A. Catholic Population
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As of 2001, Muzaffarpur diocese had 4,638 baptized Catholics, representing 0.016 percent of all 28,304,000 people in the territory. The diocese has 10 parishes, 8 mission stations and 27 sub mission stations. The diocese recorded 130 baptisms and there were 5 catechists and 38 full time Church workers. Other religions in the diocese include Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jains. |
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People in the Diocese
Baptized Catholics: 4,638 or 0.016%
Hindus: 23,639,501, or 83.52%
Muslims: 4,656,008, or 16.45%
Sikhs: 2,960, or 0.01%
Jains: 518, or 0.0018%
Buddhists: 375, or 0.0013%
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B. Diocesan and Religious Priests
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Diocesan priests: 30
Religious priests: 11
Average age: 45
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C. Religious Brothers, Sisters
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Religious Brothers: 10 (1 Indian Missionary Brother, 9 Missionaries of Charity Brothers)
Religious Sisters: 105
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D. Seminaries, Houses of Formation
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Minor seminary: Masihi Gurukul, c/o Bishop's House, Muzaffarpur - 842 001, Bihar, India
No. of minor seminarians: 9
No. of major seminarians: 15 (at different major seminaries outside the diocese)
Houses of Formation: Sneha Sadan, Holy Cross Candidates House, Chakkar Road, Muzaffarpur - 842001, Bihar, India
No. of members: 62
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E. Deaneries in Diocese include:
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Koshi Deanery: Father Joe Maripuram, SJ
Mithilanchal Deanery: Father Jerry David
Tirhut Deanery: Father Mathew Orathel
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F. There are 10 parishes, 8 mission stations and 27 sub-mission stations in the diocese.
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| Bishop Thakur (left) with Archbishop Osta of Patna (center) and Bishop Victor Henry Thakur of Bettiah (right) at a reception at Khrist Raja (Christ the King) High School in Bettiah |
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| Bishop Thaku being honored with a silver plaque at the celebration of his silver jubilee as Bishop of Muzaffarpur |
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Diocesan Activities and Organizations
A. Major Diocesan Commissions and Organizations
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Commission for Liturgy: Father Julius Lazarus
Commission for Education: Father Gerald David
Commission for Prison Apostolate: Father Mathew J. Vellamaruthunkal
Commission for Inter Faith Dialogue: Father Mathew Orathel
Commission for Family: Father Pradeep Sah
Commission for Social Communications: Father Thengumpallil Saji
Commission for Vocations: Father Deepak Tauro
Commission for Pontifical Mission Organizations: Father L. Selvaraj
Commission for Land Matters: Mr. Remy Andrew
Commission for Ecumenism: Father Mathew Orathel
Commission for Faith Formation: Father L. Selvaraj
Commission for Youth Apostolate: Father Mathew J. Vellamaruthunkal
Commission for Health Apostolate: Father Julius Lazarus
Commission for Socio Economic Development: Father Julius Lazarus
Commission for Basic Christian Communities: Father L. Selvaraj
Catechetical Commission: Father Joseph Marandi
Commission for Construction: Father Henry D'Souza
Thrust of the diocese:
Less involvement of priests in temporal affairs.
Greater involvement of the laity in all the diocesan works.
Much greater attention to persons, with families and villages becoming the center of the diocese's attention rather work in institutions.
In the health ministry, getting out of the dispensaries as much as possible; a switch of emphasis from giving medicine to teaching good living habits to promote health.
In education, more attention to the disadvantaged through non-formal education (NFE) programs.
Creating the culture of working outside the institutional model of life and work for priests and nuns with the least comforts, mainly in remote inaccessible villages.
Inculcating greater generosity and a strong and new type of spirituality among the Church leaders and volunteers in order to lead a life in the villages in non-institutional milieu.
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B. Catholic Educational Institutions
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Schools |
Students |
| Pre-primary School |
2 |
300 |
| Primary School |
4 |
2,500 |
| Post-primary School |
8 |
6,500 |
| Secondary School |
4 |
4,200 |
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The diocese has focused upon non formal education (NFE) because the region lacks infrastructures for formal education. Besides, formal educational institutions need huge funds. Still it can cater to limited number of people. On the other hand, NFE programs with even meager funds and people participation could help massive number of people have access to education needed to live with dignity and liberty.
The diocese runs some 1,000 NFE centers within its territory catering some 40,000 marginalized children, aged 5 to 15 in particular, with special emphasis on female literacy.
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C. Catholic Social Welfare
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Hospitals, clinics and dispensaries: 15
Nav Jeevan Leprosy Ashram Hospital, Darbhanga
Sneha Dham Leprosy Hospital, Muraliganj
Asha Dham Tuberculosis Hospital, Tinconma
Asha Dham Dispensary, Tinconma
Maria Sadan Health Center, Muriaro
Jyoti Bhawan Health Center, Kanti
Mata Sahayika Health Center, Mansi
Mata Sahayika Health Center, Begusarai
Prabhat Tara Health Center, Bhagwanpur
Missionaries of Charity Brothers Dispensary, Darbhanga
Missionaries of Charity Sisters Clinics, Muzaffarpur
Sacred Heart Dispensary, Tribeniganj
Sacred Heart Dispensary, Malighat
St. Anthony's Dispensary, Khoria
Shanti Nivas Dispensary, Dheng
Training centers: 10
Sewa Sadan, Muzaffarpur
Jyoti Niwas Vocational training center for women, Sahpur
Mata Sahayika Vocational Training program center for rural women, Sushil Nagar
Nirmal Mahila Kalyan Kendra, Allalpatty,
Sacred Heart Social Center, Malighat
Holy Cross Social Service Society, Chakwasso
Prabhat Bhawan Bonded Child Labor Rehabilitation Center, Madhubani
Jyoti Bhawan Social Service Center, Kanti
Maria Sadan Women Empowerment Center, Muriaro
Shanti Niwas Socio-economic empowerment Center, Dheng
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D. Social Communications
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Social Communication Commission
In-charge: Father Thengumpallil Saji
Catholic Ashram, Opp. SP, Residence, SDO Road, Hajipur 844 101, Vaishali Dt., Bihar, India.
