then established the first Mission in 1950 at Srimongol. He built a house there and named that ‘Rat Hole’. He toured the area often on foot. For him it was difficult to travel in the hilly area. He tried to make friends with the Tea Estate managers in order to have access to the villages and the people. Fr Delivi celebrated the first Mass in the new parish in 1952 in Burmacherra Tea Estate. On the following year (1951) the second Parish was established in Mugaipar, now it is under the Oblate Fathers.
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