Phone: (91) 6224-273875
The diocese publishes only three monthly newsletters, two in Hindi and one in English, namely "Chatra Chaya," "Gurukul Geetam" and Mustard Seed.
The diocese has a School of Music and Dance
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E. Other Church Organizations and Associations
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Society of St. Vincent De Paul
Catholic Mahila Sangh (women union)
AICUF
Eucharistic Crusade
Young Christian Students Movement
Holy Childhood
Apostleship of Prayer
Couples for Christ
ICYM
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Religious Congregations, Societies and Institutes
A. Religious Institutes of Men
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Indian Missionary Society ~ IMS
Missionary Brothers of Charity ~ MC
Society of Jesus ~ SJ
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B. Religious Institutes of Women
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Congregation of Our Lady of the Missions ~ RNDM
Franciscan Missionaries of Mary ~ FMM
Franciscan Sisters of Notre Dame de Bon Secours ~ FBS
Franciscan Sisters of St. Mary of the Angels ~ SMA
Medical Missionary Sisters ~ SCMM
Missionaries of Charity Sisters ~ MC
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth ~ SCN
Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross ~ SCHC
Sisters of the Immaculate Conception ~ CIC
Sisters of the Sacred Heart ~ SSH
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| General Characteristics of the Diocese
In a land area of 27,120 square kilometers, the diocesan territory covers 12 civil districts of Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Saharsa, Begusarai, Madhepura, Khagaria, Sheohar and Supaul.
The diocese is located in the northern part of Bihar state having its headquarters in Muzaffarpur, which is also the headquarters of the civil district of Muzaffarpur. The diocese shares a 100 kilometer-long border with Nepal in the north. It borders the Diocese of Purnea in the east, the Diocese of Bettiah in the west. The river Ganges in the south separates it from the Archdiocese of Patna.
The genesis of the diocese can be attributed to the Congregation of the Faith's erection of the prefecture of Tibet-Hindustan in 1703 entrusting it to the Capuchin Fathers of the Italian Province of Picenum in the Marches of Ancona. Father John Francis of Camerion, OFM Cap, was assigned the tutelage of the prefecture as its Prefect.
One of the Capuchin missioners, Father Joseph Mary, happened to spend some time in Bettiah in 1740 en route Tibet and cure the queen of Bettiah of some serious malady. The King of Bettiah, Dhruva Singh, asked the priest to stay in his Kingdom, but the priest expressed his inability to do so unless the Vatican granted permission for the same.
Subsequently, King Dhruva Singh wrote two letters to Pope Benedict XIV requesting that the missioners be allowed to open a station in Bettiah. The pope conceded the request of the Bettiah King and replied him on May 1, 1742 that he was allowing the Capuchins to stay and preach the Gospel in his kingdom. Father Joseph Mary thus founded the Bettiah Mission in 1745.
In 1820, the Vatican elevated the Prefecture of Tibet-Hindustan to a Vicariate with its headquarters at Agra, currently located in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. In 1827 an independent Patna Vicariate comprising Bettiah, Chuhari, Patna City, Danapore, Bhagalpur, Darjeeling, Sikkim, Nepal and some other adjacent territories was constituted by a papal decree. Father Anastasius Hartmann, OFM Cap, was nominated its Vicar and ordained Bishop of Agra.
Patna Vicariate's first diocesan priest, Father Cajetan Casary of Bettiah, was ordained priest in Rome in 1861.
In 1886, the North Bihar Mission comprising its four stations of Bettiah, Chuhari, Chakhni and Latonah was entrusted to the tireless Capuchins. In May 1892, the Vatican formed the new Prefecture of Bettiah-Nepal to be led by Father Hilaion OFM Cap of Abtei as its Prefect. Twenty years of intensive apostolic activities witnessed the opening of several stations such as Darbhanga, Khorea, Marpa, Muzaffarpur and Samastipur.
The Prefecture was dissolved in 1919 and attached to South Bihar (now Jharkhand state) to form the Diocese of Patna with its first Bishop, Louis Van Hoeck, SJ of Ranchi Mission. Subsequently, Father Augustine Wildermuth, SJ was ordained the third Bishop of Patna in October 1947. In March 1980, the Patna diocese was bifurcated into Patna and Muzaffarpur dioceses. Bishop John Baptist Thakur, SJ became the first prelate of the newly erected Muzaffarpur diocese.
In August 1998 the Muzaffarpur diocese was further divided into Muzaffarpur and Bettiah dioceses.
The total population of the diocese is 28,304,000, comprising 14,756,000 males and 13,548,000 females.There is a tribal community known as "Santhal" (Austric stock) and one semi-tribal community called "Mushahars" (Austric stock too) and the non-tribal groups that comprise Hindus, Muslims, Catholic, Sikh, Jain and Buddhists.
The per capita income in the diocesan territory is 3,600 rupees (some US$82). The region is extremely flood prone affecting agriculture to a great extent. Still paddy, maize, jute and vegetables are the major agricultural produces. Sugar cane is also produced. Fishery is an important economic activity of the region. Except a few sugar mills industries are virtually absent in the region. Majority of the working adults are migrant laborers working outside the region to eke out a living.
Maithili and Hindi are the major languages of the territory. But even Santhali, Bajika, Urdu and English are used. The literacy rate is 37.2 percent.
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